The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-09-12
The DetasUare County Poor Hessse.
MORE STARTLING REYELATIoNs-HofsF
BILE CONDITION OF THE INMATES,


MORE STARTLING OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
BILE CONDITION OF THE INMATES.
The people of Delaware county, in this
State, have been much excited OF late over
ceftain allegations concerning the condition
of their insane poor, and have held an
Indignation meeting at which the authors
of the reports were severely Censured and
an attempt made to whitcwash the officers
of the institution. The ECe1siHg Bulletin,
however goes back at them and reveals 4
terribly fifty state of affairs. 1t says:
The state of things in the insane de
partnenC of the Delaware County House
of Employment, all existed, precisely as
we are about to state them, within tho
last seven months. Our statement is based
upon the evidence of several gentlemen of
this city, of the highest integrity, who
have. separately or together, visited the
institution in February, March and July
of the present year.
In February last visit was made to
this alms-house, and an insane inmate was
seen, a young woman over twenty years of
ace. whose whole dress consisted of thin
chemise with short sleeves, 4 single skirt,
and pair of shoes. When brought be-
fore tie visitor borrowed cloak was
thrown over her shoulders. She was blue
with cold, and utterly filthy III person
| Her cell had the appearance of having
undergone recent hasty washing but
/ was pervaded by an odor loathesome IN the
/ extreme. On the day of this visit the
/ thermometer in Philadelphia fell to IA de-
/ grees.
In March, another visit was paid to the
/ institution by several gentlemen, in q
J body Only one portion of the building
was visited, which is supposed to be de
voted exclusively to women. In one cell
was young woman, the one already re-
! ferred to- Her cell was without any
furniture whatever; her bed consisted of
one blanket; her clothing, ragged
chemise open to her waist, and one
scanty skirt, and a pair of shoes. She
was indescribably unclean, and alive with
( yermin Her cell reeksd 2ctth n S1cEen1ng
od0r, the result of a total absence of all
conveniences for cleanliness. She shiv-
/ cred with cold while in the presence of
her visitors, the thermometer standing at
the time seUeraL degrees 6sloe0 tie JreesiH s
point.
SOMETHING STILL WORSE.
Opposite to the cell which we have very
family described was another. The short
day had already faded into dusk, and as
the light was thrown through the little
aperture in the door, it fell upon two
women, both of whom were absolutely
soithout a single garment to coDer Mem
One of the poor creatures sat crouchIng
in the corner, with small blanket drawn
across her shoulders, while the other was
crawling on all-fours on the floor, without
even this poor apology for any remnant of
human decency! There was not a particle
of furniture in the cell, and there, on this
! wintry March night, in an atmosphere
! which the witnesses declare TO have been
utterly horrible, were these two human
beings brought down far below the level
of our domestic brutes. This is what
Judge Hinkson and Mr.. Walter call "a
credit and an honor to Delaware county,
This is the full and clear apprehension OF
the Directors duties"
In an adjoining cell, tho visitors found a
man lying on an old mattress, tie only
sign of furniture which they saw in either
of the rooms inspected. They were in
/ formed that the inmate was woman; but
/ upon one of the gentlemen calling to him
( he sat up, and it was seen that it was q
man. The attendant, with some confu-
sion, explained that ''he must have been
! brought in while he was away"
/ VIATATED ATMOSPHERE.
Judge Hinkson and his friends have de
clared that not only was there no vitiated
atmosphere in this alms-house, but there
/ never has becn.n One of the gentlemen
! to whom humanity is indebted for this
/ exposure, thus writes to eve found
the female insane department in a shock
| ing condition; so bad that it would be
tWpoSStOte 70 9tcE a ctScFtpttoH CJ ne
! place on paper. In some cells there were
two or more women confined, some with
out any clothing, lying on the floor with
| out mattress, carpet, or anything else eX-
cept an old Government blanket. The
place had
HORRIBLE PUTRID ODOR.
We examined one woman who was
quite young. l was GTraid to 90 near her,
as she seemed covered with vermin. We
were all much shocked by the visit, and
think l shall remember it as long as
| live.
We could give other details of the dis
gusting personal condition of the unhappy
inmates of this place, but it is needless.