, 1874-03-09
PENNSYLVANIA MADMEN.
Abuse Of thevInBane in Pennsylvania
Poor-Housoa.
Some Cases Witnessed by the Board Of
Public Charities.
Instances OF Shocking Cruelty and
Neglect.

Special Eis*atrh 10 7he chicago Tribune.
PHILADELPHIA, March 8.--A few weeks ago
wero published IN TIE CHICAGO TRIBUNE ex-
tracts from advance shoots Of tho report OF tho
Board Of Public Charities, declaring the horrible
treat.nent to which inBano paupors wero sub
jccted in many poor-houses in this State. It
was thought TINT the mattor then brought to
light WIS unparalleled, and their recurrence im-
possible. Frank Wells, and bis fellow-Commis-
hioners Of tho Board, have prepared for pre-
sontation to tho Legislature many cases of in
human treatment Of uufortunatcs consigned to
these living tombs. Out Of several, tho
Northampton County poor-House is taken as
AN EXAMPLE.
This institution il within ton mileB OF tho
towns OF Euston aud Bethlehem, in a somewhat
obscure locality. There is no railroad or in,-
pottant hghway to the place, aud 1t iR not liable
to much iucldontal visitation. It shelters about
2iu EauperB. Tho engineer mud overseer OF tlc
insane department orc Germans, tho lutter una
bio to speuk u word Of English, md the former
barcy ahle to mako himself Ineligible. Both,
Of ct'nrEc, ale unable to communicate with Or
understand tho nln jority Of ths patients.
THE REPORT sAYA:
We entored al underground nabsage-way IN tho
building about L feet wide Apod On QUO side
with s1x woodcn Cages, solldly boarded up to tho
ing is cut about feet long by 8 or 10 inches
wido Tie opening is protected by iron bare.
Tho cagos aro partially lightod. are I feet
square, and have no furniture save piles Of loose
s,ckening odor winch poryades them,
How nnimal life can be sustained
among such mephitic ahomiuations, is mys-
tory. frequently we were driven to outor. mir
for pure breath, and The horrible etlluvum clung
to our cl"thos for hours aftor no Lad left the
spot. III tlleso aubtorranoan dens wero six grown
mon, Bilontly
norT1Sa IN BRAIN AND BoDY.
In .Caso~1 was George L.. Attendants al
particular paco for him, ho waa placed horo. 1Io
was bare foot, oad in pants and ragged knit shirt.
Ills tight hand had been torn oil by an agrioui-
tural natlllue.
In cage 2 was Jnmes K. Nash, q miserable
looking creature. His solo garment was D coarse
htno fIocx, reaching to hfs kneos. Ho sat down
OH hls straw in corner. Wheu atarcHsod he
made violent effort to rise, but tho knee Joints,
stitFcncd with long crouchlng in his enforced at
titnIo, rafusoa to re1ax, and with groan he foil
feeIly OH his sldo,
UTTERLY UNABLE TO STAND.
Two yecrh ago, he entered the loathsome cell,
eEort urI sound.
yeats without clothing. In cage 4, WAS O stall
w:rt, tine-looking 1rishnaan. 30 yoars old, quiet
and plcasant-sposcn. lie was absolutely nude
lillo hls uoighbor.
Tho condition Of the inmates of the remaining
two Cages worc precisely similar. Crossing Tho
into the basement. and there in oages like those
already seen we bollold soma
SHOCKING
sighta. We taho the llrst as 4 sample OF the
rest. In one cage, lying On hemp Of litter,
waH q young woman 70 years Ut age. She ii
dumb. ssnttering only an unmoaui,,g cluckipg
6nllnll. Sllo vas born with but QUO hand. Her
right foot IL 80 distorted as to be useless. 3Iot-
tally, Ahe haH bcon idotio from her birth. For
eighteen years she has been III this Poor-HouBo,
and tho last Xix yearH have been passed In this
stSle. Tho poor woman Ii naked aB whom born,
nnlesa g wisp Of coarse bed-t1cking, originally
shipped like sleeveless shirt, and not reaching
from her arnpit to her hip, can be called u CUR
nout. Shocking 10 dccoucy,
OUTnAOiSo ALL HUMANITY,
aho lay upon her side, ler buck turned to US,
nncon"cous-shan God !--of her exposure. 4
spectacle of oivillzod loatlaenism Of utmost
degradation, she lay with her apparently sound
los drawn up agejnst itself. We asked If she
eo9d s5';,d walk ctI about her caso., "No." uad our
s9' se emit Shs %pa lay s6o sS long t tss 1o,a way
little OIL hor kneeB;" and atoppiug il, on tho
straw, he graspod lor ando, and drew tho limb
down to show now fur it would 60. An expros-
sIon of pain flashed across tho poor creaturo'a
sla WIS extremely robust and almost swollen in
appearance, VIC asked IL it was tho result al
disoaae, tue bare thigh which waB turned
towasta ua being 10 enormously large as to .sug-
Ecst some
oEcnEp1r AFFECTION.
with tho oxnct mir Of a farmer exhibiting somo
fntlcaod animal our guido assured uA tl.ut IL was
"hulid fat," and psesned hls list into this human
1lehl III bl1tchor might do into tho 1oA! OF u
rr'za OK. y. EiRhseen out OF twenty years Of d
wolaan's life In such lomo Blk years Of
naked imprisonment oil tho straw.littor of All
ulnls.houHo COLL Aa VIC turned away, stunned
uni stok at heart over such spectacle Of hutnun
WOO aud inhuman indifference, wo felt TINT this
pCor girl infused tho QUO blessing Of her lite
VIXEN bnr rnathhr }n11a1 tn Htrat111n 11Ar 1,ar