The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-30
Statements That Need Inves-
tigation.
Is it a Resort Of Dead-Beats, Pimps
and Prostitutes,
Who Steal Corn, Potatoes, Meat, Sugar
Coffee, Tea. Etc, Which they
Sell for Whisky ?
sUP'R KRELL NOTIFIED, BUT RE
FUSES TO INTERFERE.
A Charge Against VIM. 8. Bailey, the
Steward.

On Tuesday forenoon man named
Charles Nesler, German, came into this
office and stated that he had just arrived
in the city from our county poor house, at
Coal Valley, aud that he would like to
make public some facts concerning the
management of that institution, which, he
says, he is willing to swear to and can
prove.
He then told, in substance, the following
story:
About the llth of May, 1874. Twas sent
to the poor house at Coal Valley from this
town. | had been working at Weyerhauser
Il Denkman's saw mill. but was taken sick,
and, having no friends, was sent to the
poor house. [ was confined to my bed
there for over eight months, and until
within short time could not walk, ex-
cept with crutches. | was afflicted with
ague and rheumatism. | am now we'll and
able to work. There are now at the
poor house about 100 persons, and of that
number one half are strong, able bodied
men, not residents of the county, and not
entitled to aid at the expense of the peo
pie. | will tell you of some of the trans
actions among this class of paupers. The
men will crowd into the kitchen and smoke
and drink all day and until late at night
In oruer to get whisky they often steal bags
OF corn, potatoes, sugar, tea, and coffee,
hams aud shoulders, aud carry them to the
saloons in Coal Valley where they are ex-
changed for liquor. They will often get
drunk and remain so for three or four days,
and, although Mr.. Bailey sees them and
knows how they obtain their liquor, he
will say nothing to them. | can prove that
Mrs Bailey and a woman named Pierce,
who formerly kept house of i'll fame in this
city, often get drunk from drinking whisky
obtained IN this way Two prostitutes,
named Lou and Amelia, will often go off
to Coal Valley and other places and re-
main away for several days, and then re-
turn only to have big spree in the kitch
en- | know, and can prove, that young
men from Coal ALLEY often come out to the
poor house at night, and, crawling into the
window of the room occupied by these two
women, remain there all night, and jump
out again about daylight in the morning.
| can also prove that the cook is a dirty,
meal, except for the crowd of able bodied
ucdu UtdtS WIZ stay AL TIC hltCHeu ali udS d.
All we had to eat, sick or we'll, was gen
orally fat pork, half raw, very weak coffee
without sugar and milk, one piece of hard
bread, and occasionally half boiled potato
This is said to have cost about 81 cents pei
day for each inmate, but it could never
have cost more than 10 cents each. Some
times We had no breakfast. and then could
not get anything to eat until 3 or in the
| | o,atr. hol tk,
doctor ordered that [ be furnished with
soup. | never received any. Mr.. Krel
came out there once and [ told him all
knew about the management ofthe institu
ton, but he said he couldn't do anything
in the matter, and that is the last time
saw iiai. During the last winter thing.
have be, n going worse than ever before
aud but short time ago myself anC
another witness caught Mr., Bailey in at
tempting Improper familiaritles with {
poor ignorant German woman named
Koch. Her husband, tailor, deserted
her and she was sent there from this city
She told me atterward that Bailey haC
often made her offers of money, etc, bu
she had always refused. These are som,
of the transactions which occur in th,
poor house and ] can prove them all.
) am now stopping in the boarding house o
, Peter Scherer, corner of Ohio and Rocl
river streets, and can be found there i
, wanted.
Mr.. Ncsler told his story in plain
straight forward manner, without an
appearance of anger or malice He wa
asked if he had had any trouble with Nh
Bailey, and he said he had rot; that b
was actuated only by desire to have tn
institution reformed and better managed
What truth, if any, there may be iu hi
story, we do not know. We take no res
possibility for any part of it. but we cor
slider it our duty to the public to publis
it, and 10 demand that the committee O.
poor and poor farm Immediately invest
gate it; not whitewash it, but sift it to tn
e bottom, and if Mr. and Mrs. Bailey can NO
properly manage the institution, emplo
those who can
This is not the first time that simila