Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1877-08-23
THE VA 7 poor WHITE
PEOPLE ARE TREA TED
At THE NORTH.
Correspondence the Raleigh Observer. I
New York. july 12. 1877.

q ANGV AOhht y uIy Il, 10 4.
J, I almost wish that Mrs. Harriet
/. Beecher Stowe would write anoth
i er "Uncle Toms Cabin" hook, onI,
4 changing the scene, and this tim,
# exposing the horrors of life here
: She need not draw up her imagina
g ton for her facts, but little read
3 ing of the newspapers, and care
/. ful attendance upon the Courts
5 would supply her with abundan
f materials. This mornings papers
, for Instance, tell how they have
: near Brooklyn-the Beechers anc
Stoves know all about Brooklyn
, a charitable institution called 8
: "Home for Truant Boys,p the prin
cipal of which is described as "a
corpulent, rosy-cheeked, Jolly
looking gentleman" who swore
hat he loved the hoys and would
not, for the world, whip one OF
them or put before them at meal
times anything he would not him
self be willing to eat. The head
teacher admitted that he fogged
the little boys with a hickory stick.
which might be half an inch in di.
ameter. The watchman, he said
used a knotted rope, but he had
never been able to learn how TO
use this instrument successfully,
although the warchman had en-
deavored 70 teach him. He was
of the opinion that the discipline
Of the institution could not be
maintained without good deal of
beating. He was asked particular
" about the case of pale faced
little fellow, twelve years old,
named SmallfelI, who was one OF
seven boys that recently escaped
from the institution. His state
ment in regard to this boy was that
waking from his sleep one night
he saw the Doy at his bedside, and
supposing that he had come in
there to steal, he caned him sound
ly with his hickory stick. Young
Smallield explained his presence
10 the teachers room by the fact
OF his being q somnambulist, in
which statement he was borne out
by his father, who further testified
that his son had always been a
good boy, except that he was in
cllned to play truant, for which |
tendency he had been sent to the
institution. According to the lit |
tie fellow, who gave his testimony
III straightforward way, he was
severely whipped five times during
the two weeks he was i'll the Home,
twice for the sleep'walking otfense,
once for his failure 20 spell Shake
speare correctly, and twice for 9th
er trivial offences. The last beat
ing, he said, was more than he
could bear and forced him to join
the six other little fellows-none If
them over thirteen years oid-who,
ON the 3Oth OF last month, made
their escape from third story
window by means of rope made
o. their bed clothes.
The physician of the Board of
Education testified that he had tx.
amined the boy and found eviden-
ees on his body Of most brutal and {
lnhdman treatment, painful bruis-
% on the legs, knee and stomach,
he last very dangerous one.
Next came a mother with her {
title son, handsome boy of ten ,
years, who swore that year ago,
being in poor health, she bad been
lnable to control her little bov.
md thinking that the Truants
home was place where he would =,
oe we'll taken care of, she made ap t
olication to the Mayor and had t
lin removed there. For eleven ,
weeks she was unable to visit him. s
AT the end of that time" said the
ady, fortunately l was well {
,nough to go and see him. I be- t
ieve he would have died if I had /
lot gone there. | hardly knew {
lim. He was thin and pale; his I
body was covered with bruises, /
md his hair and head were in a /
lreadfuI state. l took him right :
way and sent him into the coun- t
ry, but it was q. month or six
weeks before his stomach recover
ID sufficient strength to retain any ,
ood, SO weak had it become on
he slops they Sgave him." The :
title boy himself stoutly asserted :
8 did young Smallfeld, that water,
xeept at meal times, was positively
efused them, and that many of the |
,oys were 10 the habit of drinking
he running water in the closets l
o quelc ch their thirst. c
The mother of the boy Hallett, I
mother one of the seven little 9
'haps that made their escape, also a
to the bruised and dirty +
condition of her child and the boy q
himself corroborated his compan. Y
ons in their statements. of the cru
'lties that exist in the institution. r
Che investigation is to be contin
led.
This is sickening exhibit of ,
'hafity life. Well, there is anoth- t