New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-05-29
Mans Jnhunanity.
New Orleans Democrat. I

Mans Jnhumanity.
New Orleans Democrat
Some days ago information was received
that in house near Broad street there was
a girl chained hand and foot, and had been
for some three months, and in pursuance of
this the reporter started on his quest accom-
panied BY Judge Southworth and A. DeFon-
blanque, the British consul at this port, who
volunteered out of pure humanity.
The reporter got out of the Canal
street cars at Dorgenois street, and
going up that stopped at the corner of Pal
myra to look for the habitation wherein it
was said that the girl had been confined.
On Palmyra, two doors from Dorgenois
street, it stood. From hasty glance at it's
exterior and surroundings, it might have
been taken for one of Quilp's retreats. 1t
was dilapidated one-story house containing
from the street. The front door was found
to be locked, but a window adjoining was
easily opened, and through it an entrance was
gained to the house. While the party were
endeavoring to get admission into the back
room, the proprietor appeared, and, on being
informed of the mission, opened the front
door. The front room bore out The impress
sions formed from view of the outside. In
confusion around were the remnants of what
had once been set of mahogany furniture.
The whole room looked like some store-room
of Krook who went off in Bleak House in
blaze of spontaneous combustion.
Passing through this the door to the other
room was opened. The party started to en-
ter it, but instinctively drew back. stencil
such as only can once be smelled drove them
back The fetid odor of
THE cHARNEL HOUSE,
with an addition of forgotten vault, could
only approach it. It was slckening, and the
party could only endure it after side win
dow had been opened and a partial ventila-
ton obtained. The proprietor ushered them
in. He was a man of about sixty-fve years,
with hair of light gray and face that
seemed to have lost every trace of the softer
lines. Bright gray eyes threw out now and
then flashes of light that soon faded
away, whilst nervous, tremulous lips
betrayed much excitement and emo
ton. He said his name was Samuel Barnes,
and he had at one time been a prosperous
merchant on Poydras street. He had two
sons, one Charles r., and the other Alfred S.
Barnes. When questioned he made state
ment in which he frequently contradicted
himself. He said his daughter was thirty
one years of age, and had been crazy for
some time. About three months ago he
went to the city insane asylum and found
that she was we'll and took her out. After
he had taken her out she used to 60 to mar
ket with him and help him at his vegetable
stand at Poydras market, but he found he
would have
TO CHAIN her.
IL bo TO h<.o
pair of handouts, and chained her in the
room to cure (?) her. He couldn't exactly
state how long she had been so chained. At
one time he said it was only month, and at
another it was five months since he borrow
cd the handouts. When asked who cared
for her he said he did. He went to market
very early in the morning, and it was some
times 3 O'Clock in the afternoon when lie got
home. During this time she was chained
up in her room, with no ventilation but a
half opened window, and without a soul
near her. When questioned about the
bruises her back he said she must haye
gotten them by falling down on the floor.
He never had whipped her-only kept her
chained.
The reporter, after light had been admit
ted into the room, in company with Mr.. De-
Fonblanque and Judge Southworth, exam
ined the surroundings. In the far corner,
firmly nailed against the wall, was a small
wooden bench about four and one-haf feet
in length and very narrow. From a hole in
the wall hung a chain not more than three
feet in length, which would allow the pris-
oner to stand upright, but not to lie on the
floor. About eight feet from the bench was
an old mahogany bed, on which was piled a
mass of
PUTREFYNG RAGS
and an old mattress Here within circle
of three feet had this unfortunate girl passed
the last three months, naked and without
anything to lie on, and if she had had it
without the power to reach it.
While the party we're examining the room
so great was the stencil they had to with
draw to the open air, the lungs not being
ableto stand the noisome effluvia that came
from the rags and floor. On the ceiling
there we're broad splashes of filth as high as
mans head and covering space ten feet
square. The room had been washed by the
father that morning, as he said he wanted to
clean it up after the girl had been carried
back to the insane asylum, but all of his
labors had been Intellectual in removing the
results of the girls long confinement.
The way that the condition of this girl
was discovered was this: A Mrs. Grimes
happened to notice that no one had been
coming in or going out Of the house for days.
She went to the house, and