Connecticut western news., 1878-12-04
A TERRIBLE STORY.
THE STARTLING DISCOVERY MADE IN A COUNTY POOR HOUSE - CAaED AND ABUSED LUNATICs.

COUNTY POOR HOUSE CAGED AND
 ABUSED LUNATICs.
 A letter from Syracuse, New York, says: At the session of the Board of Supervisors last fall committee was appointed on county buildings, whose duty it was to make an examlnation into the management of the different institu- tions in it's province. A subcommittee was chosen to visit the County Poor house, located at Onondago Hill, near Syracuse. This committee proceeded to the Poorhouse and entered the institu tion without word of warning, taking the keeper unawares, and then inspected the asylum for insane paupers without discovering anything of a startling na- ture.
 After passing through the upper parts of the building they continued their tour of investigation and descended into 8 sort of sub cellar of the building. Here sight met their gaze and state of affairs was discovered that they were totally unprepared for and that utterly astonished them. In this cellar, which was as dark as night, with stray gleam of light occasionally struggling through crevices and slight openings, were found five pens, constructed of heavy plank, with plank doors, that had Q small aper- ture in the cellar. The doors were un- locked and opened in obedience to the committee's command. The rays of their lanterns were thrown into the in terior, and there, crouched in straw up- on the floor, or grouped shuddering in clad human beings who had been left there in abject misery and despair by their keepers.
 The stench that arose from these dun- geons was of the most repulsive and sickening character, and the atmosphere was stiding. There was no light, no ventilation, no sanitary conveniences. In one cell lay man stark naked. The bottom of the cell was covered with filth, and the straw upon the floor was dirtier than that in the hog-pen attached to the Poorhouse. Startled and dazed by the gleam of light from lantern that pene trated the cell, the miserable and abject human being started up on his knees, clasped his hands and chattered and mumbled forth some incoherent sounds. His shrunken cheeks, hollow eyes, sunk deep in their sockets, and his emaciated, feeble form told of the shameful and de- grading treatment this poor, helpless human being had been subjected to in being immured in dark, loathsome and dirty, filthy dungeon. Another cell con- tained a negro whose condition was that of the poor being described above, with the exception that he could oc- casionalIy converse in Q coherent man. ner.
 The doors of the cells were made oi heavy plank and in the centre was 6 small aperture, through which food and water was probably passed to the in. mates. Aroused by the voices of the committee. some of the poor lunatics thrust their heads out through these apertures and beheld the persons outside with bewildering wonder. These pool beings, abandoned as they were, had { keeper apparently in the person of one James Hall, an inmate of the County | House, whose vocation when out in the world had been to take care of horses manage cock-fghts and train bull dogs The selection of such @ man for keepe, was appropriate. The committee of tn, | Supervisors were able to remain but short time in the cellar. The air was in fected with vile effluvia and they wer' forced for self-protection to beat hast. retreat. The doors were locked on th' poor abandoned wretches and they wer, left as they were found, in forlorn ant hopeless condition.
 When questioned in regard to the dis covery made by the committee thu keeper stated that he was compelled t. construct these dark dungeons as thu cells in the insane asylum above wer, overcrowded and he had no other plac to put the hopelessly insane found il them, He stated that the straw on tn bottom of the cells was removed ever, day and fresh straw was placed on tn floor. and that the cells were kept a clean as possible. Many of the unfortu nate beings who are sent to the Count, Insane Asylum are totally abandoned b. their friends when once they have beel committed to the care of the keepers The keeper of these dungeons admitte, that the Board of Supervisors had neve seen them, and did not know of their OK istence. When asked why they had no been shown to the Supervisors, or wh they had not been informed of their ex istence, the official replied that "I smelled bad down there and he did no suppose the Supervisors wanted 10 SC such things"
 The result of the discovery detaile above has been kept a profound secre until quite recently, when the fact were learned. A report will doubles be made to the Board of Supervisors Year after year the Board of Supervisor have made their annual visit to the Poor house, and the halls of the bull ling and the floors have been scrubbed scrupulously cleaned, in anticipation c their coming. The inmates have bee dressed in their holiday suits and hay been drilled to smile and look happy an contented Ill the presence of the augus Board. Gorged with turkey and crar berry sauce or stuffed with goose an
 wine trimmings, the Board had bee content to make only superficial ir