The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-28

utmost kindness and care Yet here no was Win
heavy baud OF iron about his ankle. from which :
chain scarcely two feet long held him TO the noorl
could not eensure him for refusing to allow me 10
examine his lacerated ankle. bis action was most
natural. Way? Let tell you. He is the person
who whenever he could effect his escape, rcanrea
the country about Whallonsourg for weeks ut .
time. with great block of wood chained to his leg
Dragging this log after HIM. he could Do traced
through the fields aud forests by the trail OF biood
which dripped from his lacerated ankle. Sleeping
in the darkness of the woods by day. with
his silent. nanimate and Indifferent companion
for him to use the billet of hickory pillow-he
wandered onward. hopelessy. aimessly. seeking for
mercy. sympathy and medical care. but finding nond
OF them When he felt the fits of madness approach
ing he would make the chain fast to sapling and
OF the spasms. Weak and despairing he would par.
TALLY regain his reason again to take up his log and
walk.
PITY AS THE WORLD GOES
The longings OF his struggling heart, the hopes OF
those sane moments in which he determined to do
and suffer torture hunger and thirst and cold tho
sake of freedom, have never been told to human
ears And il they had what an indifferent hearing
they would have received Judge by his expert.
ence. Wheresoever he wandered, whether toward
the north star or the rising moon-for the epilep-
tic often love- the moon as his fellow
lunatic-his goal was always the same.
When exhausted nature could endure no longer and
hunger forced him to seek the habitations. though
not the compromising of men. the silent demon
which chung to him and from which he could not
separate himself reInorselessy disclosed the verdict
which the world had passed upon him. Speeches.
it was. it gave the hailing sign of VICE. which thu
great fraternity OF the sef-righteous aud self-per
captured sometimes only after hard cross-country
chase, and returned TO the of the county
and all the squallor Indebtedness and inusage that
he had fed from.
''What is his manner?
Edward Abbott.
CHAINED WITHOUT REASON.
cit is unnecessary to ask if he has any friends;
but how long has he been chained thus to the
hoor?"
ever since the present keeper came here-mors
than year..
why is he chained at all?
liz. NJ lima fAn ho hoa
such awful spasms-regular fits" The attendant
shuddered and seemed to see the patient before US
in the throes or agony. worst OF all, he used to
escape; but this plan renders him great deal
easier to take OF" my guide concluded, can
didiy II was pleasant TO ma 80 little dlssimuiation
in an attendant because they are usually schooled
in trickery and fraud. Still. must not do an in.
justice in this for am free to say that if had
declared myself as newspaper correspondent thiA
attendant would have been moro than match tor
me-
.'Do any members of the State Board of Charities
ever come here?'
"Oh, yes. indeed
SIS it possible that they see these things and do
..Dr. Hoyte and Mr-Mr.-I forget his name,
another member Of the Board. were here. They
said it was too bad-Just what every visitor says.
They didn't seem to take half as much interest In
the you do"
'"That Will do mere for the present. Let 60
across the yard.
YOUTH AND OLD AGE
In my journey along the porch toward the steps
that lead down toward board walk running in tho
direction of tie woodshed passed several children.
One. boy of perhaps seven years. struck my fancy
Intelligent and pretty. patted him on the head.
touched his thoughtful little pale face. and finding
lew pennies in my pocket gave them to HIM.
drilling the gift 1t rendered him utterly
speechess. and it was not until picking my
way across through the mud in the yard that he
gained sei.possession enough to run after me and
murmur his thanks.
HE never saw SO much money before" remarked
the attendant.
frame building at the Of the yard marked
No. in the diagram). and in room found .
sad case which propose to drag from the obscurity
of williamsburg into the light OF publicity In
small apartment. bare of carpet and with only bed
wife. The man. Alvin Honsnger by name, was q
dignifed and intelligent person. and, although tot
terng under the burden Of eighty-two years. spoke
calmly OF the awful situation in which he and his
even more unfortunate wife flor she was totally
blind) found themselves. There a calm dignity
in his manner that made my heart ache for him.
DESERTED TO
"Oh. sir, 1t is not the misfortune which has
brought me here that breaks pe down." said he.
''I the constant recollection Of what have to
dure from those whom love, aud the harsh treat
ment which am forced to accept here under the
name of charity. don't blame the keeper so much.
blame myself. young man. That's the trouble;
1 blame my SELL" And he sat thoughtfully looking
at the floor for moment. l he suffering,
30, at the risk Of losing information, drew copy
of the HERALD from my pocket and gave 1t to him.
He thanked me very much and, rising. got his spec
tacles that he might read for q while to the blind
companion OF his misery.
A SONS INHUMANrrY.
who is this this p 1 asked of my guide when
we were again in the hall. HE s evidently person
of superior intelligence
Ellis name have already told you. He was once
in comfortable circumstances. Would you believe
it, he has q son worth $4,000 living at Mariah's
Corners. Port Henry? His son is quite q
his town-is at the head of all of benevoent
schemes but here's the hard fact that his father
and mother (she's only his stepmother) in this
hovel. cared for by the county. 1t is true that
the Supervisors of the Poor made him pay 50 per
week for the support Of each of them; but they
turned out to die like old cattle old slaves.
Speaking of slaves this rich mans first name is the
same as that of Douglass. former slave. who has
can't recall it, but remember that the names are
alike"
what reason does he assign for such negectr
''simpiy that they are too much bother to have
about home. They are childish about some things
and he thinks them nuisance"
TIED UP
While we were talking We had visited several rooms
in the second story of this small building but found
nothing to startle us. My cicerone led the way
through the woodhouse to small enclosure in the
rear (m2rked No. on the map). in which was o
found a most distressing case woman, named
Mary Reid. was discovered tied fast in chair
and crying bitterly; She, was apparently de-
and convinced myself that the ropes were
tied much moro tightly than necessary. could not
was simply cruelty of the worst kind. When I'M
derstood that she left to the OF poor in
companion had tortured her little for usement.
The insane know not pity Indeed, they see so little
sane that l am not surprised they wholly lose 1t.
THE COMMISSIONERS NEGLECT.
els there much of this kind of .treatmentY'
asked for had now gained the attendants con-
hdence
'The Commissioner Of tho State Board Of Charities
this when he was last here but he did
nothing. That was almost year ago, and you see
Mary Reid tied up just the same She's vile talk
ing old thing and IL serves her right. I'd like to
knock her in the head Then there's man named
Styles, a stout, heavy fellow, whom you saw over
the porch The keeper has to have him whipped
with rswhide sometimes when he refuses to work
or pretends to be sick"
"whips him with rawhide Where under
heaven does he get the authority to do thatY'
81 don't know. The law is very liberal. have
been told. 1t allows almost anything"
what does that meang' suddenly exclaimed a.
about to reascend to the porch from the
dirty, foul-smelling yard.
CHAINS.
Through the door of the dining room, where the
women engaged ut ironing saw u member Of
that standing before table in her bare feet,
with both her ANGLES chained togetheri Incredi.