The daily gazette., 1879-05-29
SUICIDE OF A LITTLE DOY.
How Harry Ackley In the Phfna.
delphia Aouse ~ Refuge was
Driven 70 His Death.

PHILADELPHIA, May N.-The Press Of
to-day publishes an account Of the sui
eide IN tile House Of Refnge Of q boy
who was only twelve years Did. IL seems
that he was . bright and spirited lad
named Harry Ackley, who one day last
November was found drifting around the
streets and his speedy commitment to the
House Of Refuge followed. The lad
donned the uniform OF the ref0rmatory
institution, fell into It's ways and discip-
ling Hl:, a. G far Is an anil imPulsivs boy who .i had
Arabs life could, and after time seem-
cd 10 he AZ happy and c0ntented as was
possible with such surroundings. He
was never gloomy, but manifested fun
loving disposition which found an outlet
in many an act Of mischief. He became
favorits with the officers. and although
guilty Of few minor ofrnses against
the discipline Of the establishment, he
was never BY any one regarded ~ incor-
rigible.
On Monday week, when the line Of
boys 10 the division to which Ackley BE-
lolged was made up, the lad was found
made. In the partitiOn-wall in the col
Ored department Of the institution pair
Of shO's bearing Ackley's number wxs
found and also board placed against the
wall, leading to the belief that the boy
had escaped that way. This, however,
was discovered to be ruse, ~ soon after
Ackley was found secreted beneath pile
of lumber. He was at once taken ard
locked up In solitary conference.-the
severest punishment inflicted for offen-
ses in the institution.
placed was on the upper or third-stOry
tier OF the north wing. The apartment
wss utterly destitute Of furniture of any
kind, not having even cot or seat.
Into this room, the door of which was
then closed on the prisoner, the light IL
admitted through q piece Of cast-iron
three feet high and about six inches
wide, closely fitting the window, and
which il perforated by q number of
small holes each about . fourth of an
inch in diameter. In fact the cell is so
dark that even with the sunlight stream
Ing against the iron shutte1 1t would be
difficult TO read at the door. Menday
night passed and young Ackley suffered
all the tortures which solitary ccutine-
ment iDfiicts. On the next day he was
given fifteen minutes breathing spell
and again taken back to the cell And
% it continued throughout the week un-
til Saturday last. His food was bread
and wa'er three times q day, and only
once during his imprisonment he was a.
loved the full rations given to the rest
Of the boys. On Saturday last Mr.. Pearce,
tue Official who had charge of the boy,
and who carried bin his bread and
water, took him out for his daily fifteen
evidently badly broken, for hs ssid to
Mr.. Pearce, "Please ask the Superinten-
dent to let me out and will do better 10
future" Mr.. Pearce replied, 70 use his
own words, eyes, ri see the SuperiD-
dent, but you are bad boy, and this Is
The best place for you until you do bet
ter" And then, after coming in from
the bright sunshine. the boy hsard the
ioor clang as the custodian left him In
the semi-darkness, utter loneliness and
profound silence of his cell. He had
hoor upon which TO sit, and only his
thoughts to keep him company.
Superintendent Bulkley WAS out with
some of the boys at regatta on the
Schuylkill and did not return until tho
evening. As matter of course, there
fore, poor Ackley's piteoas appeal for re-
lease was not communicated. About $50
Mr.. Pearce made his visit to the cell car
rying with bim the little prisoners bread
and water before leaving him alone for
the night. As he opened the door =
buOtkiDk blSut ulct Uls cyob. IauBiuE Dy
The neck to the bars of his cell window
was the poor boy dead and cold He
had been tired of waiting for the release
that never came, aud had at last escaped
from the House of b. fugel
The lad had used one OF his suspend
ers az rope, and had put an end to his
life with o deliberateness of purpose
which is appalling when it il considered
that he is mere child. When found his
feet rested ON tha ground, his body was
slightly bent forward. and in that condi-
tiOn he poor lad must have endured all
the torrures of straugulation. By simply
standing erect he could have saved his
life that he suffered as he did sho VIZ
how frightful must have been the mental
suffering that could impel boy Oft welvs
to such a mode Of escape from his misery.
TIL re has been a Coroner's jury, q YER
dict of temporary insanity, and to-mor.
row the boy is to be buried from the
house of his father, No. 107 Union street
The latter, who ~ o bOOtfitter, said bit
terly to reporter, "How was 1t, II they
couldn't find my residence during Har.
ry's life, they found it 80 quickly after
his death? Why, it was only a few
hours after my boys death that wai
notified of his suicide and yet during al
| tho long SIX months he was in the House
of Refuge the officers say they cOuldn'I
| fiji nd out where lived. l thought the
boy was IN Chicago; he had been to thai
city once before on visit to bis aunt"