Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-01-26

Just now an asylum for children called
"The Shepherds Fold" is undergoing
investigation in New York before one OF
the judges of the supreme court, sitting in
chambers. The superintendent of this
institution is the Rev. Mr.. Cowley, who
seems to have the unctuous piety OF MIR:
Chadband, the thrift of Mr.. Bundle and
the meanness of Mr.. Squeers. The board
of managers is composed ofhighly respec-
table persons, and the object of the asy
lum, as set forth in the answer to the writ
filed by the respondents counsel, is 1.-The
receiving and adopting of children andy youth
Ofboth sexes between the ages of twelve
months and fifteen years who are orphans,
half orphans or otherwise friendless, these
to keep, support, educate, apprentice and
place out to service, trades and schools !;
also to receive such children of poor cler-
gymcn deemed eligible, and to receive
other children and youth for education and
training to such extent as in the Judgment
of the trustees may be expedient. This
appears to be passage from the charter
of the society, but from the testimony OF
the witnesses before Judge DOnohue 1T
would seem that the Shepherds Fold,
as it actually exists, was very different
institution from the one contemplated Ill
the act OF incorporation.
At the time the New York society for
the prevention Of cruelty to children made
complaint against the superintendent OF
the "Shepherd's Fold" it contained
twenty-seven inmates, some of whom
were placed there by their parents
who paid "a week for their subsistence
and tuition. The witness who testified
against the Rev. Mr.. COwley were the
| <,c bn ol,iIIrnn Huhn had hppn n
truscd to his care, the teachers OF
the public schools to which some o
the inmates of the "Fold" had beer
sent, and three or four of the larger
children, who gave graphic account of the
internal management of the asylum. Tho
testimony Of the parents and teachers was
to the effect that the children were liter
ally starved, and that they were allowed
to become filthy in appearance for want OF
proper attention to their persons. Tw'
little girls of Is, Fannie and Bessie
orphan inmates, did all the work of thu
household, including the washing of TIN
children's clothes and bedding, and TIN
washing for the Rev. Mr.. Cowlcy's owl
family. There was one comb for tn
twenty-seven children. The brcal1fas
consisted of one cup of condensed milk
diluted with as many cups OF water a
there were children in the - Fold" MIR
Cowley and his wife dined sumptuously a
a private table, and in response to a ques
ton asked by one of the lawyers the yout
who waited on the table test fled that TIA
reverend gentleman always asked a bles:
ing.
According to the testimony, Mr.. Cowle
is a man of impulsive temper and is muc
given to punching the boys with his walk
! ing stick, kicking them, knocking thel
down with his fist and stamping them wit
, his feet after they were down. But notwitl
standing his brutal modes Of punishmel
: the discipline maintained at the . Fold
was very lax. Some of the larger boy
S were in the habit of going into the girl
' dormitory at night ; in fact, there was Il
e way of keeping them out, al
l the young rascals made the mo-
of their opportunity. The attention of tt
superintendent wife was called to tt
matter, but she was incredulous and sun
marily dismissed the little girl who mao
G the complaint. Take it all in all, I'll
"Shepherd's Fold" presided over by tt
Rev. DR.. Crowley, is the worst travcsty c
a sacred name of which we have ever rea'
These painful revelations ought to stir Il
I the trustees and managers of similar inst
. tutions in other cities to inquire into the
: management. They might take hi.
from the following passage in the tcstim'
ny of one of the little orphan girls wi
assisted in the drudgery at the Shepherd
L Fold":
y @. Did you ever suffer in the night fro
o cold: A. Yes, sir.
: Q. From wan: of sufficient clothing
n. Yes. sir.
Q @. Were there no covcrlets on the bed
a \. Yes, sir; but they We're never put {
|. only on reception days.
= @. Do you mean by reception day occ
+ sions when visitors came to the house
A.. Yes, sir.-IreSs.