Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-04-05
The Orphan As yium Investigation.

TEE CHARGES OF CRUBLTY-THKY ARE NOT Sos
| fAShD-kkPoaT Or The CohGfTrGE OF IN
| HEsTIGATIoE.
II VIII be remembered that few weeks since
certain Charges were made against the man
agement CT the Washington City orphan
Asylum through a Mrs. C0Ten, and they were
published in the Post OF March 9th. These
charges were TO the effect that tie orphan
children were rot sufficiently fed were
whipped and bruised, sc. These charges were
| Investigated by Mess-s. J. C. Harkness. FL.
! ward Temple and r. L. Elliot, OF the board Of
| trustees. ard to-day their report was laid BE-
! fore the lacy msnsg as follows:
| To ne L'Hg managers Ofhte Washington Cft1
/ Orphan asylum:
In v'ew Of rece1t publications in one or more
/ OF lie daily newspapers OF the city, tending to
ftEecI upon the management Of "tke Home
the trustees deemed IL due to the public the Iady
! managers. ana themselves. TO less than TO the
/ lttie Children VINO are inmates o. the :. Home -
lhPr relatives and friends to s-ttute an fmpar.
| udl and thorough Investigation OF the charges
! expressed and hapiied N the publications re
/ feirs 10: and 10 nat end due nottcs was given
/ by tie secretary OF tie board In TEE EVENING
! STAR and = Washington Post that special meet
! ing OF tue trustees OF the Asylum would be
/ heIG al the Home On the 18Th OF March inst
! "st which time and place I'll persons having
| personal knowledge in support of the accusi.
| tloLs recently published In tne WaShing top
solicited TO be present
| i majority OF the board met at the appointed
| time and place, but no person appearing in
pursuance or the ABOVE invitation it was There.
lore ordered that notice in writing be serves
tIDon the persons whose names mad annaared
In me public prints as having made staten mi 5
affecting the management o. 1.-The Home, 10
appear the next dag az the same hour ard
place.
Return was made Of service upon one OF the
Two persons referred 10, but sac did not ao-
pear. TIE other-a Mis- CoWeo-Gld nn,y
ever, appear on the 18th Instant and was
..ngreupon requested By the board to make a
futi statement OF all facts within her knoJyi
Home" VI in0
In order 10 preserve a faithful record OF the
proceedings OF the Investigation the board pro-
cured the services OF competent steDopranher
VINO made ct16dtHlG report OF all that trans.
plTed on the occasion. This report has been
written out and filed with the board and nv ~
the trustees are enabled without oolbt or hasi
t&llon 10 reach the conclusions hereinafter en-
pressed. ~
The specific allegations Contained in the
lnmuhlcaious or Airs. COWen to the Pos of
tie 9th Instant were liz SUBSTANCE:
Tot properly fed.
q. TAat they were subjected to corporeal
punishment.
"a. That they were denied water to drink.
4tn; InaL they were in -o0os not suf1i-
Gently heated. and In these and other rejoeci5
they were illtr6ated by the naCrOn.
The trustees Go not deelu IL necessary or
proper to reproduce In this report the detailed
",
either In the punlic press Or before The board
1t appears. however, according TO her own
statement co the trustees, that sue did not per-
So"@hg h''055 Oh any act OF cruelty or in-treaG-
hent toward the children 10 the ass lum. SIe
asserted. however, that they had not sum
clent Quantity OF food and that portions OF toe
D'fuiig curing the extreme cold weather OF
l2St winter we're net properly heaC3i The re-
llo3AueF CI her St2tcmenJ, Us printed IN the
IUSj. was aGmlttei oy he: TO have been hear
say. There was but one OtGer '.accQsfn,n wit
M
h'o4'rtGle Of any llnpropr!6ties in The manage
G-elt. IeT Statements were likewise hearsay
\ a1sabie Instance CT the recklessness CT the
tns.Is eo patIsEed Ia the Post Is found In
/ at p1ItiOn OF Tue C0LhinuG icattOn wherein tr
l. alleged on the authority OF Mrs. CoWea maj
lne nIatlon had pulled The hair from The head
Or one CT the children. She {AIrs. c. stated 10
Tie trustees that her communication 10 The
foat was Written at her dlcCatlon, read over oy
BEL, aId vas in ali substantial matters correct
IS printed: yet in the same breath she stated
that she bad no personal knowledge OF such an
act OF cruelty having been committed by the
matIon. 1t appears that Mrs. Cowen entered
TIE Home as al eInD,oye, In charge OF the
nursery, On the 15t OF February asst. and ra-
NAMED Two weeks; her services did not appear
To be satisfactory 10 one OF the lady managers.
at least nor 10 The matron and this dis3aCfstacI
ton having been commuaic ated to her, she
withdrew from ''The Home on the 18Th mn
wien asked why she caused the publication 70
f pe mae ID me as she epiied tnat if she had
la2y managers she would not have said any
manifest. The trustees however, In order to
ascertain all the facts Bearing upon the man
ageLent OF ''The Home examined Mrs Lee.
the first directreSs; Mrs. Wright, the matrOu:
MISS Cheries, the teacher; MS. TYLER, the COOK:
MISS OeI1chS. an INN ate, Miss Brown a former
inmate: Mi. Kellogg and Nj. CHARLES, Sunday |
school teachers at ''The Home" MrS. Hr0v;n.
Ing. leighbOr and frequent visitor and Mir. !
COTTON. 2Ilo g. nelghbCr, WAo, Tor years has |
frequently been employed At the Asylum.
Tue UNANIMOUS testimony Of Jhesa witnesses. |
from dHereIt stand points is 10 The eGe:G |
that tie Charges referred 20 are wholly grOurti-
itsS, save IL 4 single exception {ainlCCed Dy |
Ut nalfCh) ": lEat during q fe.i day5 Of las |
winter son-e CT the rooms We're lot as warm a |
Was deslIed- TIE only evidence OF oo:poiei !
punishment was IL Tie Case OF az unruIy aid |
inl u1eLt girl, Hno vas simply SIS gltCbed" for |
las o-erce 10 the IratT0n who narr .te1 tae facf
herself, and stated thar the Switching vas |
one or her Own children. The appearance. OF |
Tie children. Independent OF the testimony OF |
Wlt1esses, affords an ocular demonstrations OF
Inc iaiSltJ OF The charge that they are not |
Properly g. The trustees are satisfiei from
tatIT personal knowledge OF 'ithe Homemade Its |
10 Management. strengthened aud confirmed by
lhe recent investigation, that In everything
esS .neial TO the care, comfort, health and hap
plnesS or those committed 10 It's charge IL is
vel ana aoUndantiy supplied, and they need
not mere Ieiai 10 the Well esta Dhshed cont
dtnce 1t enjoys among the good people OF this
community. Inc evidence in favor OF the wise |
ana PRUDENTIAL care manifested by the lady
MAJ dbe.S anu The marion In Their conduct of |
Ine Lone is overwhelming. and the mortuary
record OF the Institution affords the most con-
ElnclLg proof or the scEupulouS care which Is |
taken III reference 70 the physical wants of the
Children. There have been oriy four deaths In
nVe ears out o. all average family OF 40. Two |
CT these died OF con sumption. one from an accI- |
dent resulting Ia lock1aW. and the other FROM
leVer contracted While Oh a visit 10 friends In |
the canntry.
The trustees are further satisfied that I'm 40
Iaf as the charges referred to relate to Mrs.
wright the marion, they are utterly ground
less. ana unsupported by any reasonable Or |
propaoie statement OF fact capable of verifica-
uon; anu they have no hesitation IN here tesLl-
y lLS 10 their unparalleled confidence I'm her |
aoll.y. Kindness and mOIherly care and pro |
tectlCu OF those over wnom she Dieslde5: and |
so Tar as az. trustees are Concerned she is fuliy
her. n' !
1t Is proper TO add that our co-trustee. Mr..
" N ". Cofcoi an. Was present Tue day an
hounco0 1or The commencement of the fnYest!-
CATION, Out was unable, on account OF = prt)
eDg agement 10 attend The next day. When the |
testimony vas taken.
Ny. t. b. Mcclure, another OF our co trustees
as unable 10 attend in consequence OF iudis |
|