The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-05-08
Concerning Certain Alleged
Cruelties at the Pettis
County Poor Farm.
A Great Deal of Unnecessary
Sympathy Wantonly
Wasted.
While Not a Pei feet Elysium.
1t Lacks q Great Deal of
Being a" He'll on Earth"
The Result of q Lengthy Stay
at the Much Abused
Institution.

Last Sundays Democrat contained al
expose of the alleged condition OF affairs a
the Pe.tis county poor farm, which, hat
the statements been true, would have I'm
doubtedIy led to an investigation on the
part of the governor, and would have sub
iected the county court and the overseer o.
the poor farm to the just condemnation o.
every man in the community posse ssing 9
single drop of humane blood in his veins
But to the good credit of Pettis county
and the high estimation in which the mem.
bers of the county court are held, be it said
the whole account referred 20 is a mere
C0CK AND BULL STORY,
. base counterfeit of the reports of the
Tewksbury horrors.
Evil reports always fly upon the wings
of the winds. while truth, like justice, has
leaden heel. The terrible report refer
red TO appeared in the Globe Democrat, OF
81. Louis, simultaneously with that in the
Democrat here, and it is painful to witness
the immense amount of sympathy wasted
by that journal over the aforesaid horrors.
Ih very heart b!eeds, as it always
does when anything goes awry in the
democratic ranks, and il will take months
to::iearn of the delusion.
The Sedalia Democrat, too, seemingly as
proud of this single item as a hen with
one chicken, chuckles over ii, nurses il
and tries to keep it alive, but the whole
thing was a mere sensation, has had its
day, and when
THE REACTION SETS IN,
a. it will from this day forward, will be
regarded as al outrage upon q christian
community, gross injustice to the officials
of the county and an insult to the intelli
gence of the reader, by wsntonly toying
with his credulity.
Before going farther, it may be we'll to
state that The BAzo0 is the organ of no
person or party, and was induced TO make
an investigation for itself with the inten-
ton of adding its voice to that of the
Democrst in demanding
A CHECK OF THE ABUSES.
had they existed, but will admit its graft
6cation at Learning that Pettis county has
done nothing tn earn the unenviable repu-
alton she is receiving at home and abroad
A reporter who has thrice had occasion,
st different periods and under different ad-
ministrations 10 visit The poor farm was de-
tailed yesterday by the BAZOo to proceed
10 that eleemosynary Institution and probe
the charges msde BY the Democrat
to the bottom, and his report
will be found below:
while on the wav to q stable to secure
m outfit to proceed to the poor farm, the
reporter encountered the county hysician.
DR.. w. c. Overstreet, who was in the &C
of getting into his buggy, and ignorant OF
the reporters mission, invited him to &C
COMPANY him to the poor farm. 1t is prob
ably useless to add that the reporter ac-
cepted. and the couple were soon speeding
towards the
PETTIs COUNTY POOR FARM
twelve miles south of Sedalia. The poor
farm is, as the Democrat states. rather an
out-of-the-way place, completely hedged in
BY farms. 1t is also an reproductive tract
of land, and the poor house proper is moth
ing more than a shell-a pine box affair.
II is q good three hours ride from Sedalia,
and in making the journey the reporter
had ample time to elicit a good deal of
valuable information from DR. Overstreet,
who has visited the institution once every
fortnight since his appointment as county
physician. When asked what salary he
received, the Doctor laughingly replied
that he was growing opulent on the prince
" salary of So 10 per month, but this was
not for his services at the
poor farm alone, for which he also
furnished the necessary medical
supplies. but included his services paid the |
county prisoners. In answer TO the in |
quiry If the statements made by the Demo |
cratfthat inmates of the poor farm we're al |
lowed to die for lack of medical attention,
was true, the Doctor replied, with some |
animation:
THERE'S NOT WORD OF TRUTH
in it. As before stated, have visited the
Door farm twice q month, and have fur
nished the overseer, Mr.. Jas. S. McFadden,
with medicines needed nearly every week"
Tell me something about the case of
Annie Williams, who is rported to be dy-
ing from consumption and starvation" re.
quested the reporter.
"WelI, sir" said the Doctor, "the girl
died last Saturday. She had been an in
mate of the poor house on former occa-
sion, but was discharged and secured EN-.
ployment as domestic in the family of
Mr.. w. L. Porter, near Sedalia.
''She was taken sick again, however and
was sgain admitted to the poor house.
Her disease was consumption, and she was
possessed of what We term an abnormal ap-
petite she would eat most ravenously, but
as her food did not assimilate it would
pass off as she had chewed it, leaving her
as hungry as ever. 1t is true that she al
most constantly begged for something to
eat, and many delicacies were furnished
her by the overseer's wife to INV
certain knowledge, but because
her cravings could not be
satisf ed was no fault of the overseer be-
ing merely
A POPULARITY OF HER CASE.
I prefer, however, that you should pros.
ecute your investigation at the poor farm,
as might be regarded as an interested
witness. We will arrive at the poor farm
about dinner time and as no one knows of