The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-10-01
THIRTY YEARS IN CHAINS.
A HARMLESS TREATMENT BY
His BROTHER.

-
HIS BROTHER.
Imprisoned In Fiirhy Hat. Chainrd by the
Ankle, Giyen no Clothes, and Fed onIhe
RoiH,e Of the Table.
A mos. hcagllcss case OF cruelty and
inhuman treatment has just been
brought 10 light by the Committee on
Lrnscy Of the State Board Of Public
Charities, Of Pennsylvania. The victim.
who Is IN imbecile, has been kept
chained in q little hut by his brother
FOR over 80 years. The next mornings
mail carried to every physician in Penn.
EylyaDia letter from the Committee on
Lunsey, ssking the doctors throughout
the State to look around them and see If
similar cases exist in their neighbor-
hood.
The attention Of the committee was
first brought to the sad case by Mahlon
Dickinson, q member q the Board OF
State Charities, who was Informed Of
the facts hy a friend. An agent was
Immediately sent 20 investigate the case,
and tire discoveries made by him are hor.
rible in the extreme. The Committee
On Luuacy retrAins from giving the
names q the persons, rs the Inemb ers
ray tha, they have reason 20 believe that
there axe many insane people within the
Commonwealth Who are being treated
IL the same inLum4u manner. and they
wish to show the relatives Of the victims
ihst they need not fear an exposure If
they place them IN the State hospitals q,
once. BIT the committee youches TO-:
the following facts:
The man VINO imprisoned his brother
for three dccadts is farmer Of Craw.
ford County. Thirty years ago his
brother became an imbccie through
disease. Though harmless, his brother
disliked u have him abont the house,
and 50 he built little shanty about
hundred feet away from the farm house,
and there he kept his brother, chained
like q Wild beast, all these years. When
the committees agent appeared rpon
the farm he found the insane man lying
on the floor Of his hut stark naked. He
was covered with filth and yernlin, aud
wore n dirty, gray, matted beard two
feet long. lie was reclining on n bale
oil straw, which had done service as
bed for many months. Within reach
lay big black pan filed with old bones
and the refuse OF the family table. on
which tho prisoner was expected 10
make his monday meal. Upon seeing
the agent he crO1lched in terror, and he.
gan to wall AMI cry.
The hut was dark and dreary, little
ray Of light piercing the gloomy dungeon
from small window set in the roof.
There was no ventilation to speak OF, a
little air entering through the chinks in
the sides Of the weather boards. Moth
ing but filth abO1nded on the floor. In
the centre Of the floor was a little post to
which the prisoner was fastened by
heavy chain. The latter was only 90
inches in length. and was iastenl to the
prisoners left leg above the ankle hy
paddock. The chain being 80 short did
not permit the poor fellow 10 20 far
away from his post. The floor had been
worn through IN circle right around
the post where the man had walked and
dragged the chain after him, making
necessary n double floor. The ankle
upon which the chain was fastened had
shruuk and shrivcled away. The mau
looked more like living skeleton than
anything else, aud constant confinement
had made him as weak us n child
Some kindly words were addressed
10 him by the agent but he only chat.
tered al unintelligible reply. Not hav.
ing had anybody 10 converse with for all
these years he had lost the method Of
speech. The sight Of tho naked idiot
changed to the floor and grovelling in
the accumulated dirt was fearful to look
upon, and the inhumanity Of the
brother OF the captive was wildly por-
traycd III the revolving spectacle. The
prisoners brother attempted to shield
himself from blame by saying that his
family did not want TO have the insane
man placed in an hospital on account of
the Disgrace that would be attached TO
such Il thing. He declared that he could
not keep his brother clean, aud that he
had given him suit Of clothes to wear
when he first locked him up but they
had been destroyed.
He was told that there was no reason
for keeping the poor wretch chained TO
the floor, as he was too weak to do him.
self or anybody else much harm. To
this the brother replied that the chain
was put on when the prisoner was hearty
and strong, aud he never thought 1t
necessary to remove it, The brother
said that Inc used TO carry all the food 10
the insane man himself and shove il
through ho!c ON II stick. When he
wanted to clean the place. which was
seldom, he used TO pull tho old straw
out with long rake and then throw in
n fresh handle, Rarely, If ever, did he
enter tho hut.
When all the facts we're laid before
tho members Of the Committee Oh 1un-
acy, they gave the family n week in
which 10 remove their relative to the
State Hospital at Warren. The family
got frightened aud implored the com.
mittce not 10 prosecute them, rs they
claimed that they did not know that
they were doing wrong in keeping the
man penne1 Mp in such harbarous
manner. TIE man was removed to the
Warren Hospital within the allotted
time and is now being kindly cared for
Mt TINT institution. The physicians say
that ho gives them no annoyance, but
that he will never have his reason re-
stored. Had he been placed under the
care OF n physician at first he would
doubtless have recovered his senses.
LEFT THEIR CREAM UyTASTED.