The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-07
THE SOLDIERS ORPHANS.
Their Treatment at the KnightStown
"Home' Under Democratic Rule.
Stories of Crime and Cruelty that Make the
Head Faint and the Heart Sick
Is There No Remedy2

Speech 81 Representative Boyd in the House of Repre-
seRtatives-
Mr.. Speaker am obliged to Mr.. Lloyd for hi
withdrawal of the motion demanding the previ
Gus question. AS q member Of the committee
desire to be heard. / have refrained from taking
much time on the floor Of this House IN the dis
~cussions of various questions, but in The discharge
Of what | believe to be my'duty, and my whole
duty, | want to say that to make an impartial
investigation it became necessary for US to al
low Messrs. Goar and White to be represented
by counsel, and to allow counsel to introduce
just such witnesses as they chose. and IN d
ton, the committee put a good manv witnesses
upon the stand to testify. OF Course, this took
a great deal of time-twenty-oRe days
and evenings in which ninety one witnesses were
xam1ned and cross-examined-and everything
was, in this way, brought to light that could
have any bearing on the case, pro or con- In
accordance with the light that we in this way
obtained, we came to our conclusions unpreju-
diced. and / am here asa member Of this com
mittee to declare to you that this report is the
unanimous finding of three Democrats and two
Republicans: that it is impartial; that the. testi
mony fully ~sustains the finding contained In our
report. just read. There can be- no room for
doubt. In my Judgment, but what our verdict is
sustained by the evidence, beyond all peradyen-
ture. haveheard to-day thar men In the city Of
indianapolis were yet defending Goar5 charac-
ter for sobriety. The fact is, Mr.. Speaker and
gentlemen of the House, a number Of prominent
gentlemen have sworn that he has frequently
beanseen drunk here in Indianapolis. New Cas-
tie and other places; and, as an evidence that.
they swore truthfully, [ desire. to
state to you. gentlemen of the House,
In presence of the members OF the committee,
that he tGoar1h has been before as in our COM
mittee meetings intoxicated, and was especially
so on the last evening we were In session. AS.
to the charge OF his criminal intimacy with
Nellie Layton-a very intelligent girl, a soldiers
orphan, a poor child, who, through misfortune,
has been an innlate Of the Home for seven years
or more. an institution intended for her pro-
tection-protection to her person. herchastity and
her honor-without going into detail there can be-
nodoubt but what Goar is g~uilty-guilty of laying
his vile, dirty and goddess hand upon this fair
-rl; guilty of dragging her down, or of attempt
ing to drag her down. to a level with himself.
Ills action has caused the star of Nellie.s hope to
at last go down in almost black despair.
There can be no question as to his guilt. even
his own testimony corroborates her statement.
All the testimony for the defense WAS worked
up by men in indianapolis: all of it bears the.
marks Of chicanery, fraud and falsehood
The evidence of Miss Nellie Layton shows that
she knew Goars office perfectly, and her tesIf
mony corroborates all that was testified to by
other witnesses. We have been accused of se-
curing her damaging testimony by intimidation,
etc. You can readily see that this is not true.
LOT she came before u2 With a FORMER marion Oh
the Home. a lady who has had her In charge for
some time, and who had q special care of Nellie
at the time she was employed at the Home. She
went on the witness stand without theeommittee
first Interviewing her. She told her story IN
her OWN simple, child-lke manner, that
carried to the heart of each mem
Der the conviction that she told
the truth, and tho whole truth,
and In fact, SO pointed and strong was her testi-
mony that Goar, scoundrel as he is. left the
room during n mart of her TpStilnOnv- II she
was intimidated at all, it was done by Gfear and
't~Jayhawker."
cannot hera 90 into the details of the facts
that sickeu the heart and convince the mind
that Goar is guilty of n crime that Is perfectly
appalling under the circumstances. Betrayed
under promise of school and wages to keep her
from want-decoyed to this demons ofice-in-
stead of being q protector Of her honor, he
sought to destroy it. May the curse of this
General Assembly fall upon his head. So far as
his general character is concerned. there is a
damaging amount of testimony against him.
Not satisfied with the hellish work that l have.
Just named, he went to the house OF May
III ompson's mother, ON Court street, in this city,
u widow, and by deceiying her he succeeded in
getting her to allow May, her daughter, to get
into a buggy with him and go on Noble
around with her a short time, he grossly insults
the fair, pure girl, fifteen years of age,
an inmate of the Orphan Department
of the Home. took her to a house Of
QueSJlOn3DfG cDardct6r anu UTIeu I'd RGt HIST 10 go
in with him; failing to to this, he took her to
the New York Store and bought her a fivesdollar
Jersey and q silk dress, and had it charged to
the State. This purchase Gaar does rot deny.
Question by Representative Patten-Did not
Mr. White, the superintendent, repudiate the
sill and not allow it paidl
Answer by Mr.. Boyd-Yes, sir; he did. after it
mad been audited by the committee and an order
made out by Mr.. Wilson, one Of the trustees, fer
.he money. Mr.. White held the same and it is
aok nail vat. md piObf horo 7 dosirN fo emu fha r
Icannot believe that Mr.. White has been guilty
of any dishonest conduct as an afficer of the in
s~titution. But he has been grossly negligent
We find that he, as superintendent, beyond all
doubt, allowed to remain a man who had laeeFat-
ed the hack of a boy, a soldiers orphan, afeehle-
minded boy who, Notwithstanding the fact that
his father was a soldier, was in the Feeble mind
ed Department. This lad was found sitting up in
his cot i'm the dormitory at i o'clock ut night, cry
ing. When the lady who had charge of him went
to his room and asked him what was the mat
ter his answer was-''My back 4 is so sore that
I can't lay down." She examined his back. 1t
was marked all over-forty Sc ven stripes A
number o. persons who examined him testified
that 'black blood stood on the poor boys back. !"
DIR Whites attention was called to this infarnous
outrage, but the inhuman attendant still con-
tinued TO remain there. This [ regard as negfi-
eence, TO say the least of it, that amounts almost
60 a criminal action on the part of DR.. White.
Think of this poor boy. The clouds
of disease had impaired his intellect. His mind
was so weak that he could hardly understand
why he suffered, or what had brought him pain:
alone under the dim light of the gas he cries
from pain caused by the Infamous, inhuman and
damninc treatment of this cruel attendant.
Gross negligence and nothing less on the part of
DIR. White-almost criminal on his part.
Question by Representative m it not a
fact that DIR. White was pOwSclese, and had no
authority to discharge teSehers and attendants!
Answer by Dir. Boyd-No, sir; the contrary is
shown by the evidence. The trustees did rein.
state May Wilson after she had resigned, over
the objections of Dr.. White, but that IS the only
instance. In fact, the trustees delegated the
power to him to rem owe and employ in many
eases. He discharged a young man tWrightl be-
cause he wanted to testify before a justice of the
peace against the man who whipped the boy /
have just referred to. This power wasdelegated,
as we learn from Trustee Wilson's testimony.
Question by Mr.. Deem-Is it not a fact that
Mr.. Wilson testified before your committee
when Dr. Whites counsel was not present. and
- ELaaxh aA ~ hn.ao