The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-05-22
u AImsnOuse.

The following in regard to our comfy
almshouse appeared in the Philadelphia
Press of Tuesday:
Salem County people have recently been
scandalized by means of alleged mismanage-
ment and neglect at 1.-THE 'County House, 'the
Almshouse and farm on which the paupers
and insane of the county are maintained.
Free and promiscuous mingling of the
sexes. with lamentable results, and an
utter disregard of the health and comfort
of the inmates were the most serious allie
cations.
An investigation made to-day shows thai
the first of these charges has a foundation
of truth, although it has been greatly ex-
aggerated. In one of the cells of the lu-
natics' department was found a hopelessly
insane woman. without the power OF
speech, grooming over All infant a few
months old that lay in a low rocking-chair
i'm front of her. The entrance of a visit
or did not distract her attention for d
moment nor bring the ~faintest CLEAN OF
intelligence to her vacuous features. She
continued. as she does all day, twisting
and braiding her long black hair and bend
ing over the child. touching its blonde head
occasionally with a pitiful exaggeration OF
tenderness. The infant seemed not to lack
intelligence. and looked round and laughed
at the strangers. The movement seemed
to distress the mother, and she c~aressed
it's face with her finger trying to draw
back its attention to herself. TIL woman
has been confined in her cell for a number
of years. Steward Baker says he has beer
unable to fix the responsibility for the
crime upon any one, but has engaged a
woman attendant for the department in
place of the man who was formerly
there.
Elsewhere in the institution is a pure
white albino woman accompanied by
coal-black infant. Other children have
been born in the institution within the
past year, but the steward says that the
responsibility for them dates back to 4
time prior to the entrance of the mothers
to the house.
The County House has an average of
seventy-five inmates, about half of whom
are insane, crippled or otherwise helpless.
The ~able-bodied ones work in the 240-
acre farm that surrounds the house and
help in the house-work. The institution
is in charge Of a steward. who gets $500
a year. besides house-rent and food for
himself and family. lie claims that it is
impossible for him Ia keep the men and
women separated entirely without locking
liltilt up III tlItlT ipplilN oti LAt INK ~
the house the sexes are kept in separate
wards. The house is clearly kept, its
sanitary arrangements are better tEan
usual in such places, and the inmates are
given plenty Of wholesome food.
The new b card of trustees, all Republic
cans, succeeding an all Democratic board,
met for the first time to-day. James d.
Tort3n was made president: Charles Ell
well. vice-president; Jonathan ID. Turner,
secretary, and Smith Bilderback, treasurer.
They inspected the Institution and ex-
pressed satisfaction, except at the evil
dences of immortality noted above. Noac-
ton was taken in reference to these. a
reform was determined upon in the method
of purchasing supplies, for which, it is be-
lieved. unnecessarily high prices have been
paid.
Whoopiun cough Is very prevalent IN