The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-14
THE INFAMY OF DEMOCRACY.
Awful Record of the Mismanagement
Of the Soldiers Orphans Home.
Reckless Expenditures, Orphan Children De.
bauched and Outraged, Confined in Dun
geOns, and Miserably Clothed and Fed.

management Of the Soldiers Orphans Home al
Knightstown has no parallel il modern history
1t would not be believed if it were not written
in characters never to be forgotten among the
records of our State. The record of its atroci.
ties is not made by Republicans, but it Gomez
from the official reports of committee, consist.
ing of Republicans and Democrats alike, who
are unanimous in their denunciation of tho
abuses to which it has been subjected. If there
is is debt that is due any class of our people il
is to the widows and orphans of those who died
for the preservation of the national integrity.
This is no matter of charity. 1t is question of
simple duty--a solemn duty, higher than any
money promise The man that died on the
field to serve his country had right to be-
lieve that that country and every part OF
it would see to it that his little children did not
perish from want. So the State of Indiana pur-
chased the Knghtstown home for the benefit OF
the orphans of soldiers. For some time it was
conducted in a creditable manner. but finally
the Democratic Legislature of 1879 degraded 1t
into political machine, placed it under the care
of politicians and gave places in it as rewards
for party work. The very next session its OUT
RACES and abominable management were shown
by the report of legislative committee:
B. F. Ibach had been appointed superintend
ent on account of his services to his party. A
committee. composed of Democrats and Repub-
licans, investigated his conduct of the home.
and on the 18th of March, 1881, made report,
in which they found:
l. That the money appropriated had been
recklessly squandered.
q That the accounts and books were in such
condition that not even an expert could tell any
thing about them.
s. That money appropriated for the orphans
had been used to purchase luxuries for the Off
GERS and attendants
A. That the children were huddled together,
like sheep in pen, in small ill-ventilated
rooms, and those wretchedly dirty, while large,
airy and comfortable rooms used for par
lor and reception-rooms by the superintendent
and teachers.
s. That the children were suffering in health,
as well as comfort, because of this being crowd
ed together For instance: In small room,
sixteen feet square, eighteen children were re-
Quired to sleep.
g. That the boilers in the cellars of the build
ing were considered unsafe by the superintend-
ent and officers, yet in a room directly over
them and only twenty feet square, forty little
children, from two to six years OF age, were
kept
10. That the rooms were exceedingly dirty,
and the sheets and bedding filthy.
IL. That the food was very poor in quality
and very limited in. quantity; in fact, that il
neither wholesome nor near enough of it.
So strong was this report to the House that
the superintendent was removed by vote of "a
to &c
In the Senate, Senator Voyles Democrat
said: 1--WE tumbled the beds upside down and
found them entirely indecent and so unclean
that there stencil arising from them"
Senator Spann said s'the bills of fare showed
that the 100 healthy children every night were
called to long table in a dark room and given
only oatmeal, molasses and tea in battered tin
cups 800 days in the year"
The superintendent was removed, and for two
years matters improved. Then, again in 1885,
the Democratic Legislature passed a bill making
the Knlghtstown Home the spoils of party. Men
were appointed again for partisan considera-
tons. In two years more another committee
investigated the home They were in session
twenty-one days and examined ninety-one wit
nesses The following is an extract from their
report:
1--WE have had ali of said matters under con-
sideratiou, and, from the evidence heard find
that John NJ. Goar, one of the trustees of said
institution, has been guilty. during his term of
Office, OF drunkenness; that his general moral
character is bad; that he has been guilty of gross
immoral conduct; that his general character for
virtue and chastity is bad, and that he has been
guilty, during his said term of Office, of having
llicitintercourse with female inmate of said
institution of the age of fifteen years; and that
during his said term of office, he has attempted
to seduce two others of the female inmates Of
the institution each of the age of fifteen years,
deceased soldiers, and under his care and enti-
tied to his protection as trustee of said institu.
ton.
1--WE further find that the said J. w. White
has been grossly negligent in this: He has re-
peatedly allowed matters to go by unnoticed
that should have demanded his immediate at;
tention. He has allowed severe punishment TO
be inflicted upon children by attendants, GOV
ernesses aud teachers. He has allowed children,
IN both departments, to be locked in close dark
closets, and fed only on bread and water from
one day to one week at time, and permitted
two boys to be hand -euffed together two days
and one night in dark closets and compelled
them thereby to sleep together while SO hand
cuted, which punishments, in the opinion OF
your committee, were excessive, cruel and in
human; that ne acted indiscreetly at various
times by locking himself up in his private Office
with female teachers and others connected with
the institution; but your committee is of the
opinion from all the evidence on this subject,
that it was at no time for an improper or i'm
moral purpose. He allowed Charles Nor
gan, of said institution, an employee to remain
in said institution and in his employment
for some time after said Morgan had
inflicted upon one Ed Boiler,
feeble minded boy and soldiers orphan, the
most cruel and inhuman treatment and after no
had knowledge of such punishment; and that he
permitted an attendant to remain in the nsttu-
ton as an employe of the same for some consid-
cradle time after said attendant had been guilty
OF acts of sodomy with boys inmates Of the in.
stitutionl from ten to fourteen years of age-he.
the said White, having such information as
should have put him immediate inquiry and
investigation, which could hardly have failed to
have disclosed to him the fact of this horrible
practice. We further find that he has not given
that close care and attention to the schools that
in our opinion, he should. We are further OF
the opinion that the Soldiers and Orphans
Home and Asylum for Predetermined Children
should be separated. We further find that inn
mediate steps should be taken to provide means
for prompt extingushment of fire."
This committee was composed equally of Re-
publicans and Democrats It's report was ac-
cepted almost without objection. The manage
ment of the Knghtstown Home was character
lied by one of the Democratic Senators on tha
floor as "a stencil in the nostrils of the people"