The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-05-28

is too much wrapped up in work to be
good fellow socially Cleveland
Leader.
Brutal Treatment
THE CHESTER SPRINGS SCHOOL AGAIN
| IN TROUBLE
The Philadelphia Record of Mon
day contains the following: The chill
dren at Chester Springs Soldiers Or
phans' School have been brutally treat
ed by those in authority. Following
the case of the Fowler boy, who was
beaten by q teacher in such way that
even Manager Van Horn pronounced
it too severe, there come three others
that shock humanity. One was that
of James p. Falls, who ran away from
school, and who was allowed by Judges
Hagenman and Ermentrout to remain
at home with his mother The second
case was that OF boy named Werntz,
who was struck in the jaw by Manager
Van Horn, so that the side of his face
swelled to a great size, and it was be.
lieved that the jaw had been broken.
The third case was that of boy named
John Hunter, who was beaten for
writing a letter to the Governor com
planning of ill-treatment.
Two weeks ago Werntz was struck
in the Jaw with a ruler by Mr. Van
Horn. A lump appeared, aud in a
little whilo it developed into a large
swelling that enveloped the entire side
of the face. His companions saw the
result of the blow, and the story i'm
mediately spread through the surround
ing country that the boys jaw had
been broken. A Record reporter visit
ed the place on Thursday and saw the
lad, but he refused to say anything
about the injury, and it was difficult to
ascertain the facts of the case. Man
ager Van Horn was absent in Reading,
and no explanation could then be OBJ
tanned from him. On Friday tele-
gram was sent to the Manager, asking
where he could be seen on Saturday.
He anticipated his second visitor by
calling at the Record office on Friday
night and then attempted to explain a
number of stories that were in circu
lation regarding his treatment Of help
less children. When the Werntz case
was touched upon he manifested an
usual dread of publicity, saying that
if the boys uncle heard of the charges
he would Immediately come to the
school and there might be trouble.
Mr.. Van Horn pooh-poohed the story
that the boy had been struck, or that
the jaw had been broken by blow.
Then he produced a certificate from
one Morris Fussell, who is supposed to
supply the drugs to the institution
and to doctor nearly 800 children. all
for the small sum of $175 year.
This certificate was addressed to Mr..
Van Horn, and it declared that the
swelling in the boys face was due to
his teeth. Upon the basis of this let
ter from the physician of the school
Mr.. Van Horn began to discount all
stories that were told by the children
in the way of complaint, and after de-
claring positively that he never struck
the boy in the jaw, he volunteered to
describe in detail how the Werntz boy
had gone to DIR. Fussells house, the
trouble with q diseased root and the
formation of an abscess in the Jaw.
But" he continued, "when l asked
Dr. Fussell to write this explanation
in full, he said the case was so triflin G
that he thought it would be ridiculous
to go into the whole story, and so he
wrote this short note which have
shown to YOU"
/ Mr.. Van Horn seemed to be telling
the truth. He certainly was fortified
with positive statement from DR.
Russell, and there seemed to be little
reason for doubling its correctness
Subsequently he manifested such feal
lest the boy name be published in con
nection with the story of a broken jaw
that suspicious were aroused, and OF
Saturday DIR. James E. Garretson wal
asked to suggest some competent per
son who could be induced to go tt
Chester Springs and examine the boy
face. DIR. Garretson is the author of
standard textbook on dental surgery
he is Dean of the Philadelphia Denta
College and President of the Medico
Chirurglcal College and would be re
garded as the best of authority. Whel
the facts of the case were related l.
him the doctor kindly volunteered L
, go'in person. The school was reache,
at 4 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, an,
, by direction of Mr.. Van Horn the bo
, was brought into the doctors presenc
, the jaw being poticed and bound u
, in muslin. After an examination Doc
, tor Garretson said it was a case @
periostitis, which is an Inflammation o
, the periostem, the membrane envelop
, ing the jawbone. He said the infam
nation was not in any way associate
, with dental trouble, and must hav
! been produced by some injury. The
: the boy was asked in the presence O
/, Manager Van Horn whether he ha
been struck on the jaw, and he sal
. Mr.. Van Horn had hit him there wit
ruler two weeks ago. The Manage
a became rather alarmed at this state {
: affairs, and asked the distinguish
physician whether any more serious r.
: suits would follow the injury, an
:, wanted TO know where he could sen
4 the boy for treatment. .....
: The finding of DIR. Garretson estal
a fishes the utter worlhlessness of Il
r certificate given by the school physicia
q DR.. Morris Fussell, who, either frol
"a ignorance or from desire to shield I'll
Il Manager in his wrong doing, had sig
ed his name to statement that WI
used for the purpose of deceptio
What the outcome of the Manager
misconduct in striking the blow vi
be is not yet known, but it is oerta
that his actions shows him to be e
3 tirely untitled for the responsible wol
I; of training 800 children The scho
, | ia in state of 1amoraliyation and IL