Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1889-07-22
SOLDIERS ORPHANS.
Sorrows Of the Fatherless in the
Pennsylvania Schools.
4 LEaIsLATTVE INVESTIGATION.

The Forthcoming Inspection OF the Ches-
ter Springs school Il Expected 70 De-
velop some Damaging Eacts-Tad Feed
and Abusive Trensment-seinsh and
Raercennry management.
WEST CHESTER. Pa, July q. "A forth.
coming investigation Of the soldiers or
phan schools OF this state by Iegisla-
tive commission promises to wipe sew
eral of the institutions out Of existence,
and among the number to 60 there is q
prevailing opinion that the one known
as Chester Springs school, In this county,
viii be conspicuous because of the re.
cent expositions Of cruelty to the pupils
said TO have been practiced by the pro-
fessor in charge and his subordinates.
In anticipation of hearing before the
commission the friends Of the abused
children. prominent among whom are
leading members Of the Grand Army OF
the Republic Of this county, are prepar-
ing such testimony as will be most cam
aging and must strike the members of
that body with painful surprise.
had Food and Abuse.
The evidence which viii be produced
against the methods governing the Ches-
ter Springs school viii, il Is said, show
that insufficient food--and that, too, OF
q badly prepared character-has been
furnished the pupils, although ample
provision has been made for supplying
them with plenty, and Of 9 good and
wholesome kind. It viii also be shown
that little children have been repeatedly
struck in the face by those In charge,
producing contusions that led 10 their
being unable TO leave their rooms foR
days, to say nothing of innumerable
whippings with heavy withes, which
have left scars on their bodies for months
afterward.
Inhuman Punishment.
Added 20 these punishments it will be
shown. IL il said, that in numerous I'M
stances pupils. some of them young girls
Of 16 years, have been confined IN their
rooms and denied the refreshing in
fuences of sleep In order to atone for
some trivial breach of the discipline Of
the school and to force them to confirm
to the dictatorial spirit Of the teachers
will
PIaythings used by the little ones
have been in same instances converted
into means Of punishment, one little
boy, it Is alleged. having been struck In
tAAC AtASC oJ . otA AAA8 OA SObuAA0u DtytDAt
with which he was amusing himself,
the spools cutting his face, causing
blood to flow.
Guarding Against Exposure.
The subordinate teachers and others in
charge have, it il charged, lately been
led to watch with jealous care over their
charges in order that they might not
communicate any of their troubles 10
visitors. 1t Is expected that evidence
will be presented in the coming investi.
cation that careful system of espion.
age has been resorted to, in which cer-
tain certain pupils have been deputized
to exert a painstaking watch over their
fellows in order to learn IL any are guilty
of communicating to outsiders the stories
of the inaictlons practiced by the school
management.
Outlived Their Usefn1ness.
The general feeling is that this school
and others Of the same character have
long since served their purpose In caring
for the orphans of the soldiers. and had
they been discontinued five years on
more ago it would have been TO the
credit or the state. OF late years they
have been in the hands Of private parties,
who have conducted them for selfish
purposes, and public sentiment has now
reached that point which demands that
they shall no longer be permitted tc
exist.
Professor Van Horn. Of the Chester
Springs school, went to Europe few
months ago.