Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-03-09
IT WAS ALL A HUGE JOKE.
The l1cAllisterville Orphans
 Slammed Insanity.
THENTr,FoUR OF THEM CONFESS.

How the Lark riginated-Doctors Who
 Blade Learned and Technical Reports
 Deeply Chagrined-The Soldiers Orphans
 Well Cared for and Happy.
 iSrrsDtaG, March 9-Those ''crazy or pl.; ns" at the McAliisterville, Pa., soldiers orphans school have turned out to be frauds and their crazy actions a sham State Sen ator Greer, inspector of the soldiers orphans schools, has been Investigating the matter, sid his report is extremely interesting. The boys have ail confessed, much to the con. fusion of the wise and snowy haired doctors who diagnosed the cases Inspector Greer has the written confessions of twenty four boys who played crazy.
 A youth named Gus Sptler was the orig inator of the famous disease In the dorlni. tory one evening after the boys had retired he was hurlins pillows, when soms boy cried Put him out; he's crazy" Suiting the ac tion to the suggestion, he played crazy SC well that the alarmed boys calleI the pr;nc pal and doctors. His confession recites hi antics, and how he oftel laughed at his sue cess. When the doctor bathed him with cold water he shvered with cold, but thought il would not do to admit that he was play ing off.
 Like Spitler, the other boys tell all tha, transpired during their seeming crazy spells In their confessions the boys say the motives inspiring them were to have fun and have their meals carried to them Their age. range from 10 to l6 years and their testi mony Is clear and convincing. Each one says that he has plenty to eat, has good clothe. and kind treatment
 The testimony of thirty-six boys and girh who did not play crazy is in the report They speak of the kind treatment of the principal. of the teachers and of the good food and clothing furnished them.
 To make his inves: igation as thorough as possible, the inspector received lengthy state mer.ts from Rev. MT. Lowey, of the Presby. terian church; Rev. MT. Lusher, of tn. Lutheran church; Judge Smith, Judge Watts now postmaster) and q number oi other reliable citizens, including Grand Army men. They express words of praise for both the school and the appearance of the children The report of Senator Greer proves that the school has been unjustly abused
 The antics of the boys in the McAlisterville soldiers orphans school first attracted out side attention in January. Some of tho orphans appeared to have become idiots and wandered aimlessly about, others would teal up things i'll their rooms, some apparently hftu ot flCuS While not a lew hibited ali the symptoms of a deranged mind The boys whose actions wers particularly like those of crazy person were Michael Briney, Augustus Spitler, Eddie Beck, Blair Mccoy, Tilden Lymes, Harry Williams, Linn Sherk Harry Henderson, George Bader, John Brady, Oscar Shuey, Willie Cox, Bert Baker, Dennis Howell, Adam Grove Willie Burge.
 The fiiiction became generally contagious Tuesday, Feb. }. Then it was intinated that probably the character of the food the chil dren ate was the cause of the trouble A com mttee representing one of the Grand Army posts Of Mtfiin examined the school and found the sanitary condition to be first class Dr. Banks slept in the building one night and wrote the following report:
 ''The first four cases developing were treat, ed by Dr. Hoopes, the attending physician of the school Feb the malady broke out in a more aggravated form, and about seventeen of the boys were afflicted on that day was called that evening. The boys had retired for the night, under watch Their sleeping apartment was visited by the physicians but as they appeared to be resting comfortably it was determined not to arouse them thai night, and the consultation was deferred until the following morning In the morning noticeable symptoms were developed in sev. enteen of the boys, and they were rcmandei to the intirnary for examination.
 "The symptoms were aberration Of the mind and contortion of the body, picking ai imaginary objects and at each others cloth ing, and also a predLposition to misname ob- Jects. Some of them are mischievous, others melapcholy, none of them admitting thai they We're sick or feeling badly in any way.
 1.-The physicians, after carefully examining the condition and the pre-existing causes, de termined it to be i'll some cases strong man. lfestation of epidemic chorea, while in others 1t appeared to be species of nervous ade mia or mental exhaustion. The exact cause of the trouble was not fully determined other than, Ill some cases, marked hereditary ldioSyncrasy and the uniform tendency of growing children at study to ailments ot that character.
 ''There had been an epidemic of typhoid fever in the school during last fall-as many as forty cases ill all-and some of these latter were those who had not had the fever The temperature ill few cases was excited, sh ow. ing medium fever temperature but in most Of them the temperature and pulse were nor. mal- The strongest, however, Is that it was partially superinduced by an effort of ad. vancng the pupils ill their studies, yet they were not overworked. All We're diiigent of their own accord and were making excellent progress. The school previous 10 the epi. denlc was in good spirits and health."
 Three Men Injured In a Wreck.
 CINCINNATI, March 9-A wreck occurred on the Louisville and Nashville railroad, be l