Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-10-17
SHUT UP IN A PEN
A Mad Girl Confined for Years
in a Cage.
CHAINED DOWN TO THE FLOOR.
Her Parents Too Poor to Send Her to an
Asylum.

The Health Authorities Refused to At
tend to the Case-Her Cries Heard BY a
Hunter, Who Reports tho Horrible AT
fair-She is Strong and Healthy-The
OverSeer of the Poor Knew the Girls
Condition, But Would Do Nothing.
MoNTCLAIR, N. J.. Oct. 17-One of
the most amazing cases of cruelty to a
child that has ever come to the notice of
the public has been perpetrated near
here. A girl, nearly Is years of age, has
been shut up in a cage, feet inches in
length by 2 feet 7 inches in width, and
has lived in this prison for the last three
years. Her parents have tried to get
the health authorities of the township to
take charge of her, but the authorities
have turned deaf ear to their appeal.
The girls name is Emma &kimball]
Her fathers name is Edward KimbaIL
He is a mason's laborer, and scarcely
earns enough to support himself. He
lives just on the boundaries of Mont
clair Township, between Essex and Pas
sale Counties. His house is two-story
frame cottage. He was married seven
teen years ago, and his first child, boy
died two months since. He was bright
boy, but the sister-she was an mbecile
from her birth-she has never spoken a
word. When she was child she used
to tar her clothes off. Neither her
father nor mother knew what to do with
her. They applied to the authorities to
have her put in an insane asylum, but
their request was not needed Dr. Chas.
Smith was Overseer of the Poor, but he
could not or would not do anything Tor
the kimballs.
Meantime the girl was growing
stronger and more dangerous. When
she was allowed to go through the
house she smashed the pottery and
broke windows. Her father built pen
for her in the kitchen. 1t was boarded
up in the northeast side of the house
and was hardly big enough for her to
turn around in. 1t was less than six
feet in height. The prison was just be-
side the kitchen window, which was
protected by wooden bars, so that the
girl could not break the glass. Kimball
was in Door circumstances, and his wife
was compelled to do washing for the
neighbors. When she went out the girl
was alone. She was enclosed in the pen,
and chained to the floor. People looking
| through the window saw the miserable
creature pulling on her chain. They
pitied her; they spoke I'd her parents,
| but what could they do? The saw her
tear the clothes off her back; she dug
her nails into her flesh. She spent day
after day and night after night in her
| cell.
One day the mother let her out and
she smashed three windows. Overseer
of the Poor Charles Smith was appealed
| to by the broken-hearted father and
| mother, as we'll as by the neighbors He
promised to attend to the case, but he
never did SO. He died, and then his
brother, Mr.. NJ. M. Smith, took kis po-
sition. The case of the imbecile girl was
called to his attention. He paid no more
heed to it than his brother did. Kim
ball went on with his work, earning
81. 80 day, and his wife did washing
for her Weather neighbors. Their son
died. They were too poor to bury him,
and raised a collection among the resi-
dents of the place. Meantime the girl
| grew worse.
She was living all this time in the mar
row pen, a shocking spectacle.
Two weeks ago James Kane, an officer
of the Newark Court Squad who lives in
| Montclair, was hunting through the
woods when he heard cries coming from
the Kimball house He looked through
the window and was Mortified to see the
girl. chained to the floor. He waited
until her mother came home and
she explained that the girl was a dan
gerous imbecile.
"Then, why don't you put her in an
insane asylum?'' the officer asked.
w CtiA G10 Will 40
nothing with her.
Officer Kane went to Mr.. Smith, and
that gentleman told him there was moth
ing in the case that warranted his inter
ference.
II am Overseer of the Poor here" he
said; land know my own business"
Kane appealed to Mr.. Smith to go and
see the girl. He did so He told Kim
ball that he would endeavor to have her
put in the Essex County Insane Asylum.
The poor man was thankful. To get rid
of his daughter who had been such a
burden for more then IA years, was a re-
lief to him. On Thursday night he saw
Overseer Smith and DR.. Brown of Mont
clair. They agreed to have the girl re-
moved on Monday next.
The girl is strong and muscular. Her
mother pointed out the three windows
, which she had broken since she had got
out of her pen. She had torn her feet
l and legs with her f1ngernails.
The residents of the neighborhood are
very indignant at Mr.. Smiths dilatory
3 methods. They say he would not have
acted at all if he hadn't been driven to it