The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-03-23
THE SOLDIERS HOME.
The Investigation Of Its Manage msnt
Begun Today.
COUNSEL OWEN CONDUCTING 1T.
Nothing New Brought to Light-Testi-
mony Given by Inmates as to the Dis
position of Their Pension Money, the
Quality of Food and Other Matters. 2

The committee appointed by the house
OF representatives TO investigate the
management OF the Soldiers home at
Bristol opened the investigation at the
home at 10 o'clock this morning.
The 9:55 train from Providence carried
quite a number of the members of the
state board of soldiers relief, General
Dyer, Philip S. Chace. Hon. George
Cranston, department commander of the
G.. A. r., Henry Luther. Amasa NJ. Eaton
aud others.
The committee consists of Daniel S.
Ray OF East Providence, chairman: Paul
NJ. Barbour or Hopkinton and William
Il. Clarke of Newport. The investiga-
tion was held in the board room of the
home at Bristol
The party including the representa-
tives OF tire press were conveyed from
the depot TO the home by carriages, aud
were received In a very hospitable man
ner by Commander Hall who escorted
the party TO the room where the investi-
CATION was to be held.
Chairman Ray announced that the
hearing was open, and that MIR. Owen
would first, as counsel for the complain
ant. state the charges against the man
agement.
Mr.. Owen said that at first he had no
idea that the investigation would take
the present formal shape, but that IL
would be a sort OF an informal investi-
cation.
The First Allegation
was that every inmate of the home is
obliged to give up nearly all his pension
money for the supporS of the home.
The second charge was that everybody
admitted to the home WAS obliged TO
swear thaJ he has no visible means OF
ha 4 "a
pauper. which Is contrary TO the spirit OF
the establishment of the home.
Third, that the rules and regulations
OF the home are strict and severe SO that
the home Is more like house OF correc-
tion than home.
1t was also charged that inmates Of the
home had been prevented from going TO
the polls to vote, when the person in-
tended To vote contrary to the command
er's wishes, and also that n oney mad
been unnecessarily spent, in oth-r word s
that the peoples money ha been wasted.
1t was stated by Mr.. Owen that many
OF the inmates feared to testify lest they
should be turned out of the home, anu
that some had reen turned away since
the investigation by the governor, per-
baps from sufficient cause, but they
claimed IL WAS for testifying.
Captain G.. Z. Gray, president pro tenn
Of the board of soldiers relief, hoped that
the greatest latitude would be given all
who wished to testify, and that the SOL
diers would receive a guarantee that Trey
would not be discharged for telling what
they thought was the truth.
The printed rules were discussed and
the form of application. Mr.. Owen said
the form of application should be ac-
cording TO the statute which provided
tor the building Of the home. Chap
ter 733, section /, of the PUP
lie Laws states that the sol diers
who had not adequate means OF suppor5
and that the application should read ac-
cording to this section and not read mo
visible means OF support" which means
pauper
Commander Hall made the statemen
that every rule
Had Been Enforced
since he had been at the home.
Mr.. Ray thought the ella use which Mr..
Owen claimed TO read like "pauper"
would be as a person takes 1t upon read
ing it.
William w. Gorton of Newport, an
inmate Of the home, was called 10 testify.