Morning journal and courier., 1893-01-25
THE COUNTY HOME.

The Report OF the Committee of In
vestisatfon-Dr. @. b. Adams' Main /
Charges Substantiated - About
Record Book.
Following is the report of the investi-
eating committee appointed by the Con-
necticut Humane society to inquire into
certain reports and statements made con-
corning the county homes and their man
agement:
To the Honorable Board of Directors of the
Connecticut Humane Society.
Gentlemen: In response to the resolu-
ton adopted by your society at its annual
meeting, held January 20, 1898, in which
the undersigned were appointed by your
honorable body a committee s'to inquire
into the facts as to the records concerning
children committed to county homes, and
of the truth of the public statements made
by an agent of this society in reference to
the county homes, and also whether the
subject comes within the proper field of
the society's work; and to report, in
writing, to future meeting of the direct
ors." your committee beg leave to report:
1st. That in their judgment the subject
matter of the investigation which Is pro-
posed In your aforesaid resolution is one
eminently proper to be entertained and
considered by the Connecticut Humane 80
| ciety.
%. That your committee, under the
authority of your said resolution, have
held many meetings in the city of New
| Haven, at which many witnesses were
carefully examined and large amount of
| testimony taken, and the New Haven
| county home visited and inspected.
Sd. That, it appearing to your committee
| that the proposed investigation originated
from the publication in a public journal
of New Haven of letter by Dr.. G. B..
Adams, as agent of your society, and also
from certain interviews purporting to be
had with said Adams, which said letter
and interviews severely criticised the man
agement of the New Haven county home,
your committee therefore confined their
inquiries to said charges, as affecting only
the management of this particular county
home, and therefore find and report:
| 18th. That said charges relate mainly to
two principal subjects.
| First, That no proper public record had
been kept of the children committed to
| the county home.
Second, That no proper supervision had
| been exercised over such children after
passing into the hands of the Board OF
Management of said county home.
9Th. Upon this presentation and view OF
the matter before them your committee
are unanimously of the opinion that the
first mentioned charge was true, as shown
by evidence submitted to your committee
9th. Your committee are further unani
mously of the opinion that the second
charge, as against the Board of Manage
ment, was in the main true, as shown by
evidence submitted to your committee.
| 7th. Your committee are further unani
mously of the opinion that one member Of
said Board of Management, which consists
by law of five members, to wit, the lady
member of the same, appears to have en-
deavored to the best of her ability, to dis
charge the duties incumbent upon sale
board, but that the labor requisite for the
proper performance of those duties was al
together too complex and too great to ad
NIT of them being properly discharged BY
any one person.
9Th. That the county home itself, in New
Haven, is well kept and all the children
placed therein are well cared for.
All of which, together with the evidenc
and exhibits taken in said investigation,
| respectfully submitted.
JOSEPH B. SARGENT, Chairman;
N. D. SPERRY,
L. N. MIDDLEBRooK
Dated at New Haven, Conn.,, this Janu
airy 18th, 1893.
An interesting episode of the investiga
ton was the discovery by Mayor Ssrgen
that about two weeks after the charge
were made book for the purpose of keep
, ing a proper record was bought and pu
into use about thirty days after the charge
were made. This late attempt to make
appear that there was proper record wa
J brought to light by the sagsoity of Mayo
Sargent, who found where the book wa
/ made, when the order was given for 1t an
when it was delivered. One of the count
{ commissioners gave the order for tn
book.
The testimony showed that Mrs. Baco
was practically the Board of Management
1t also showed that the children wer
3 looked after after they were sent ava
. from the home If those whose duty it wa
to look after them happened to attend
3 their duty.