Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-03-03
Frost Bitten Inmates.

~ gather from reliable sources thai
several Of the inmates. who are culored
bows, incarccrated in tie House Of Ref
ormatian. Cheltcnham. Prince Georges
county. have been severely trust bitten
this winter. some to the extent that their
feet bal 10 be amputatel. How about
thisg The ACCOMMODATIONS at C.selen-
ham are sufficient, as to room, to com
fprtsbly care for all the BOYS confined
therein, and the appropriation from the
State is sufficient to fu -uish them with
necessary food and rtiaent, and yet
cumes the sad inform stiou that some %
tbrs have sui red 81 severely The
suspicion Of the fault lies with the man
agrinrnt and no where else 1.-THE state
ments n the p ,Or unfortunate boys. two OF
whom are now lying feetless at a hospit
al 10 Baltimore city, are to be believed
the nanag ,ment of the institution have
been gully of the most inhuman cruelty,
and il Gen Horns alleged statement il
to be accepted as the fact the man
agement has oeen likewise cruel, aud are
totally unfit for the responsible position
they hold.
The two boys at the hospital state tn 1t
they had been compelled To walk bare
footed in the snow, anil that each had
been confined 10 dark cell for days
at q time, which was totally devoid of
furniture or any MEANS q heating and
subjected to many other acts Of
cruelty. According to General
Horns alleged version of the
matter, both of the boys are of
uasound mind; tina. one Of them
came to him through the snow in Janna
~ with but one shoe on. the other
through mischief he had hidden, for
which offense be was punished by con-
fnement in dark cell Laying aside
the pecuiiar fascination the boy seems
to have had for walking in the snow
with one shoe of as is reported, the
the statement of Gen. IIorn and those of
his wards do not materially differ
Their respective statements show that
Ihe confinement Of The boys in an un
heated cell during the severe cold wealth
er for an unreasonable time was fact
and If as it is alleged they were efunsound
mind the accusation with which the man
sgement is charged in so evcrcly pun
ishiug them only adds to the gravity of
the Offense committed To punish a
person. however wicked he may be, with
severe cruelty in revolving to every
sense Of justice in this enlightened and
humane age, but to punish. as it is re
ported those poor helpless boys, of un
sound mind to the extent Of maimin,
them for life is very serious matter.
The--Rews of the aiE-ss, -h.ss.----
tees fthe Institution, special commit
tee was sent down from Baltimore to in.
vestigate the matter. and Wlsic their of
fetal report has not been m1de public.
is reported they state that their
investigation was satisfactory 1t may
be to them, possibly they were easily
satisfied; the glib tongues Of the
accused may have WEIGHED heavier
with 'hem than the idle yaporings q of
f0Otless idiots. but the statement the
subcommittee has made as preamble to
the report to follow does ,ot satisfy the
public mind \ just public cannot mn
derstand, and very lucid report orly
can explain bow management
having charge of such r, formato-
~ institution can reform people of an
sound mines By severe corporal torture
We await the off irl report with
anxiousness, bat investigation or not
we think the NIX; grand jury of Prince
Georges county or of Baltimore city
which ever has the authority ought to
look into the matter, aud if it is true as
charged that the boys have been willful-
ly and so numerically punished or neg
lected the entire management of the in
stitution should be indicted.