The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-12-13
MR.. DOYLE
HEARD FROM.
The Minority County Auditor on the
AlmShOuSe Affair.
MISS O'BRIEN'S HISTORY.
Reviewed as Given Under Oath Before the
Auditors at Frackville-DOyle Stands
by the Accused Steward.
MISS O'BRIENS HISTORY.

to the public something entirely new in
connection with the almshouse disclosures
which have occupied so much of the
peoples attention the past few days, 1t
is new because it embraces more of the
information upon which the outbreak
against the almshouse officials was based
than any other newspaper report hereto
fore published More than that it comes
from a gentleman who was present when
the star witness in the ma ter was first
interrogated by the parties who precipi
tated the crusade and it gives substan
italy the contents Of that witness's
affidavit which has been withheld from
the public.
After reading this statement, or report
of an interview, the public viii be able
to determine just what Marion Lizzie
O'Brien stated as against the almshouse
officials and at the same time judge the
character of the witness. The statement
is especially interesting as it comes from
one of the parties who was cognizant of
the preparations for the disclosure and
yet has not heretofore been mentioned in
connection with the prosecution of the
mission which has now thoroughly
aroused the county. The gentleman is
John E. Doyle, the minority, or Demo
cratic member of the board of County
Auditors.
1t appears that on December 3rd, 1894,
Thomas E. Samuels, Emanuel Jenkyn
and John E. Doyle, constituting the board
of County Auditors, William Wilhelm,
Esq, their counsel, and Justice of the
Peace McGinness met at Frackville to in
quire into certain matters pertaining to
the county almshouse at Schuylkill Haven
and had before them Marion Lizzie
o Brien.
Miss O'Brien, according to her sworn
statement before the gentlemen above
mentioned, does not remember her father
or mother. The former is dead and the
latter is in an insane asylum. At the age
Of four years Marion was taken in charge
by a priest of the Roman Catholic
church of Philadelphia and raised by
him. She was sent to a parochial school
and received common school education.
This she sho VS. by the use of very clever
language. Arriving at the age Of fifteen
years Marion struck out for herself and
became a domestic, engaging in the
service of families of Tamaqua, Ashland
and Girardville, eventually locating at
Mahanoy Plane. She was then about
seventeen years of age. At the latter
place Marion fell in love with a young
man named Flynn. 1t seemed she loved
not wisely, but too well. She went to
Frackville and became a party to an
illegal practice. She alleges that she was
an Involuntary party to it and it must
have been accomplished while she
was under the influence of drug
that was put in drink furnished her
She was lying in the house Of a stranger
at Frackville. She sent for Justice Nc
Ginness and he took her ante-mortem
statement supposing that the girl was
about to die. The woman of the house
| did not want the unfortunate on her
hands, because her husband was away
from home and she was afraid she might
become implicated in the matter. Justice
| McGinness was consulted and he caused
the girl to be transferred to the county
almshouse, where she received treatment
from the physician of that institution.
The question arises With the girls
ante-mortem statement in his hands, why
did not Justice McGinness place the case
in the hands of the District Attorney
Marion says that after being two weeks
in the almshouse she rallied and recovered
her health fairly we'll. She was then in
the hospital department and she swears
that Steward Hartman saw her in that
department and said, This is no place
for you to be in" He had her transferred
TO the main building, showing her fine
home and saying, "Ihis shall be your
abode in the future" He asked her how
long she wanted to stay and she replied
only until she recovered her health that
she didn't want TO live upon public
bounty and didn't wish TO be there when
the Grand Jury came along, because she
didn't want the outside world to think
she would be living upon public charity,
that she always earned her livelihood
while she was able. She stated to the
examiners that after being shown her
room Hartman commenced to take
liberties with her, but some noise being
heard upon the stairway interfered with
his intentions. The next morning, she
swore, she went to Paddy Bergan and
said to him, Paddy, If tell you a secret
will you promise me for Jesus, Mary and
Joseph's sake, that you will never tell"
He promised and she related what trans.
pired between her and Hartman.
Marion was then asked by one Of the
County Auditors whether she had inter
course in the almshouse, or almshouse
buildings and she said she had not that
every attempt was foiled by intruders