New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-25
FORMER INMATES TESTIFY.
.,,vcrD METHODS OF PUNISHMENT AT
THE WEsTCHESTER HOME
ooxr,x1.1xc THE INVESTIGATION OF THE
CHARGES AGAINST SUPERINTENDENT j.
". PIERCE - DEFENCE MAY BE
THURSDAY.

W PIERCE DEFENCE MAY BE
HEARD ON THURSDAY.
At the hearing now in progress at White Plains
% investigate the charges Of brutality mace
coins, Superintendent j. w. Pierce. OF the west
chester Temporary Home for Destitute ChIdreh'
both the sessions held yesterday were oe'o'eu ~
the direct examination and the cross-eXahiha''on
of witnesses for the prosecution In the nature Vi
,b,ngs therefore the testimony given was OF
sort calculated to discredt the superintendent o"'
he will have a chance to reply later
Whom the morning session opened the courtroom
vas filled TO its utmost capacity with interested
auditors the majority of whom were women. Al
one side OF the room sat several members Vi ''e
hoard OF women managers, several OF theni nav
ing come considerable distance In order to De pres
Ont Among them Mrs. Hoe. j. T. Davies IT,
uas nreseut in the capacity Of her private counsel
The referee d. w. Guernsey, eX-Judge or the Su-
nreme Court of New-York, was again on the bench
and H. T. Dyck conducted the prosecution the
cross-examination being done by eX-Judge l. y.
Mills.
The crowd took grea. interest in the proceedings
and several times INDUCED IN demonstrations that
nearly resulted in having the courtroom cleared
Superintendent Pierce was present throughout lhe
Two sessions and preserved perfectly unruiheo
demeanor throughout the day.
THE FIRST WITNESS.
William Bogart, Of Yonkers was the first Wit
ness Of the morning. He said. In answer 10 ques
tions that he had often been whipped win gay
O. -nne-tails for truancy and throwing d'ce' ne
usual dose was twenty lashes. he said, ana ne hao
boon vb,nnoa more than once until the blood came
Al one time he had been chained TO Willie hapie
for two weeks. He identified some cha'is ''
Mr. Dykman showed him.
Thomas owens, a brakeman on the w-1orA N'"
trail Railroad said that when he was 'weNe !ea.s
cid re was sent TO the home; that re was oi'en
"A
that finger was broken by being struck by the nan
dc OF the whip. lie exhibited the aeloFhieu '''s''
which resulted. On cross-eXamnauoh lhe "'"
said that he had never tod Nus. hoe Oh Ills '"'o''
nor any OF the managers.
rharios Roberts a boy ten years old testified that
he had lived a, the home for three years up 10
about five months ago. and that ne hdu pe.
whipped by Mr.. Pierce with cato -nine-talls un'
there were ridges on his body and hands he auue"
that Mr. Pierce obliged him TO remove part OF ~
clothes when he whipped. Inc witness s'''
he had seen other boys whipped wi;h a cato nine
tails sometimes two or three or them oe.hS pan,
,shed NJ a time. When cross-eXamined the DoS s@'u
that he was punished for taking in bed, wnich was
against the rules. and that Albert JACKSON. ""o
one Of the lending spirits in the pTosecu'ioi' iN
come to talk to him about tesufyng'
Nettie Gilbert, a colored woman VINO hau peeH
employed long time as !aundresS' was 'Is" WIN.
and proceeded give evidence with reference "
what Owns had said. This seemed to anger Juage
cation There followed a wordy fight between Judge
NILS and MI Dyck after which Mrs. Giioeft went
on TO say that she had seen water anu SAT- en-"
into the room where Walter MarSery was ooi's
whlpped At one time the witness SAID MI. RE
hocana angry with a girl. Minnie ScAieie, ana
dn,ad n hucket of swi.l over her head and left 1t
,here She said she had Mr.. Pierre scour
boys tongues with kerosene
HER MEMORY DEFECTIVE.
On cross-examlnation. however Mr.. NILS proush'
out the fact that the witnesses memory oil eNao'
dates and Of people at the home was rather ha~E'
Mrs Mary Holland, also colored woman ohoe
ornloved at the home said that she saw hVe-
vear-old child ore morning at breakfast WHO ""S
III and could not eat the mush ana mix pio'-u.s
,o- tho meal She declared that Mr.. Pierce iorced
the child to eat IT, in spite of the fact tna' s,e
couldn't retain 1t on her stomach Al 'his p0'''
'os the afternoon session Alfred Wea'hsEwaacSSs KS
the first witness He ' sne ha a been Whipped
By Mr. Perce with aaa b bSe chew
girls tar steang that he boys chained to-
sether and that when visitors appeefeu In n the
were said that no blood drawn when ne Was
whnned. and that his punishment was lor 'u"'''''e
Thomas Hills Of Yonkers testified that when had
was whipped by Mr. Pierce the cato ianneon and a
been he said on crossexamination had talked
wit6 him about giving testimony IN Inc oa''
AT THE MOTHERS REQUEST
,.... ,ya.z said that when he was at the Hoio III
,ss7 Mr. Pierce had made him wear Chains aO01. 49,
,,ias Tor three months. For two months ai'e '
- his ankles were sore. he added Ny '
hrouyh, out the fact that his mother had 'e4uosSN
~, p,arce ~ chain him. lest he should run away
Nrs Charlotte Nau, the mother OF Isopei ~ her
IA ,baI the chains made running SORES Oh ", ,b.
sai, miles When she visited nef sun a. ~
Home she said, her son threw ms a, '9 Tic me
49, neck CRYING: 'Oh, mamma, mamma
nei az I'm berei This is so cruel 10 ny
on DISCRIMINATION II appeared tnat W.. ,,,oed
,ad of,en been kind TO her. and MI NILS piou .
hau 70 Inc Superintendent in which the WITNESS
1banked him for his care OF her son anu ~ her
nn.;ng 70 him Bible. When pressed lot me-
ZewYork address, Mrs Nau refused 10 ~ -,
saving in defence of her action; l am oaH'e ny
"That statement Is not directed d' any o0o' N
nected with the Home. is II? ,.
NJ didn't saw II was" answered the witness.
Ceorge burgess testified to receiving severe WHIP
,nes AZ the hands OF Mr.. Pierce. and to seeing MN
traeL a whalebone whip over a heifer's back ps
D paesa she cot her horns caught in a fence he
edmSt.ed however that Mr. Pierce TOOK MIN away
from man TO whom he had been sent because tile
man did not give him enough TO eat me Ieietee
annonted two physicians 10 examine the poy loa
nc scars which he said resulted from DeatIHs'
given him by the superintendent. Alfalfa. =. o,or.
,raatment acknowledged having maintained TREND
~ relations with Mr. Pierce FOR severai years ai'e'
ward. -. .h,,aro, ,,bo had been
csugh, stealing had been compelled by MT 1lerce
~ GEAR a placard reading 81 am thel
The hearing then adjourned 10 next lhurs-
d.v morning the prosecution promising 10 iilsh
ia case by noon O, that day. The defence VIII then
have a chance to be heard