New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-24
mn WHITE PLAINS INQUIRY
.rurR TESTIMONY IN FAVOR OF THE
CHIIDRENS HOME
ALLEGED CASES OF CRUELTY
nv ~csrMoNY BY VISITORS ATTENDANTS
AND INMATES.

~ rrsTlMoNY BY VISITORS "iiHN0AN'"
AND INMATES.
.. tho methods of conducting the
Inc .ss,er Temporary Home ior pes'''".e N"''
7 wes'' continued yesterday IN tne sup e"e
a'en "" ~ the White Plains Courthouse oeioie
court IT. ~ guernsey. referee. ire boaru oi ""'
PANEL W. IN ronresented and the usual group OF
'se's 90, in the front row OF chaiFs Oh INV
Someh s"' Tendance was small. and the rev
h0V" who leaned over the sane's IA" .,.,assas
women "a az II fell from the lips OF the witnesses
every "o'u a that have occupied that place ~
we're '"e , since the hearing began. III was
every g., same OF the women who sat III Na'io"'
evident -. house were in sympathy WIN '"'
paris ', -, for. as on on previous occasioHS' '"e.
prosee'-, witnesses testified TO iac'S ""'0'.
his'eu. ..o,able TO Mr.. Pierce and sho"'u ISIS
we're uben anything WAS said whicn '"'e"'
approve construed as unfavorabie 10 inc n'''''"
have been c0'''''
ton ,on,en went so far as to call the
sun" ..,rsel for the prosecution u VI. w rr,o
senior cou'''. him and suggest questions Inc
there Try 10 - audience were quiet. resoectrui
few neh u" ono could have known from theii
listeners o." ,her sympathies were IN the CASE
eemeahoi IL, from the questions whch we'e
It was do Miller and his associate MI EN-
put F" ,,e defence did not wish 10 'o''
neil. 'n" ond that It was anxious 10 se. a. ~"
any''"s, the facts in the case we ""'' W
bottom V arc" said an interested pers'', VIM"
The h'". -u,a FOR all this smoke. we nav. ~
Is resp.", ,here is a little fire, but wheh we "aa
dOuo. ,.a md exposed it the public VIII "nu '''"'
'o'A s,m. Is small one.
u' QUAINT CORPORAL PUNisHNh>'
also made clear at YESTERDAY ra,rs,
,hs prosecution is directing us ens' So rnch as
that '"e p,.sbment in the institution as "'"O'
corp0ia' NJ Pierce A small sensa'io" "'' 49,
ssain'' .,rtroom when DR.. kings'es' Va.
IN INC "a the home, said tha' ne u'u "o.
phys'' a.,.0.nne-tails. such as hau oee" 80 ~.
sue 80 an improper instruhen' ~ 49, ,hat II
the home correcting unruly children ana '"a,
purpose VI !, would do less harm tnan "",p
used prop.,,s aoctor remained steadfast 10 'ii'
or suoN. A., Henderson's severe cross-eNa' NM
view u"',. ,.,sa that the use of the cat u'u ny
tion a'N ,ru,alty on the part OF the pv pc, when
indesis mother small sensation was 1870 said that
witness one Of the teaTae mouth out" one of the
she had about brutalities at the nsn
,un lead people TO believe taboriv there to
men OF mos svdren.s mouths with OIL asnes ery
nasn ,ssr cleansing but bad-tasIne sled. "Did you
witness for the defence mas ouh washed" or did
ga ever hear of its having been The same ques-
Re answer was "S Miss sprlngmeyer said WITHOUT
ion was aske VISITATION Sn Yes dd II once ring
s,nishment was inflicted on b DO, Of Theresa
Another story Una, Yesterday by the evidence o,
Ses Woman who saw the See g.ai that the skin
s she was wnppsed showed no marks Of hay hay
S heen broken. The See girl was INSTITUTION. and
vas whipped on the , BODY a. hee n" pointed to
the See case mas dIMa''
rsrt,cuary horrible one
A CLERGYMAN's TESTIMONY
called At Yesterdays session was
-
"'s fare won the confidence OF all oeioie
80 CIV h.or as.ed a question He said that ne iau
~, a, one time a representative OF the Me'"ouSs
co,,srence TO visit Sunday-schools. anu INA, ~. =.
ao No had been assigned to take the piace VI
,ho ws,hodist pastor at White Plaihs ".0
latter was away on vacation. In that 'iine' nc
=. .rosraed around like the old-time schooiharn'.
.s., ,,e he had met Mr.. Pierce at the Flor
sr.s w,.Aon IN New-York and he renewed 'ne ac-
o'.,,,sr c. :, White Plains He visited the home
freousnt)y. and remained there at one 'im,S s,enS
days He testified to the sTGa lee and Mr. Pierce.
sn3 ssH tbsf he had never anything hXe ,hs
on i6sDar Of those who were In charge ch Mr. Palmer
pss1'n es he ~ questions he sad Excuse
me; I'm peace-lovng Methodist, and was never III
George Miles, farmer living at Round HUI C vears
vas the next witness He testihed 'na mste 81 the
Ssne and that prior TO that time he had wor Kea
al he place for four months he also .ns WISHING
M nrst %.n s,,9srntendent and the children. He
aw Mr.. Pierce with the children on many oc CA
,svsr knew the children TO shrink from MIN. re
rent bathing with the older boys, anu ra saw anv
opportunity TO see their pooies' Du' "e'e' '
hsns o. wife was the next witness She sent
the Institution when fourteen bre until yes she was mar
red eight years She was 1ne wss iV WHIPPED once
; her the Hem was and then Received oq
Bows on the hand with the cat Mrs Niles ,;n.
that she had seen any OF the ailegeu va
ss;sd .. tho home 10 visit Mr.. Pierce. and men
Toned Mrs Hoe and Mrs MacLean as among the
members Of the board whom she had frequently seen
IN the institution.
VACATIONS FOR GOOD CONDUCT.
On cross-examination the witness said that she
had seen many boys chained and had even seen one
COY handcufred. and two boys with their wrists
united nv letters In this examination II came out.
also that she and several other girls had been sent
away several seasons on vacation as reward ior
god conduct They went TO the seashore. where
,hy we're cared for by friends OF the institution and
u expenses were paid. as far as she knew, by MI.
xs Adrienna s. Springmeyer. who has been
teacher at the home for two years was me mex
nm I've to seven years old. and were In me KIN,
sasna department She had charge also; OF
n jassry l. 1895. she had used corporal punish,
, msal 80 means Of enforcing 0bedlence, WIEN IN
ss aM Methods, such as making cniidreh stau e. e.
sesH!ne, sending them to bed etc, had failed o1e
tapped" the children on the hand with her hand
- severe cases. used a ruler Since January l.
sos nad found II difficult to control the chhnren'
az she said frankly that she thought some GniI
NV, Isn could not be made to mind unless they knew
mat they would be corporaly punished for disobedi-
s She had reported only one child to M re,ce
~ ~ punishment That boy who had been gun.
y .. .very bad conduct. The witness saw the BOY
sSa after Mr. Pierce had punished him ana
hs s INV mat there marks OF violence on
n M oooy As to the mouthwashing, Mes Spring
ana wa sao tnat II was done at no ones suggestion
th., % or the purpose of impressing on the others
~ idastness must be washed out Of the mouths
nresenna Gu ~ 4, The act not performed IN the
to,d 49,, oi the other children. but they were all
nectsd ,i H. Hiss Sprlngmeyer was formerly con-
Staten I'm n.n the Home for Seamen's Children. on
YorS w., ,s'an s and with private school In New
coud ~ one said that in both places the children
chDS,sre soverned without corporal punishment-but
NO EVIDENCE OF CRUELTY.
..n, T. r. Swift. OF Chappaqua. who next
p.. saia That he knew the Home when It was at
-, sentville. and that he was the attending phys-