The herald., 1896-03-29
The Orphans Home

we expect to come in and reap the benefit
of our invention. LEE.
The Orphans Home
EDITOR HERALD-A communication with
the above caption in The HERALD of the
10Th instant escaped my notice until lately
directed In it by friends. IT'S plain that
the principal intent of the article is to cast
slur upon father who for six years,
alone, has almost daily watched over and
been the constant companion of his two
mothsrless children and given them such
training that all who are intimate with
them say that they are good children in
general, and even in that Orphans home
the management has said that Eva Dunn
is the sweetest and best child that ever
came under their care. Now this, in itself,
is the highest commentator father of
such orphan children could possibly re.
ceive. and while the general life of this
child in that institution is a matter of deep
regret, yet the fact that she lived under the
tyrannical rules of that home for nearly
six months with but one punishment is
probably the highest recommendation for
strict obedience and goodness of heart that
an l-year-old child ever received on this
Pacific coast. And the father of these
good children-his life as teacher in the
public schools of four states, and as q
Christian gentleman, for the past twenty
one years is matter of record, in print
and writing from sworn county officers and
men of high educational and religious
standing, and this same fathers life, for
months. daily and hourly, in this city, in
home where there were ten ladies and
a gentleman, and in the Los Angeles state
normal school, in school association with
the many members of the eminent educa.
tional people composing the faculty and
the 500 students. and of the school Chris
tan associations; the daily attendance at
the MONDAY prayer meeting and of the
Sabbath day worship in the churches of
the city are all we'll and favorably known.
Yet three ladies' who saw this father
through q. window more than fifty feet
away, for he was not in the house at all
when he went to get the children, will
stoop to cast such q slur in the public
press. Comment may not be necessary,
but just such slur emanating from ex-
actly the same original source which in
fluenced these ladies, is in the Times of
June 20. 1891, rejecting upon one of the
most noble, benevolent, Christian lady
workers that Los Angeles ever knew; and
in the Times of the 2Sth following, is all
answer from one of the prominent attor-
neys in the city. These articles can be
read and the policy of part Of the man.
agement Of the Protestant Orphans home
easily seen. 1t is one so entirely incon-
sistent with Christian charity and right
intentions that anyone intimate with the
facts is not at all surprised at the cruel
treatment the helpless children in that
home have complained of for years past
and up to last Thursday, at which time
comes out the latest.
During last week several boys ran away
from the home, as many have done before,
and those remaining are forbidden to talk
upon the subject. Last Thursday one of
them asked another a question on the sub
ject, and was reported to the superintend
ent. who threatened him that if he talked
on the subject again she would whip him
"until his back would be so sore it would
hurt him to wear his clothes for a week."
And so common is the severe punishment
of innocent children on the word of lying
tell1tales that this bright, intelligent child,
who shows truthfulness on his counte-
nance, from what he had already seen the
past few months. realizing his danger, ran
away also and went to his father on Wall
street.
Two other boys that ran away last week,
one from the main home, the other from
that homes hospital, though living miles
apart in this city. tell the same story of
the hash they could not eat, but were Or
dered to eat or get nothing, and so went
hungry until they ran away. Some others
tell of how, lately. boys have beeu burned
with fire on the end of stick, one on the
hand the other in the face, by the matron,
as another mode OF punishment for "play-
ing in the fire." when they we're only polk
also tell how they had to get out in the
yard soon efter daylight and, in the chilly
morning air, sweep up the dust. until the
attending city physician ordered it stopped
because of their weak lungs.
The good boy Walter tells how the matron
held him and with pincers pulled out his
hair by the roots and burned with caustic,
pretending it necessary to do so to cure
that ringworm of the head, with which
some children have suffered since last
July. He tells how some of the boys
screamed at such treatment, and that, in
the four weeks in that hospital, his dis
eased head was washed but once; and GER
when he came out prove that the child did
not lie about this kind of neglect. He tells
how. for calling a boy a common nick
name. he was whipped, in the basement,
and his wrists tied with rope SO tightly
that they hurt very much. and then he was
rope, and afterward was whipped again for
doing that. He tells how, at another time,
when he was innocent of calling names,
the matron whipped him with the iron
stove poker 30 that he could hardly walk;
that he thought one lick had broken his
of cruelty. The poker not quite as large as
. common lead pencil and about eighteen
inches long.
The s'sweet child" Eva, IL years old,
tells how she had to work in the measles
hospital long before she took the disease;
and twice, alone, in one week, washed the
towels, pillowslips nightgowns and bed
sheets for fifteen sick children, and did the
dirty work besides, and closes by saying:
Papa, when night came / could hardly
stand upon my feet"
She tells how she has seen little girls
whipped with doubled strap on their bare
flesh. and 1O.year-old girl whip 4-year-
old child by order Of the matron. Eva
says she was with the matron when she
tied Carrie Green hand and foot to the iron
bed, and left the child crying all night
simply because the night before Carrie
went to the closet through the hall with her
night dress ON instead of her day dress,
according to rule. Eva had to tie Carries
hands, but the matron, not satisfied with
her work, tied them over again. When
Eva was shown the work quoted as her own
in the article published on the 10th instant,
she exclaimed: Papa. that is great big
not get TO see my playmates again, for
love some of Thorn very much"
When northern soldiers, prisoners in
that horrible Andersonville prison, were
released it is said some of those men cried
like babes.
Notwithstanding the "uncertainty' men,
toned, Eva and Walter are in home that
is home, where they are each others
companions. While in the Los Angeles
orphan's home during their last months
stay they did not even get to see each
other but once and then not to speak.
The public 10 recommended by the article
alluded to to spend little time and money
and visit this institution to see how it