New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-19
TESTIMONY FOR MR.. PIERCE.
THE WEsrcHEsTER HOME INvEsTlGA-
TON CONTINUED.
SEVERAL WITNESSES WHO WERE ACQo"iN ND
u,,r,, THE METHODS OF THE HOME TEs-
TIFY THAT CRUELTY WAS

WITH THE METHODS OF THE HOME led
rIFY THAT CRUELTY WAS
NOT PRACTIsED.
rho Investigation bv the Supreme Court into the
charges that inmates Of the Westminster lem
norarv Home for Destitute Children were trea'ea
with cruelty BY Superintendent Pierce was resumes
Yesterday morning In the Auditoriun, o. "
Plains Public interest In the investisa"o" o.
parently is widespread. The Auditorium was me-
with spectators long before the hour appo'"'ec w
tho hearing and many persons. not being ap'e "
find seats stood up in the back aisle all throuHn ~.
manning session Occasionally Judge Mills ana MI
Dy,eman the opposing lawyers engaged IN h'''
LOCAL spats which served to keep the spectators
interested. .
ON one occasion the legal sparring assumed sucn
warlke character that fears were entertainer ''''
the opposing counsel would come 10 D'ows'
Superintendent Pierce sat at the right OF Judse
Mills the counsel for the defence and was an az
.entive listener all through the day. once nc
laughed at some witty sally Of witness BACK VI
him sat thirteen Of the managers OF the insti'uo,'
These were Colonel A. B. Crane. David Cromwe"'
Charles Edison, Z. Wells. Mrs. X NJ HOE .n'''
Roswell Skeele, Mrs. Charles W. whitney MIS-
John Reid Miss f. O. Butler. Miss II. c. Brinker-
hon Miss b. j. Becker. Miss S. M. Nichols MIS-.
c. F. MacI.ean, Mrs J. s. Havin, giving the closest
attention until the last witness had left the stand
SORRY SHE TESTIFIED AGAINST HIM
Mrs Teresa Yerkes was the first witness ca'.ed
Yesterday morning. She had been one Oh the p'"'-
cipal witnesses for the prosecution ana was re-
called by the defence. She said that Mr. Perce had
been good to her and her sister Emma, ana she
was sorry She had testified against him as she had
George Burgess Frank Robbins and Albert jack
son were called in turn. but gave no important tes-
tlmony Robbins and Jackson denied that there hao
been an agreement between them by which NOD
bins was 10 be paid by the day and expenses iol
working for the prosecution. jackson adm't'ed
that he was devoting his entire time to the cause
Of the prosecution
Then came Miss Cassie Payne the most important
witness of the day for the defence. She IS schoo
teacher in Workers, and has held that position
since 1891 Her testimony was as follows:
II was a resident of the Home from August. 1875
70 JuIv 1894 as teacher taught in regular school
,hcre was also n kindergarten IN the school While
7 was there saw all the different departments IL
was ALI open was acquainted with Mr.. flerce.
He was there constantly. l had an a'erase Vi
eighty or ninety children between SIX anu siA.eci
wears of age punished children with cat
Here a legal tit took place between cou"'e' DO
% ubether the witness could express her opinion
II punishment necessary She was not ai''"e"
to give her opinions.
Il had rules that they must opey' sue vi
tnued MY punishments Usually were stanoips !"
corners and sending from the room resoI.eo "
cornoral punishment whenever l thought 1t was
to OBTAIN OUcuicHNc -" ~'''o
I hit the children on hands and legs struck d
smar, blow which made the flesh red ana raiseo'
These marks remained two hours. never over INTO
,he second day The egs were exposed anu
wh,pued as the hands but blood was drawn
HARD TO DISCIPLINE.
After another tilt between counsel as 70 WITNESS
being allowed to testify TO ner judgment ~ '',o
time Of these punishments. Miss Payne cohtihueu'
II never punished them In anger or passion. INC
children AS a class. were hara 10 os''p'.
Aside from my own punishment, saw MARKS
r,da bv The cat on their hands and the marks
remained about the same length OF time as those
from, the punishment | inflicted. never Sd"
more serious marks upon their hands ha'e p.'
haps been in the dormtories when some VI 'A0
children were undressed. never knew OF Oh VI
aches being used to wash out the chiorehs
,on,bs In regard to Mr. Pierce saw him pun
,sh ,ban, in different ways l reported chiidreh
for punishment 10 him when they refuseo u y.
punished by me. He first talked 10 H'e"' OH"
then punlshed them, sometimes on Tue hai'us ""
sometimes on the legs. Mr. Pierce never osp's'eu
amer never saw blood drawn or skin broken
80. ,hora T rever saw any Of the smaller chill
dr., whiuped | never the children arouhu
tho MACE shrink away from him saw al tne
managers about the place at d'fterent uHes VI, D.
uo. and Mrs Mclean were there most trequeh'iy
They were there any time OF gay, WIZ" q"
ui,bout Mr.. Pierce, never saw child crouched
tn Tho cross-examination the witness SAID:
,.since being in public schools have never seen
= .cat used am unable to state that any o'o
was punished prior TO the time came , nov
hoor 70 the home good many times, but only once
since this investigation began. nave pu"''"'0
about nfty children with the cat.
When asked reasons for punishment witness neS-
,,oa and mentioned only talking out loud as
offence. 80, -. or,,nusd
Il made perhaps a dozen rules, sne co"'""'
(which | repeated twice TO pupils As rue,
struck ten blows when punished a ch"u ~ VI.
close of school | did not see the chi'd AGAIN upu
morning did not examine chiareh ""e" Pun"
ished by Superintendent Pierce -. institution I
a ai,, MOI received my money from the managers
Mr. Pierce had M room P ,n ans'n FAMILY
left the home TO take another place anu ior "o
other reason ,,, pav,a.. testimony recess
The attendance in the afternoon was fully as large
Wil mia M r. Halock OF Bedford. He testified as
home k as Worker and around the barn ar
.ss Ey them sd up by the
the stalls never saw 1 any sSiy{dre ea toward NJ
pierce was as il they loved him; He called them er
bv name have seen him Join them IN ther p,ay;
say him whip one OF ,ne a pUsS hand after punish
ment No blood was drawn.
HAldOCK CROSS EXAMINED.
ON cross-examination he said: II was employed
fourteen months at the home nave pee" o"' n
ovo or six times When employed at the home
went into the house almost every day. was never
in the girls dormitory. MIR. Pierces wite Is
cousin Of nine. never put the boys in Inc ior
Mr. Pierce have the boys formed In me I
Tha Evans boy could have been punished anu
no, see IT, | was first Spoken to about oens
witness about four weeks ago oy MT rierce'
have never children chained .,s., n nor,
Grace Hildebrand. of Whitehall. testified IN part
follows , h..rd him say that
no was getting witnesses TO spite Mr.. Pierce ana
To- get ever with him Jackson mao sa.a unar N'
pierce had made him eat a pound OF crackers
ioiT him I was on Mr. Pierce's side and would
NOT believe what had been said until II was proSeu,