New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-26
PROBING THE CHARGES.
MR.. PIERcEs SIDE OF THE CASE
BROPGHT OUT AT THE HEARING.
MANY OF THE YOUNG INMATES OF THE WEST
CHESTER HOME TESTIFY FANoRAhhi ~
THE suPERINTENDENT-To BE
CONTINUED TO-DAY

THE SUPERINTENDENT BE
CONTINUED TO-DAY
The investigation into the charges against sape'-
,r,araort p.erce of the Westminster Temporary
Home for Destitute Children. was resumed SeS'v
dav morning at White Plains Most OF '''e W.
nesses called for the defence testlhea 'ha' mo 49,,
cused Superntendents relations Win inc
under his charge were OF the h'os' 49,
cordial character, and that former inmates y, ne
1Ioma freo,antly returned for visit on Suhu"ss
holidays. 80, p.rca often
foined the children In their pay whie ONE -,
~,aro5 ,ba, hc was careful OF their comfort IN al
particulars Still. another witness a 'eachoi =" ~
Home. testified that Mr.. PIERCE never pun's"o'
ohud for a first infracton OF the rules oil 'he III
stltuton. and that ne always tried mia io'"s "
punishment before resorting 70 corpora 0'a'
ment .ns,.o,,e Of
Whit. PAINS manifested much interest III '''o .-
and the courtroom was overhowins WIN auu' =,
-, ho,h tho morning and the afternoon sessions Oh
the hearing. 10 tho d.fence
Judge Mills conducted the case FOR the ueie"ee,
assisted by Mr. Emmett, while Harry DyNina any.
II G. Henderson did the cross-examning oup.i-
,nt.ndent Pierce occupied his usual seat a". ."e
1rrv eeats were filed with the members Oh the
1aoard of Lady Managers. Among them were ''s'
Nichols Mrs Elizabeth Hoe Mrs. Z. r. Ni"'
Mrs Roswell Skeel. Mrs G. W. Wh.ney' 80
Hayil
Becker and Miss Butter. Colonei A. D. Ni""' "
Charles Eddeson were also present.
70 AR1E TO TAKE CARE OF HIS FAMILY.
An Interesting episode not strictly affecting the
.o.. IN hand occurred at the afternoon session
Mr. Dvkman was cross-examning George W. hooN
wood who had at one time three chhu'e" a. Wv
westchester Home whose board ne was 'o' p"'o
"a tina LAWYERS questions the witness A's"e'.'
.S.h som. shirt that ne was entirely aoie 10 tame
al heen
49,, 1, This was tust what Mr. Dykman
-,on.ed and he proceeded TO upbraid the "l'''ese
Tor allowing his children TO become puoic o"a, 90
when he was abundantly able 10 care ioi NJ"
himself To this Mr.. Lockwood rephed 'ha' ."s
Rvs we're bad boys and that they were preVeh.eu
. n,ro IN tho streets when they were at the
Nv. He failed to give any satisfactory reason
for not paying their board
A boy named Joseph Van Dorm was 'ne III WI.
ness called by Judge Mills. after Referee "uei"','
had taken his seat Joseph said ne hao Deeh d. 'No
Home for more than two years. beginning IN June.
.so, - ho rerar saw Mr. Pierce unknd 70 any OF
tho children Mr. Pierce never punished them LOT "
first offence against the rules and sometimes i'' o
a second On Saturday. which was the JUG ".''
day OF the week. he had often seen 'he 'up'
- 4eydent excuse large number or boys VINO 'i"u De
gu,Itv OF wrongdong. He himself had peen pun
sshsd hut only when he had deserved It, Mr.. Pierce
ne added allowed certain privileges 10 inc Dogs
when their department had been good during WV
week number Of them were once allowed 10 so "
the Food Show at Madison Square Garden where 'he
Home had an exhibit He had never. ne sa'd' seen
more than two boys chained together Inc tes"-
rnonv 81 another inmate of the Home. George
Nickel was substantially the same as that OF 'he
FIRST witness He, too. had been punished by MT
Pierce but not until he had been excused four or hve
times for repetitions of the same offence he SAID
that Mr. Pierce kind to all the children IN many
ways On Christmas they always had Christmas
tree and Jolly time, many Of the former inmates
coming back to Join in the celebration Every chiid
got two or three presents on these occasions.
TREATED KINDLY WHEN SICK.
Once ne was III with pneumonia for two months.
so I'll that his parents sent for and during this
time everything was done for his comfort. and two
doctors were in attendance upon him Former In
mates Of the Home he continued seemed glad to re-
for visit. and Mr.. Pierce received them cord
tally Five or six of them come back every Sunday,
he added.
Frank Wanstahl. q carpenter. said that no had
worked at the home for nearly two hundred days.
scattered through period Of three years. He had
noticed that the children seemed to love Mr. Pierce,
the smaller ones often running UP to him and asking
TO kiss him. He had often ten or twelve Of the
boys bathing in the pond. but he never had seen
upon their bodies any marks such as would be
caused by beating. He had seen boys In chains.
but their ankles were always protected by leather
pads. He never saw any girl who had her nan
attended Sundav-schooI he never saw MIR Pierce
strike child with a hymn book.
A BOY THREATENED SHOULD HE TESTIFY.
The witness said. when questioned further. that
he had heard Albert Jackson whose cries are among
the loudest that have been heard against Mr. Pierce
say to Emerson lockwood: Say. boy. II you go
onto the stand I'll call you down for fair" The
latter had expressed the opinion that the charges
against the Superintendent could not be true, be-
cause Of the character Of the man as he had known
him.
Samuel Van Dorm the father of Joseph Van Dorm.
corroborated his sons testimony as TO Mr.. Pierce
kindness during the boys illness and as to the
friendly relations between the Superintendent and
the children. A., cr
Brown, a coored woman who had served as laun-
dress at the Home ever s1ce WAS nIUeI 10
that boys had been whipped in bed that she had
ing She said that the ankles of the boys that wore
chains were always protected She also declared
that the children all seemed to love Mr. Pierce and
that he was kind 10 them. on one occasion. when
the boys making "a drefful racket" she com
stop their play or TO make them go out of doors,
because the weather was Jus little sour"
NEVER SAW EXHIBITIONS OF CRUELTY.
Here the referee ordered recess until o'clock
in the afternoon. At that hour f. c. Onderdonk
took the stand His farm adjons the property OF
the Home. and he sells milk to the Superintendent.
He asserted that he had been at the Home nearly
d, every day since 1t was established at White Plains.
and during that time he had never seen any cruelty
ment Of the children: that ne had often seen him
sliding down hin with them. and that they seemed
to enjoy his company y-n.. .-. .....-....-,
Mrs. Annie Hopper. who worked at the Home five
years dressmaker never saw Mr.. Pierce beat
child She saw him touch sleeping boy with a
hymn book to wake him up That was the nearest
Mr. Pierce came to throwing 1t at a child, 50
far as she had seen.
Miss Sarah A. Hackett. who has been a teacher at
the Home for than year gave some details
as to the methods OF punishment adopted She said
that only had she ever whipped child. Mr..
Pierce never whipped child on the first offenss,
she said. and he always heard the cuprts excuse
before passing judgment. She had never seen the
marks OF punishment any Of the children. She
never saw marks on the childrens bodies although
she had often undressed them.
At this poilt came a piese Of evidence that con
prosecution The witness declared that Emma See