New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-10
IN DEFENCE OF MIR. PIERCE.
THE WESTMINSTER HOME INvESTIGA-
TON CONTINUED.
TESTIMONY OF FORMER INMATES DENYING
STORIES OF CRUELTY TOLD BY WIT

STORIES OF CRUELTY TOLD BY WIT
NEssEs FOR THE PROSECUTION.
After an interval Of two weeks. the investigation
OF the affairs Of the Westchester Temporary
Home for Destitute Children was resumed yester-
day before ex-Judge Daniel w. Guernsey In the
Supreme Court rooms Of the White Plains Court
house. The large attendance showed that the resi-
dents OF White Plains deeply interested In the
managers side Of the case which Is now being
brought out The seats reserved for visitors In
the courtroom, both the floor and In the gallery.
were occupied for the most part by women, and
the evidence OF the witnesses closely followed.
Much Of the evidence which given at previous
sessions. which calculated to prove cruelty
the part Of the management, was contradlcted
by witnesses who inmates and attendants
In the institution for years.
The first witness called by the managers was
Mrs. Bradley, who Lizzie F. Pearse. in
mate OF the institution for ten years. She went
there as an inmate and later became an attendant.
The managers point to her as shining example
of what good may be done by an institution like
the Temporary Home. Her testimony was OF great
importance because 1t fatty contradcied some OF
the most damaging evidence that has been brought
out by the prosecution.
Early in the hearing it alleged that little
tot. Fanny Hill, had been whipped by Mrs. Bradley,
who then Lizzie Pearse. attendant at the
had been placed before her at the table. Not only
this but Miss Mcdonald. It was stated called
in and gave the child another whipping. and that
finally James W. Pierce. the superintendent. placed
the child on a chair and punished her with whip.
Mrs. Bradley pronounced the story absolutely
false.
Another story came out at the hearing for the
prosecution which was contradicted by Mrs. Brad
ieys testimony. 1t alleged by one. Magdelain
obU boI haap
to ca, bad food and that while Mr.. Pierce was en-
forcing this cruel punishment Miss Pearse was
present. Mrs. Bradley swore that she not only
had part in the transaction. but that she never
knew that such thing had happened.
CHILDREN WHIPPED ONLY on HANDS
The witness also testified that she had never
seen a child whipped except on the hands. and that
only the "runa way boys" were chained. On cross
examination the witness said that she had never
assisted In putting on or taking OFF o. the chains.
and that In the ten years which she spent at the
home she had not seen more than ten boys pun
ished by being chained. Mrs. Bradley gave her
testimony In a straightforward way and made
favorable impression those who heard her.
The next witness was also an eliminate Her
name was Martha Evans when she was at the
home She was an inmate six years and five months
and married In the institution. She Is now
Mrs. Francis. and gave her testimony with
little baby IN her arms. Her brother. John Evans.
has been paraded shining example OF the
cruel methods which were practsed at the Home.
They inmates OF the place at the same time.
but Mrs Francis never heard OF the alleged cruel
ties to her brother until the investigation began.
Thomas Owens was another badly treated boy,
according TO the evidence early In the case and or
him 1, was said that Martha Evans was present
when he was cruelty beaten and when one OF his
fingers was broken. Mrs. Francis also denied all
knowledge OF this case.
one Of the most sensational stories OF the trial
was the Walter Margery case. or him II was said
that he was horsewhipped By Mr.. Pierce In the
hail and then knocked down Aber, Jackson was
then ordered so the story to get salt from the
kitchen 20 put into the injured boys bath ana that
Martha Evans with full knowledge OF the purpose
for which It 10 b. used. gave Jackson the sal'
On the stand Mrs Francis said that she never
heard OF the whipping and never gave out the salt
The witness said that she had been punished re-
peatedy while an Inmate o: the Institution. but de-
MED that Mr. PIERCE had logged her under sheet
She was eleven years old when she vert TO the
home and was there eight days before Mr.. Pierce =
term BEGAN. and whipped with hair brush
By Mrs Judson before Mr.. Pierce's administration
began She described the punishments as being Kept
home from church. having her hair clipped and being
whipped on the hands with strap. Although she
bathed with the larger girls twice every week and
had ample opportunity see them In a nude con-
diiOn. she never saw any marks or violence on
their bodies and never saw any OF the girls whipped
except on the hands. She never saw chid put
under table so that II had 10 remain In a crouch
Ing position. She did remember seeing boys chained
and mentioned two cases These boys. she said.
played with the other boys. and appeared to have
suffered no pain because OF the chain. Their ankles
were protected BY chamois. a former witness had
test fed that Martha Evans had been whipped under
sheet and that her body was covered with marks
OF the heating. The witness pronounced me story
absolutely false. ana reiterated that she had never
been whipped m that way.
SHE WAS NEVER PUNISHED.
The next witness was Ada Bushs seventeen
years old. who was an inmate OF the institution
for one year and six months. She lef, there about
Ave years ago. She was never punished and never
saw child whipped She a helper In the nur-
sery but saw marks OF whipping on the chill
dren. She often Mr.. Pierce play ball with me
boys. but never knew them to shrink from him.
Florence Green OF Rye. " Y, was the next Wit
ness She said that she thirteen years old.
hut as she was two years old when she went 10
the institution and remained there eleven years ard
had been gone from there four years. the lawyers
became sceptical as 10 her age After the figures
were all siraghtened OUT was as hams s s@ con-
fessed to having been punished hve or SIX times IN
drew blood nor left a mark for more than few
Freierck Roos of Yonkers. an inmate seven
vears ago for six months He punished while
there but was excused for first offence He bathed
uitn the boys but never any marks on their
h1dIes He remembered seeing boys chained. but he
saw that their legs were protected win chamois
The next witness called was Daniel H. Smith who
is The manager OF a lumber and coal business at
u hie Plains. He testified that ne knew MT Pierce
IN timatey for ten years. and that he had been In
The institution more than hundred times. He
heen all the place visiting ana on other
navs and he had seen Mr. Pierce with the boys
st many times lie had noticed nothing bur afrec-
,ton on the part OF Pierce toward he boys. Iie
,nstlsad that he had accompanied Mr.. Pierce on
several occasions when he took the boys on ex-
i,i,de for the inmates OF the home at the time OF
The fire Sir Smith told about beng present when