The herald., 1896-03-06

A HERALD reporter last evening called
on Mrs. d. C. Stephens, the president OF
the board of managers, at her residence al
the corner of Sixth and Olive streets, tu
| ascertain what she had to say in reference
to the charges. Mrs. Stephens, it should
be stated, has been identified with the
| home ever since it was established, and
| has always taken deep personal interest
in its welfare. Mrs. Stephens was some-
what fatigued from her labors at the board
consented to submit to an interview.
Mrs. Stephens said that when the rule
forbidding any parent to teach in the sun
day school was put into effect, Dunn had
indirectly threatened to make trouble, say
ing that il the rule was enforced there
| would be an investigation which would
bring out matters rejecting on the man.
please the managers better than to have an
investigation, and thers the matter
dropped, nothing more being heard of it
until the publication in The HERALD yes
terday morning. The reason, Mrs. Steph-
ems said, why this rule was made was be-
cause the visiting of parents on Sun lay SO.
riously interfered with the systematic
working of the home, and for this reason it
had been thought best to exclude visitors.
She said, however, that the parents of chill.
dren in the home who lived outside of the
city were admitted at any time.
When asked about the punishment of
children, Mrs. Stephens said that she did
not believe that the whippings admins
tered were any worse than those inflicted
by parents upon their own children. She
said it was the rule of the institution that
ouly the superintendent should administer
punishment, and that anyone marking a
child should be instantly discharged.
In the case of Pearl Grant, Mrs. Steph-
ems admitted that the girl had been
u,hippad bv 0ua pf tho hnva nv the Ordar of
the acting superintendent. but she said
that the person responsible for this had
been promptly discharged. The circum-
stances of this case were out of the ordin-
ary. 1t was about Christmas time, and
the boys had been missing candy from
their stock. They set a trap and caught
the girl The superintendent then took
her into the room where the boys were, and
told them that she had found the person
who had been taking the candy, and one of
the boys had been ordered to punish her.
This he did by whipping her with strap
on her legs below her dress. The case was
reported TO the managers, and the respon-
sible person. who had never been ap.
pointed superintendent, was eummarily
dismissed.
Since the publication of the charges,
Mrs Stephens said that she had made in
quiries among the boys. and that she had
ascertained that two of them claimed to
nave Deel tlldTkcu ny whipping. l. Ills lttu
not been verified, however. She said that
the boys were caught peeping in the GIRLS
dormitory watching them disrobe, and that
they had been struck several times over
the shoulders with small strap.
AS to the charge that children had been
punished by forcing them to drink red
pepper and waiter, Mrs. Stephens said
that she had never heard of this until after
the publication in The HERALD She had,
however, made a partial investigation, but
had been unable to positively verify the
story. One of the attendants had told her
that perhaps q former matron had resorted
to this method of punishment to try and
break children of vicious habits, but she
could not state positively that such WAS
The case.
Mrs. Stephens told the reporter that she
would gladly furnish all facilities for in
vestigating the workings of the home, and
that access could be had to it at all times.
Nrom Mrs. Stephens own statement it
will ne seen that even she, who has given
SO much of her time to the home, has
learned something from the publication OF
Dunn's charges. 1t is true that the offend.
ing attendant in the case of Pearl Grant
was promptly dismissed, as were doubtless
others. and while the present management
may be all right the public investigation
asked for can do no harm, but may result
in much good.
THE HERALD is in possession of the
names of a number of parents and child
rem whom it is claimed can give important
information.