The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-11-13
ORPHANS ILL-TREATED
Beaten and Poorly Fed at the
Normal, Ills, Home.
OLD SOLDIERS ARE INDIGNANT.
Superintendent Magner Says the Stories
Are Much Exaggerated and That the q.
A. *. Investigating Committee Was
Prejudiced i'm Advance-Little Boy Tells
of fsemi-Starvation and Brutal Treatment
Experience of a Father at the Home.

y Bloomington, Ills, Nov. 13.-As the
shocking treatment and unprecedented
mismanagement of the Soldiers or"
phans' home of Normal becomes noised
over the state. the sequel to the notori-
ETY. becomes manifest. Guardians and
parents who have intrusted little ones
to the tender mercies of the home man
ayers have in many instances during
present week demanded their return.
Some have applied in person and in
all, II is reported, thirty children have
been sent back to those who gave them
in charge of the state institution. The
applications for the return of the in
mates have been most embarrassing to
Superintendent Magner and the trus-
tees and they hesitate to allow the
children to leave.
Say Charges Were Exaggerated.
They say that the charges of mis-
management were all exaggerated, that
the G.. A. r. committee, which conduct
ed the recent examination, was preju-
diced in advance and that if the chill
dren are left at the home they will
guarantee that there will be no further
|
est that some of the parents are con-
vinced. Others are not so easily salts
fed, and have demanded their children.
E. d. Schoffstoll, a resident Of Casey,
Clark county, had five children in the
home. They were all boys, ranging in
ages from 12 to g The father said that
| he was a widower, veteran OF the late
war. and was hardly able financially to
ra-
auired He accordingly placed them in
| the home, and would have kept them
there but for the stories of mismanage-
ment.
Got Them Under Threats.
To a correspondent the father made
the following statement
IT was told when / went to the home
| that / could not have my children, but
replied that they would either give
them up or there would be blood shec
right there had the Grand Army oi
the Republic behind me, and / pro
| posed to have my children out of the
institution. These boys Of mine all say
that they have been pounded anC
starved in a manner to bring the blush
of shame to the men in charge OF tb'
home. Superintendent Magner told M
\ tndl TIE ctllultil were OHly diOWOh u
go home once year, but when replie'
that thy were going with me, and tina
there was no power on earth to .preven
I them, he gave in, and j finally hat
J them turned over to me-"
The oldest boy. bright, irtelligen
lad, confirmed the stories of abuse AM
J ill-treatment of the children. He said
Not Enough to Eat
! I'VE do not like to stay at the home
! They do not give us enough to eat
| They have only been giving US littl
old piece of hard bread and milk. Their
is not a boy at the home that has ha
enough to eat since he has been there.
This statement will excite sympath
| from those who know how much
hearty boy of 10 can eat. When aske
If he had been misused, the lad said
"I have seen the officers take boys b
the ears and kick them a great man
times. / have been whipped and cuffe
also"
There are but few Of the children bu
have been punished severely. The boy
were unanimous in their statements, an
! all were glad that they were goin
] home