The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-13
CHILDREN.
OF SHAME.
New York, Whose Papers Con-
tfnually Abuse the West,
Continues to Dump the Refuse
of Founding Asylums
ON WESTERN PEOPLE.
Licentious New Workers Get
Rid of the Results
Of Their immortality at Elk.
pense of the West.

Chicago, July 13.-Forty-one children
from the New York founding asylum
came west yesterday to grow up with
the country
Their guardians thought South Bend,
Ind, would be a good place for half
dozen of them TO take root and flourish,
SO six Were dropped off there as the
train passed through the town. At
o'clock the remaining 35 children, in
their special car, arrived at the Van
Buren, street station. The car door was
opened, and Robert Curran the agent
OF the New York asylum, looked out to
see If the coast were clear. The little
boys and girls, barely big enough to be
dressed in knickerbockers and short
dresses, began pouring out on the plat
form.
The children ranged in age from
years and months to 4 years.
Two OF the children were for Chicago
famllies- All the rest were taken to the
northwestern depot and started for
their future homes in Michigan Ten
are going to Red Jacket, five to Han
cock, six to Marquette, three to Esca-
Nauganee.
The party of youngsters which arriv-
ed in Chicago yesterday for distribution
IN this city and the west is the fourth
which has been sent here this year by
the New York founding and orphan
asylum.
For long time this continuous i'm
portat1on of foundlings from New York
mas been like red rag before quick
tempered bull to several Chicago char
1ty societies, which interest themselves
IN hndlnS homes for orphans. They &C
cuse the promoters of the scheme of
making Chicago a dumping ground for
New YOrks waits. The agents of these
societies assert that nearly all of the
children brought west from New York
are located right here in Chica go. This
they say, is an outrage, because Chica-
go has it's hands full in providing for
its own deserted little ones.
A few days ago in a suit over the Gus
tody of a child before Judge Garter the
accusation was made that Mr. Curran
brings the children from New York and
sells them to people, irrespective of re-
sponsibiiity and reference. Judge Car
ter directed that inquiry be made into
the matter and the truthfulneSS of the
allegations aScertained.
Officer P. D. McWeeny of the Vista
ton and Aid society, who testified be-
fore Judge Carter, said yesterday:
I think Curran locates about 200 or
800 children a year in Chicago. 1t is an
evil that we should get rid of ia some
way. We have all we can do to take
care of our own dependent children in
Chicago, and the idea of our taking
New York'S supply is ridiculous Curran
makes no inquiries or Investigations re-
garding the charity or the people to
whom he turns over these children.
There seems to be no way of stopping
the practice legally. We probably
could not convict him of importing pau
perS, as he claims that arrangements
have been made for the care of every
child before it is sent from New York.
At the present day it is rather dis
tasteful to think of tall, thin women
with umbrellas walking around among
a car load of children, poking the little
boys and girls in the ribs and saying:
How much is this One?" and What
will you take for that one?"
That is what Officer Dean of the Ill
inOis Humane society, says he saw:
Il went to the depot once when one of
these car loads of children arrived, to
see what was going on he said. Il
cannot swear that 1 saw any sales con-
Summat ted, but I did plainly hear chill
dren priced. We have no room in Chi
cago for our own homeless children"