The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-10-15
PICPEN PUNISHMENT.
The Charges Against De Pegs
ter Asylum Will Be Probed.
THE AUTHORITIES OF TIVOLI TO ACT.
Fresh Stories of Cruel Treatment OF the
Girls, One of Whom, 1t Is Alleged,
Was Locked Up Nude In
Cold Room.

TIVOLI, n. Y, Oct. ia formal in
vestigation of the charges made against
the management of the De Peyster
Home for orphan Girls will be made by
the town authorities of Tivoli The
local authorities of the village have
presented the matter to the district at
torney of the county, and as soon as
the facts are all collected a rigid ex-
animation will be made. No action,
however, will be taken until after the
meeting of the New York auxiliary of
the Womans Home Missionary Society
of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
which meets in Poughkeepsie next
Thursday. This association has con-
troll of the home, and until the MEM
bers have an opportunity to act the
Tivoli officials do not wish to make any
move.
The practice of placing children in a
pigpen and OBTAINING them there for
hours at a time on slender rations is
disapproved by the village people. 1t Is
also charged that there are other things
In the management which need official
investigation. Mothers of little ones
there have from time to time complain
ed of the way their children We're treat
ed. The home is also Objectionable to
the town people because it attracts an
undesirable class to the quiet little
place.
I'VE propose investigating this mat
ter fully" said former Chief of Police
Molloy, one of the prominent citizens
of Tivoli, "and will see If there is any
foundation for the charges against the
management. 1t is a disgrace to the
village, and we want to get at the facts
in the case To do this an official inves-
tigation is necessary.
81 am surprised at the statement OF
Rev. Mr.. Griffin that he has been aware
of these charges for some time 1t
seems to me that, being the spiritual
adviser of the inmates, he should have
Immediately demanded an investiga-
tion.
Il wish also to say that I believe a
stricter surveillance over this home is
demanded in the interest of all con-
cerned. Old General de Peyster who
established sGhe home, is unable to give
its management any attention, and as
a result everything is trusted to Mr..
and Mrs. George. I consider this very
lax and liable to result in abuses of the
6llN0Sh hlHu' 1GOISG
has great many enemies in Tivoli."
"Of course" said the Rev. Mr.. Griffin.
yesterday, there has been lack of judg-
ment in disciplining the children at the
home, but 1 dc not wish to make a
stronger characterization cannot ap-
prove of placing children in pigpen."
superintendent George said: II court
an investigation of our methods. If the
ladies who control the home are dlssat-
isfied with our work. we are prepared to
step out"
Other stories of the methods of pun
ishment in vogue in the institution have
been told. One was that a girl. guilty
only of the offense that led to the pig
pen episode. had been stripped naked
and confined in an unfurnished room
until she nearly froze. Another was
that on one of the hottest days last
summer a little Italian girl had been
put out of a wagon for trifing offense
and compelled to find her way back to
the institution, a distance of two miles,
as best she could. The child lost her
way and was found half frantic with
fright by the driver of p. r. Peetor's
delivery wagon.
Mr.. George denied that any of the
children had been confined in a room in
a nude condition. He admitted how
ever, that one of the children had been
left to walk home and had lost her way.