The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-10
VIEW JERSEY ALMsHousE SCANDAL
immortality In Several County Institutions
Many Illeeitimnte Births.

many thskhtuthtB
ELIZABETH. N. j.. Nov. GA report has been
made to Gov voorhees, by the State Board Of
Children's Guardians which charges that
shocking immortality Is permitted to exist In
several OF the county almshouses OF New
Jersey. Tho information which II contains
will be submitted to the Legislature. and it 10
hoped that rem edial legislation will DO passed
this winter. Mrs. Emily +. Williamson Of this
city, chairman OF the Executive Com mittee OF
the Board. prepared the report The parts
which relate to depravity in certain almshouscs
: ollow:
Burlington County.
"Pembsrton Almshouse-Sexes not sepa-
rated Records show startling facts In regard
to Legitimate births Records imperfect:
books kept away from almshouse.
salem County Aimshouse. Salem Number
OF children In almshouss May l, 3; Protestant
3: number remaining In amshouse Oct. l. /;
. babies Two OF these children are In the
almshouss with their mother. who Ia hired by
the County Committee. Both children were
born in the almshouse. Are illsgitimate. one
black and one white
Sussex County. Branchvills Almshouse-
Number OF children In almshouse May l, 10:
baby placed with mother by 8. b. G. g.. l: in
dentured, .; number remaining In amshouso
Oct 1. IL: feeble minded, .: under three
years. o.
Sexes not separated. Records show start
ling facts in regard to illegitlmato births. One
mother. II years OF age. with Legitimate
child feeble minded mother ~ years. with
three Legitimate children. one colored. all
born In almshouse; mother. ~. has lived In
almshouse since she was IA years old has
three illegitimate children born In aims
house"
The warden OF the almshouse at Penn berton.
Burlington county. 10 a man whom the Free
holders. according to the rerort, have for some
time been trying to remove. The conditions
existing in this place are described as so
arn%al r. .H sGisS Is sS.Gsd SrSaacsss
put were reserved ~ Mrs Willsmso1
,ST the n. s sEssns In T sSs mhu a.
the SUSSEX county almshouss, the seIss are
permitted to minels freely and occupy sleep:
the the m miaf rom So.. the fSos
SsR Il . Ssns. cS ,hs srSsna tsas
veteran o. the Civil War.
Mrs HiIi,%.Gn IL men'ns on the re-
''G'whls ines. irish.tal condition. Ok,
lot ~ Burlinston, Sussex and salem
f IL many Of tn. coSntl.s tie aims.
houses, al: kept IN splsndld eondItIo9. TT.
HUDSON County slmshouss is about as near
perfect as 1t can be. The only trouble with the
Hudson County almshouss 10 that II Is over
crowded. There 10 absolutely none OF the
i'm morality such as We have found elsewhere.
Essex county is also in splendid condition.
The conditions in Burlington and Sussex
couaties. however. are indescTibabe. The facts
are almost 100 tIighIul to tell"
The Board reports that In the Hudson County
Almshouse there were 10 children. the
parents of 1905 OF these children were found b.
be able to provide for them and the Board forced
the parents to take them away. Tho report
commends the m management OF tho a mshous-s
in Bergen. Passaic aud Union counties. When
the board was Instituted there were 400
children in almshouses In the state. Since
May the parents OF ltG have been forced
TO take and care for them and the
homes for seventy-ive. The report says II
has beea demonstrated that boarding homes At
81. 30 week can be obtained for the children.
as MIS-. Williamson asserted to- the Legislature
last year. 1t has also been shown that after n
child Ia placed in n boarding home adoption
often follows Catholic children are placed In
Catholic homes and Protsstants In Protestant
homes.