The evening times., 1899-08-19
BOYS DucKED AND CHAINED.
Alleged CEueIties Pstdasiccd Upon In
mateH of a County Home


mates of County Home.
Hartford, Conn.,. Aug. 19.-Investigation
of reports of cruelties at the County Tenn
porary Home at Warehouse Point. opened
yesterday at the institution. County Com
missioners Dewey, Potter, and Hathaway;
Miss Mary Hall, of the State Board of
Charities, and DR.. E. X. Root, of the State
Board OF Health, composing the board OF
management of the home, were present.
The investigation was desired by Superin-
tendent Henry NJ Adams, of the home, in
consequence of rumors circulated in the
vicinity. j. Warren Johnson, OF Enfield.
appeared for those who are pressing the
charges. Former Judge Briscoe, of
Thompsonville, represented Superintend-
ent Adams.
DR.. George E. Porter, of Warehouse
Point, fer two years physician at the
home testified that he was called to attend
Willie Dolan, a boy who recently died He
was not called, he said, until the boy was
unconscious and nearly dead. Superin-
tendent Adams, the doctor said, could not
give the necessary information for the
death certificate and would not consent to
a post-mortem examination.
1t was the custom, DIR. Porter declared
to keep children who were i'll In the big
dormitory with the others. He had heard
complaints about the management OF The
institution from matron, Mrs. Luce, al
so from employees.
DR.. Porter said there was always an OBJ
lection to changing the fare of children who
were i'll, and he quoted instances in support
or this assertion. He said also that il was
dimcult TO obtain more food for children
when their portions were exhausted In
support of his contention that Superintend-
ent Adams was not proper person TO care
for children and that his discipline was TOO
severe. DR.. Porter told OF the ducking of a
boy three years old and Of like treatment OF
other children as described to him by Rich
ard McTighe, Richard Godbey, and others
employed al the home. Similar information
he said, had been given to him by Repre-
sentative Granger, Of Broad Brook; Repre-
snetative Frederick Barnes, Charles Parson
and John SteitZ, of Warehouse Point In
fact, DR.. Porter said, he might name the
whole town of Warehouse Point as the
source Of his information.
DR.. Root enquired whether DR.. Porter had
any personal knowledge of cruelty in the
institution. He replied that he had not nor
did he know OF any instance when his ord
ers were disobeyed.
Richard McTighe an employe at the
home, testified that in May Superintendent
Adams took Ellen Morrill,, five years old.
and drew her head against the back door
stone. and later in the day ducked a boys
head in a pail of water. On another occa-
sion he rubbed boys head in wheel
barrow filled with rubbish and hard un-
sffted ashes. He also choked children
among them being Grace Hills and Michael
Garland.
Arthur Johnson was punished, McTighe
said. by being deprived of his dinner. To
satisfy his hunger the boy ate stuff from
the swill pail Six or eight other children
playing beyond their boundaries were
caught by Superintendent Adams McTighe
testified. and thrown TO the ground. AS
fast as they arose they were thrown down
again The children cried and apparently
were hurt. Breakfast for the children, Nc
Tighe said, consisted or oatmeal or rice,
with moIasses or milk All the milk for
the ninety children comes from four COWS.
Dinner he described as good For supper
the children have crackers and milk, a cup
OF cocoa, and a cookie.
He said the case of Josephine Stahlinger
should be investigated. She was thirteen
years old when she left home. and is now
in a minister's family in Bloomfield. He
had heard Miss Edwards and Miss McIn-
tyre, employees of the home, and Mrs.
Stone, who is now absent. talking of Su-
perintendent Adams having measured the
girl and he heard Josephine tell her sister
Emma and matron, Mrs. Alice Taylor, of
the occurrence. He testified that he had
seen children tied with dog chain. Rich
ard Godbey gave testimony similar 20 that
of McTighe.
Mrs Alice Taylor, matron, thought the
children had enough to eat. She had seen
them tied with strings, and more than Cnce
had seen Superintendent Adams put boys
heads in ashes. From the latter punish
ment, Mrs. Taylor said. their lips or noses
"bled just a little
The hearing will be resumed next Thurs
day. when Josephine Stahlinger will be
asked about the reported measurements
taken by Superintendent Adams.