The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-12-02

WITH former experiences before them
one would think the New Jersey State
Charities Aid Association would have
hesitated about making such sweeping
charges against Burlington county insti-
buttons 1t will be remembered that three
or four years ago this association made &C.
cusations against our almshouse, and
when an investigation was made the as
ISOLATION did not appear in the best light.
Perhaps chagrin or a desire for revenge
on their inability to show anything wrong
in this neighborhood prompted return
to the attack. At any rate if the pub
lished accounts of the report just pre-
sented to the Governor are correct, Bur
lington county is again shown up as
bad place. This attack is not alone on
our county, however, but several other
localities are put under the LASH The
latter have nearly all replied, and claim
that the association has greatly exagge-
rated matters, and with acquaintance of
former occurrences, we are of the same
opinion, only we think exaggeration is
too mild term. The report is said to
contain the following:
CAS- a school for crime these county
jails are great success, but as place
for punishment they are absolute fail
ures. The Burlington Jail is an unfit
place to keep even the hardened criminal
With no opportunity to classify and even
without separate cells men are huddled
in the building, the floors for most part
being covered with mattresses. During
the last year abuses uncomfortable have
been charged against the superintendent
of the Burlington Hospital for the In
sane. This association has not been able
to visit the institution. Numerous letters
have been written to the superintendent
without eliciting any reply whatsoever.
What this means we shall find out short
ly. But it is worth while here to reite-
rate the responsibility of the state for the
verification or disproof of the reports
against this hospital.
First we will take up the charge against
the Jail. How does this association know
anything about the matter? The author
tiles say that only once in the past three
visited the institution. On that day
Sheriff Fenton was not at home and turn
key Fleetwood told the man he preferred
to have him go through the Jail when the
chief official was at home. The agent
went away and that was the last heard of
him until the report was rendered. Now
about the asylum. The terms 'unmen-
tionable abuses" are very harsh, and we
frankly say we do not believe they can be
substantiated. The committee in charge
of the institution are gentlemen who
would not tolerate anything of the kind,
and they have not heard of any abuses
whatever, ''mentionable" or ''unmention-
able Where did the association get its
information2 The officers say they have
been unable to visit the place, yet with
out personal knowledge they allow to go
forth to all quarters of the state report
that under ordinary circumstances might
do harm, but the people of the state are
so thoroughly acquainted with the
methods of this association that we be
Iieve little credence will be given the re-
port. The fact that the superintendent
has not answered several letters written
him also had some effect in the framing
the report, possibly. Mr.. Deacon says
there was nothing on which to base an
answer. He held, and so will every other
citizen, that if there was anything calling
for an investigation it was the duty OF the