The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1910-02-26


inmate, put on bread and water twice,
for three days at a time; the last time
Hyland was put on bread and water
near as could find out Hyland was
work. Mrs. LaFleur told me that Aug
ust Menge gave her such orders.
was also put on bread and water be-
cause was unable to wash dishes. !
was often forced to work when was
not able, under threats that would
have to get out. LaFleur stated that
he had orders from the three superin-
tendents of the poor to kick anyone out
who would not work. Ed Hyland was
locked out of his room for three weeks
during the day time until three days
before he died. On the evening of June
18th. 1909. counted thirty-five full
grown ducks as they went into their
house, and ! did not count them all, as
they were in bunch, but will say that
there were forty at least. The next
morning they were gone; ] could never
find out what became Of them. Mr..
Menge knew they had been there. l
never heard him inquire what had be-
came of them. noticed the chickens
were disappearing but the inmates
never got any. ! got eggs once during
my stay at the Poor House, that wal
Washington's birthday, February %,
1909. On this day and date Mr.. August
Menge gave banquet at the Town
Hall in the Village of L'Anse, the cook
ing for this feast was done at the Poor
house and hauled down with the team
by LaFleur and his wife. Menge was
at the Poor farm about one week before
this feast and ordered the cooking done.
Last summer there were three inmates
and at that time Mrs. LaFleur had
Louis Roe doing the cooking and draw
ing his pay from the county. / fur
thermore state that the management
at the Poor farm is unfit to have con-
troll over American citizens or human
beings. August Menge was the main
power and gave all the orders to La
Fleur; the other two superintendent Of
the poor never gave orders regarding
the treatment of inmates or the man.
agement of the Poor farm, to my
knowledge. ! am an old teamster and
understand horses. The old team did
the work in good shape, they were
never sick and were as good team as
ever looked through collar"
Supt. of Poor John Markle states as
follows: ''The management of Poor
Farm and its inmates was left entirely
to August Menge, as he was located
closer to the Poor Farm, it was deemed
best for him to have the supervision.
heard complaints that the ducks had
disappeared, but thought it only rum
or. / knew there were a number of
full grown white ducks at the Poor
Farm in the early part of the summer
of 1909; don't know what became of
them. ! was appointed committee of
one to purchase the new team, which /
did from Saxby of Hancock, Mich.
Several days before the meeting of
Oct. 26 1909 was called, Mr.. August
Menge called me up on the telephone
and stated that Mr.. Erick Stenson had
"a team which he wanted to purchase
for the Poor Farm. He said this team
had been worked in the woods and was
not very young. He also stated that
one of the horses at the Poor Farm was
played out. l advised that if team
was needed at the Poor Farm favored
the purchase of young team. In
purchasing the new team, / did just as
was instructed by resolution made at
the meeting of Oct. Goth 1909. The
price of the new team was $500. 90, the
said resolution was made by Menge and
Stenson and supposed everything was
alright and that the new team was
necessary. julius LaFleur was present
at the said meeting and spoke in favor
of buying new team. No one present
at the meeting spoke to me about the
Poor farm being short in hay and oats
orl 4 mos mt ouyoro Of tho tpxra fot
of affairs. / trusted to Mr.. Menge's
and never questioned what he said OF
did,"
Superintendent of Poor Erick Stensor
was communicated with by mail and he
made the following answers to ques-
tions put to him: That the records Of
the meeting Of Oct. 18th, 1909. would
show what other business had beer
transacted except the purchase of the
team. That he did not know the fl
nancial condition of the county and fol-
his part he did not care. That he KEEP
within the sum of the poor fund, ant
that it is not his business to ask thu
Board of Supervisors the financial con-
dition. From this statement the com
mittee can reach but one conclusion, anC
that is that Mr.. Stenson is incompetent
to handle the Office of Superintendent
of the Poor. In the first place there
was no fixed sum Of money voted TO
the Poor fund which the superintend
ents Of the poor have right to squan
der as they saw fit in any one year II
the second place the superintendent o
the Poor are under the control of tn
Board of Supervisors, and it is thei
duty to inquire regarding the county'f
/! financial condition before they expant
any large amount Of money for an un
necessary purpose. Mr.. Stenson state
that he knew the farming,for the seasol
of 1909 was finished when he favore'
the buying of the new team. That the.
did not expect to keep the old team owe
winter. That the Manager told the boar
more than once that the old team wa
running down fast, and were eating b
much. That he does not believ
the manager of the Poor farn
ever said to the committee that he ha
no earthly use for the new team at tn
time they arrived at the Poor farm
That he well knew at the meeting he'll
on Oct. 26th 1909 what the Poor farr
had produced for the season. That tn
question whether the purchasing Of tn
new team by at least q majority Of tn
Supts. of the Poor was or was not
\ pre-concocted scheme to use up tn