The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-17
FORMATION AND WORK
STATE. CHARITIES BOARD

house thirteen times since 1907 ae
has excellent physical health, can
care for horses and Ii y good driver.
He has frequently been given employ
ment, has earned an much AZ $50 per
month and board, but would soon oult
work or become 40 trinirn, az to make
II necessary 20 discharge him. IN isos
the auperintendent OF the Richmond
nirnahouse discharged him. ana ne APP
Piled at the Herrico county almshouse
for temporary shelter. statihS thss ne
had been working on a farm IN Cnes-
terrified county. He was admitted. put
when the authorities found that ne
was a resident OF Richmond ne was
dlscharred. Meanwhile he had de-
cided to marry Mary Best. an inmate
~ the Henrico institution and more
feeble minded than himself.
Mary Rest-Mother and father mar
r,ed at Clayton. In Henrico county
After marriage moved 10 limos,
whore me mother died. The father
returned TO virginia with his children,
one boy and two girls. all recipe
minded.
brother and her two idinttc children
wore found living in n one-room hut
with practically no furniture. their
manner Of living more like animals
than human beings The rather ms
daughter. and her two boys were COM
fnitted 70 the aimshouse
when York left the Henricn coun-
~ aimshouse Mary Fest went away
with him. The superintendent. be
flowing they intended 10 marry.
'phoned tho clerk Of tho court, In
corning him that they were feeble
minded and requesting him not TO
grant them a license. Upon investl-
gstion x was found that under the
= law the clerk had no authority 10 re-
m r-Yf1
lotvcd in a short time the couple
. returned 70 the almshousc in desti-
. tate circumstances and were ad-
= muted
, Soon in Need.
- About year ago they LEFT that In
- sIttutiou. York readily found en-
r.luymcut. hut soon demonstrated that
z ne had not sufficient will power 10
. remain steadily at work. He got a
r good deal Of money from charitably
I inclincd people. but could not resist
o the temptation to spend II foolishly
t. He was consequently soon In utter
4 need Then every agency Tor the re
e lief Of the poor in the city took this
Z family In hand. The Police court toof
q M the case on the charge OF vag
% rancy: the children were returned tt
@ the alnshouse. the man and woman
~ were discharged Finally Mr., ant
q Mrs York were found on the Capita
Y Square, hungry ragged, sick and ful
Il Of vermin. and were sent back to th'
q almshouse.
t. The almshouse Is not suitable
O place for feeble minded people. /
a cannot give the necessary tralnins
- and IL does not provide adequate care
=, It's inmates are allowed ot leave n
10 will. the feeble mil ded wander owe
Y the country: fall into divers tempta
iiens. and are exposed to many dan
d gers
q nre imhecles become mothers AIT
- many Of them have disease.
n There is not charity organization
\ nor an eleemosynary institution O
s. any sort in Virginia that is equal I
Y the task Of providing for the feeble
t. minded.
, The courts are not given authorit
q to make suitable provision for them.
N Had York and the woman bee
Ia given training In a properly equippe'
t. institution. with custodial care, the
Of would have been self-supporting
r The boys, Ivy training could be mad
n useful, hut situated as they are. the
H. VIII be a burden to the State all the
f. lives.
20 This ono family, II they live OF
r. their allotted time, will cost the stat
lc enough to purchase the land and cree
,c buildings for an institution for IN
l. feebie-mnded.
1t There should he law forbidden
r be,tYgng cf children by feeble minde
f. feeble minded men should be s'e1
e. ili2cd or given custodial care; n
g. haering OF children by feehle-minde
ne women should be prevented.
Virginia needs an institution for n
care training and segregation OF u
r feeble minded, and Virginia needs
O. marriage law requiring evidence
rs a normal mind before license Is !
81 sued.
in Employs Specialist.
in The board has saved enough out
es its meagre appropriation To empit
O. a epeciallst on mental tests with
At, view to ascertainng definitely Il
ID, number Of feeble minded persons
d. our reformataries and almshouse
T. Miss Edna Wright, the lady employe
went from Virginia in 1910 to stu'
4, in the New York school Of Phila
~ thropy and in the School for Feehl
ID minded Youth at Nineland, \. j. AIT
he her graduation In the school OF IN
\ anthropy, she taught for ono or "
80 sessions in the public schools
~ Lynchburg and began work with II
49,, board August /, 1913. Miss Wrig
- has Just completed testing the !
TO- mates of the Virginia Home and !
A. dustrial school for Girls and has -four
,,a that all these girls are mentally q
~ fective except six. and four of the
.[ are backward. Herein lies the CT,
"a Of the matter otuching the manag
,..1 rncnt OF this institution. None of I
1,. founders when the home was esta
~ nshed realized that they would ha
"a to deal largely with people who VIII
RI