Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-06
MATTHEWS'H0ME
DOES GOOD WORK
State Charities Board Investi-
gates Place Managed by
Onarga Fanatic"
STATE AID Is PROPOSED
Owner OF Place and His Wife Devoting
Lives to Rearing Children
Of Criminals.

| ArCnle -. 6OWou, 04SCudNo sOSiC
tary OF the state charities commission,
has written report of singular condi-
tons found in the Matthew'S Home
at Onarga. This report made to the
proper organization, has been printed
IN the state institute quarterly end
tells the story in a dramatic and in
| teresting way.
The story as told by Mr.. Bowen in
his article reads like the widest and
strangest of fiction. It seems impos-
sible that in the little town Of Onarga
in Iroquois county, that there should
be an institution designed and carried
out in the way that it is and that 1t
should have been kept for 80 years n
almost such a State of privacy that
the curious were defeated.
Mr.. Bowen talks freely of the Mat
thew's home as it is called. 1t is pri-
marily and entirely a home for the
children of criminals. The man at the
head of it goes out among the unfortu-
mates and into the prisons Throughout
the state. He finds out concerning the
families of those who are locked up.
He enters their deserted homes and
does what is necessary there for the
comfort of the families left. In cases
where needed, he takes children with
him and is responsible for their fu-
ture care and education.
The home that he manages is unli-
censed. 1t has been run without state
assistance. There are 80 acres of land
and a house paid for and the property
of w. d. Matthews and in this house
he has the children and under his care
in his Strengthened condition they are
reared. educated and started on a
trade which will bring support.
Has Peculiar Ideas.
The keynote of the institution of
which Mr.. Bowen writes, is that the |
children are kept in entire ignorance !
of their parentage. At no time |
throughout their lives will Matthews !
divulge to them, or to any other the |
parentage of these children who come |
into his hands by strange and devious |
ways. In cases where they have |
grown up and married and come back |
begging for information of their early !
lives, it has been refused.
The place, the man and his methods,
are strange enough to be beyond be-
lief. Mr.. Bowen states that knowledge
of the strange place had been by va
ried sources brought to the charities
commission and it was with full power
Of investigation that he went to Omar
ga and set about the work of under
as near as he could, the idea
and the result of the project, unlike
any other.
There is nothing in any state as far
IS known, that approaches in strange
ness the Matthews home. There are
50 many conflicting opinions concern
ng it, that it has been more than once
brought to the attention of the states
attorney of Iroquois couny. Mr.. Bow
IN says that he went to Onarga to in
yestigate and began by talking to the
2sidents of the town and to all those
Who he had reason to believe were as
ociated in any way with the queerly
Tanned home.
Tell Lurid Tales.
The residents of Onarga,. the "gos-
II ars,'' have lurid tales to tell. They
Olo the representatives from the char
les commission that the children in J
he home-unknown and strange little
starved and cruelty used ,
hey said that they lived in filth and
hat there was a little graveyard back
f the house where burials were made '
n irregular ways. Farther they limited
hat Matthews was provided with rail- !
Dad passes everywhere, that his
reight was carried free and that he
ad influential friends enough to Gre 7
to suspicion that the home was a / 3
lace where the illegitimate children
f rich parents were cast to be got out =
f the way.
Mr.. Bowen says that his investiga- !
ion included talks with these promi-
ent people who knew of the working 4