Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-11-19

complaint was made by James F.
Bagley of Augusta, Secretary OF the
State Board Of Charities and Correc-
tons
1t was in the fall of 1912 that
Mrs. Bosworth arrived here from
North Dakota with her daughter and
y children ranging in age from
6-months- old babies to IL and II
years and including both boys ana
girls. Through correspondence with
A. r. Jack. local agent for the E. A.
Strout Farm Agency. she had par
TALLY traded for the F. ]. Jordan
farm in New Vineyard. The trans
fer was to be made after her arrival
and as usual when customer comes
| to town Mr.. Jack was at the station
to meet the prospective purchasers.
Mrs. Bosworth and her brood for
time rather faxed Agent Jack but
he was equal to the occasion and
before darkness fell had the Western
woman and her charges housed for
the night The next day Mrs. Bos-
worth visited the Jordan farm. de-
cided it would suffice for her pur-
poses, paid the required amount and
title to the property was passed to her
Her advent was the occasion OF
considerable talk as her undertaking
| was unique in the annals OF this Sec
ton. She explained that she was a
widow and was continuing a work
which had been begun by her hus-
band. John. Fortunate speculations
had given Mr.. and Mrs. Bosworth
plenty Of money and he had con-
ceived the idea Of assisting orphans
and other unfortunate children to
good home He had gathered
number of children on their Dakota
farm. hut after his death the widow
had decided to move East and con-
tinue the work. Franklin county at
tracted her attention and the Strout
catalogue abetted by Agent Jack
brought her to New Vineyard. She
maintained that the charity she was
performing was purely personal and
consistently refused all offers Of as
sistance Many nationalities were in
cluded among her charges. the par
ents of the children including natives
, OF Germany, Norway. Sweden, Po-
: land. Japan, Italy and other nations.
For a time all went we'll and al
though Mrs Bosworth's home was
an unusual one she received only
praise for the good work she was
carrying on. Then rumors of diff
fernt nature began 20 float about
with just how much basis of fact it
IS difficult to determine. 1t was
charged that not enough supervision
was extended TO the older boys and
girls and it is said that the case Of
one Of the girls came to the atten-
ton of a police matron in Lewiston,
the girls condition being such as to
arouse the sympathy of those who
had knowledge of it. Other stories
more or less vague, but all having
an ugly trend. were banded about
and the Rosworth home acquired a
reputation. it is said, which was far
from desirable.
The climax came when upon COM
p!aint of Secretary Bagley an indict-
ment vas returned against Mrs. Bos-
worth by the grand jury al the last
September term of the supreme jul
dicial court. The charge was a tech
nicaI one and alleged that she had
failed to secure the required State
license.
( \ few DAYS ago Mrs Bosvorth
closed her New Vineyard home and
I with her daughter and charges left
for the West. Her brood has been
reduced so that it now numbers but
fourteen children. Tickets were pur
chased for Dickinson, North Dakota,
and it is understood that Mrs. Bos-
worth purposes to continue her work
on a farm near that point. The news
that she has removed from New
Vineyard is said to be greeted with
complacency, TO say the least, by
those residents of that town who
have taken a thoughtful view OF the
future.