The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1916-01-06

Most of the Members Are Living IN
Ohio and Are Rearing Large Fami-
lies-Compared to the Jukes Family,
Which Has Cost the State of New
York Millions In Recent Years
Fifty-eight blood relatives confined In
penitentiaries, jails. in6rmaries. insti-
tutions for feeble minded or industrial
schools.
This Is the record Of an extensive
family OF degenerates traced out In the
last year by the Ohio juvenile research
bureau In announcing the results Or.
Thomas H Haines. director Of the bu-
reau, declared the fImily history al
ready discovered was the basis for a
record comparable TO that OF the no
torious Jukes family, which has been
familiar TO sociolosists for the last for
ty years.
The "Mengold" family-this Is the
fictitious name which has been chosen
for the newly traced clan Of degen-
crate men. women and cbildren-liyes
mainly In southeastern Ohio and lower
Ohio river counties of West Virginia.
Five generations OF the family have
been chartess, including 474 individuals
Definite data which have been secured
on 261 of these show the following
conditions of degeneracy:
Sixty members of the family have
court records, fifteen have been in jail.
fourteen in the penitentiary. nine in
the infirmary. nine in children's homes.
six in the workhouse. two in the Girls;
Industrial home. two in the Institution
For Feeble Minded and one in the
Boys Industrial home.
Seventy seven Immoral.
Seventy-seven are immorals seventy
four criminal in varying degrees, If
ty-fiye feeble minded, twenty three al
coholic. twelve immoral women seven
tubercular. six children adopted into
other homes, four subject to epileptic
fits. three insane and three tramps-
Crimes OF which they have been con-
victed include burglary. larceny. for
gerry, destruction of property. bootleg
ging. operating or being inmates Of
immoral houses. intoxication. riot, per-
jury. various degenerate forms of as
sauIt, homicide. shooting TO kill and
attempting to poison husband
The mentality of most degenerate
members of the family as determined
BY the Binet test is that OF children
between eight and eleven years
Most members are living at large.
marrying and producing large families
Charges of the State.
1t was an accidental noting OF the
fact that several persons bearing the
same name and later found TO be reia-
tives were charges Of the state that
led 10 the Investigation which started
less than a year ago. Starr Cadwalla-
der, recently resigned as member OF
the board of administration which has
charge OF all state penal and eorrec-
tive institutions. made the discovery
and urged the family survey.
Mrs. Mary kostir OF Columbus.
young psychological investigator. was
assigned to the task. and she has spent
most of her time for the past year on
il. Her individual record of each mem
Der of the so called Mengold family
recounts bestial crimes and vices I'M
dreamed of by most normal citizens.
The survey will be continued until
traits OF additional Mengolds are ac-
curately recorded. and an estimate can
be made of the cost TO the states OF
maintaining such an al normal family
John and Poly Mengold. progenisors
of one Of the worst lines OF the family.
came originally from western Pennsyl-
vania. The others were ignorant noun
taineers.
The notorious Jukes family. TO which
DR.. Haines compares his newly mapped
family. contains total Of 100 mem
bers. Of whom 40 are related by blood.
Since 1874. when its tracing was start
ed. record has been made Of 80 pau
pers. 40 criminals. with nearly all OF
both classes feeble minded or insane.
The cost OF prosecuting or caring for
them is declared 10 amount to many
millions of dollars.