New-York tribune., 1916-02-15
Children Forced to Sit on
Backless Benches and Use
Fingers for Spoons.
CONDITIONS REVEALED
AT CHARITIES INQUIRY
Kimgsbury Threatens to Hold Up
Payments at Institutions Car
ing for 5000 Waits.

Inc asylum horrors thht N"A'''H
Dickens wrote about have survived into
the twentieth century. Surprise fitted
across the faces OF the men and women.
most Of them experienced social work
ers. in attendance at the charities IN
vestigation yesterday as Commissioner
Kingsbury told Of conditions in modern
New York. Mayor Mitchell came 10 his
assistance late in the afternoon and
+ showed that he. too, was conversant
with such incidents AS children being
forced 10 eat from the same bowl with
pigs at one institution and old folks
who had . buy their way in at an
other.
Driven time ana eSain 20 the wall by
the cross questions Of John NJ. Bowers,
attorney for the State Board of Chari-
ties. TO which Mr.. Kingsbury has shown
he is distinctly inimical, the Commis-
sioner finally threatened 10 stop pay
ments TO twelve Catholic and Protestant
homes. thus necessitsting the temporary
employment Of the city's armories for
the housing of 5000 orphans and waits.
F citement when Mr.. Kingsbury referred
10 ST. Catharine's lnfrmary. at Amity-
willie. Long Island. He said that this in
stitution. after receiving pay from old
people TO take care of them, turned
over their names TO the Controller as
public charges and collected on them
until William j. Doherty. Second Dep
utv Commissioner, objected. The Com
missioner quoted from the letter sent
by his deputy. Mr.. Doherty, 10 the Rev.
George A. Metzgcr. supervisor of Cath
oic hospitals. on April Il. 1914.
Collected from City, Too.
some Of the cases mentioned were
that Of Elizabeth Muessig. who paid
5000; Ellen Barry, who paid 500 ana
gave the institution her insurance pol
icy: Louis Goetz, who gave $500 ss ST
entrv fee and stayed away several
months. during which the institution
collected from the city just the same.
and John u. Keller. who paid 500, but
earns s. weekly for tending fires and
working about the institution
Commissioner kingsbury told o. ei-
forts Of the state board 10 interfere
with his activities. After he had pre-
sented charges against Mrs. Dunphy.
supcrintendent Of the Rsndalrs Island
institution FOR mentally deficient chill
dren. Secretary Thomas ". llebberd OF
the state board. he said. met DR.. +. ].
Devine. director OF the New York
School Of Philanthropy, and told the
latter that MIR. Kingsbury would be in
vestigatcd if he did not withdraw the
charges
Threat TO Stop Payments.
Upon Commissioner Kinrsbury'5
Characterization of several institutions
his Investigators had criticised as
places unfit for human habitation, Mr..
Bowers demanded;
"Why didn't you take the children
out of them 80
I've had no place TO put the chill
dren. ] think ! will 20 10 sec the Con
troller tonight and get MIN to hold
I'D all payments TO institutions not
complying with our demands
Mr.. Dohcrty looked up the records
and said twelve Catholic and Protestant
institutions. caring for 5000 children,
would be affected. Social workers com
mcnted then that II would be neces-
saw 70 open the armories 70 house
the children if Mr.. Kingsbury carried
out his threat to stop payments.
Mayor Mitchell said that he had out
/ lined what he wanted done 20 Mr.
/ Kingsbury. and that the Commissioner
/ ha /. all through the investigauon
! kent i'm constant touch with HIM. The
/ Mayor recalled. among other incidents,
/ the collections made by st. tatharlne' 4
Inhrmary for man who was dead, but
who was kept on the list OF inmates
for months sftcrward.
The Mayor told OF many attempts
that had been made 10 block the lnves-
LEGATIONS. He said that Secretary Heb
berd and Acting President Mulry, OF
the state board, had used pohucal
threats as coercion to stop the IN
vestigations into Mrs. Dunphy's rule
last summer.
81 am absolutely satisfied with the
work done by Mr.. Kingsbury and Mr..
/ Doherty. ! indorse whatever they have
done. This investigation vi J, | AIN sure,
be good thing for the welfare OF the
twenty-five thousand in various insti-
tutions. The State Board has not fol-
lowed up its Investigations properly
IL seems to me that there has been q
lack of proper supervision.
Reassured by the faith Mayor
Mitchell reposed in him. Commissioned
Kingsbury left the room with an Incl
dent he remembered personally which
his Investigators had come across. lie
said:
IL will never forget the picture in
the Mission OF the Immaculate Virgin
the melancholy picture Of children
with their heads cropped, sitting on
backless benches. eating with their I'm
gers from tn plates in military pre-
cision. The food came from big bowl
from which the pigs IN the yard also