The sun., 1916-02-03
ASYLUM CHILDREN,
WARDS OF THE CITY,
FOUND IN SQUALOR
Diseases. Unchecked. Afflict
Little Ones, Says Report
of Investigator.
r\vUS ARE DREADED AS
DIRE PUNISHMENT

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r,,ol,ipe details OF conditions in homes
.hs,s New York city sends the children
- i,s moor continued yesterday to he the
,,,r,.n,l feature OF the testimony OF
,yuli,m J Dohcrty, Deputy Charities
commissioner. before Charles II. Strong.
&C. strong IL hearing the dispute be-
,a,eu the city and State Charities de-
,,,,uen,s at the Bar Association.
In the Coiored orphan Asylum at
.,s,h street. Riverdale, the city found
,,cryth.ng dirty. The children spent ali
,ncl, time in the kitchen. The temporary
.incru,endent. Miss Wood, said that
v,s their proper place. as most OF them
,o,ld have to pass all their lives In
.,chens and such places. In her opinion.
Th. city did not want TO continue To
..nd children there. but had to do 80. as
,gere was no other place for negro chill
iron Vicious practices were so COM
mon that not even the casual visitor was
,pared 4 knowledge of them. Mr.. Doherty
,cld how the shower bath In one cottage
vas used as punishment and was
viewed with much dread as such.
~ the asylum OF the Sisters OF St
pouinlc In Rockland county 6s OF the
Sss BOYS and All girls had diseased
heads, and of these IS were suffering
..on, ringworm The chiIdren's teeth and
ewes were not properly looked after. the
beds were dirty and the younger chill
dren were bathed two at a time in one
,b Toilet articles were used indis-
c-lninatcly, a medicine closet containing
poisonous drugs was found unlocked. the
c'ass rooms were crowded and there
were MANY cases OF retarded children.
Proper InvestiwatiOn Lackins.
No effort was made to detect those
cllld,en who were mentally defective and
50, them apart The city continued TO
send children there. Mr.. poherty said,
because things were fairly satisfactory
sYd ;hc peop.e in charge tried hard 10
het,cr them. An inspection last Decem.
ber showed that sanitary conditions had
becr improved in four respects and a
c'as, fIr the retarded children had beer
arranged.
Sending chi,drcn 20 81. Josephs Hon,
Tor Girls NJ Madison avenue and Eighty
,r>' street was ordered stopped. but had
~ o. resumed because OF quarantines
o'.ewhcrc and because another 'nstNu'
'lpl refused outright 70 take any more
cH.ldren. The worst thing at 81. 10
sephs which is conducted by the Sisteri
~ Mercy. was a form OF 'pconage" Il
which girls Of II and Is were worke,
e.ht 20 nine hours daily without an,
bay or any reward except an hours les
sons AZ night.
During quarantine children were KEEP
.r u, dim basement without toothbrush,
and with a common towel. The bed liner
r the infrmary was dirty. The tab'
service was bad napkins were supplied
only On special occasions bread AM
coffee COCOA or milk composed most o
'te breakfasts and suppers.
Reinspection showed things much oct
to-. and on March .. 1915. no less THAI
,N.fty-four recommendations made n.
80 city had been carried out. The cit!
'Ncn began sending children to ~. 20
s-ph's Home again.
TIE boys department OF the SAM
...-', (the official title IL the lnstitu
,.a W Mercy at Tarrytown WAS So
bad mat the city discontinued sendin'
boss there and has not as yet oftclal!'
removed the ban. MIR. Doher;y foun'
s.rc!a, fault with the old time discipline
SANITARY conditions were in "erta!'
r, meets dlsgrHceful. Twenty-Five boy
uc~c hnthed together in tank contain
irs about eight inches Of water Tn
heads Of the younger children were dirt!
tho h,is were dirty. the dining room
Wa dirty and the youngsters ate ltk
ANIMALS Some OF the teachers got onI
s., month. In school work many o
'''' lN'NG NfI' Nv hN '''''''' '''''
R",. Now Work on Farms.
Som. improvements have been mads
S..tary conditions are better. and tn
tovs ara now employed TO some eN
''ur ON ;uc farm. as was recommended.
The r.'y - not sending children I
-. ia ldren's department OF the Germa
rdd Follows Home Association at for
l"'r ,omm.tmeni Of children was dis
1ftn Nf
trd Il continued again last Novembc
"'c .f'y's physician who aided tho IN
.'.ou said shat one could fnd bette
phy,' al types ia hospitals, for tuhe'cu'a
e. ld-eu He found lot Of disease
4" 'ul'uC Skin infections. chickenpo'
sr"p'i pC al sorts and children wit
relr"',. stigma. The neglect Of ~
children. Mr.. poherty said. amounts
AZ gi.ctmcn' Of the people In charge"
TH, Institution was formerly Z
tu'ruro't where Just a year ago.
to''er r ~" wing devoted to the car
- OH people declared that he had a
""rt"i the deaths OF several by 20
'"r,ns them He accused the super!ntrnt
'' u' completely. but II afterward IN
''u" ''rar that the porter was ~
T"''tly sound
NJ, Il \ Matthews. superintend
NJ '" brooklyn Industrial Home. while
va .u."i over IN Mr.. Doherty's test
NOR on Tuesday. resigned yesterda
The boH-l Of managers accepted Il
's.g' a'un and have asked Mr.. n
h"r'y assistance in picking a new hes
~ 're institution.
JI" hearing before Mr.. Strong VI
'ni'u" this morning at 10 o'clock
B'r Association.
PRIEST MAKES PEpTY