New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-22
German Odd Fellows
President Wants to Set
EN- Up to Investigators.
CATHOLIC CHILDREN
NOT SADLY CLEAN
Father Higgins Retreats State
ment Regarding Methods in
Charity Inquiry.

81 wish you'd all come up on the
Fourth of July and drink some beer
with US. Then you'd learn how the
children enjoy themselves"
This invitation was extended 70 Com
missioner Strong and the Investigators
by Frank Wuttge, president OF the
German Odd Fellows Home and Or
phanage, in Yonkers. at the charities
hearing yesterday. Although ne said
that he was a photographer by trade
he admitted that as side line he ran q
cafe.
"How many times have you and your
friends been on those grounds on Sun
days drinking beer?" asked William II.
Hotchkiss, attorney for the Charities
Department.
1--WE have eight thousand members.
They 80 there when they like. They
have right-they own it, said
Wuttge. Among the people who were
at the institution on October Is were
Mayor James Lennon and Charities
Commissioner Fox, Of Yonkers.
The witness acknowledged that for
the four months following October q
the children received no instruction
except from a caretaker
Testimony by recent witnesses be
fore the investigation to the effect that
the boy inmates of various Catholic
homes lived joyless existence or were
kept so clean that they could not be
humanity happy were refuted yesterday
by the testimony Of men connected
with the institutions
DR.. j. J. Mcdonald. attendant physi-
clan for the Convent Of Our Lady OF
the Rosary. read from the report on
that institution that there is a dis
tinct absence OF spontaneous Joy among
the children"
THAT statement / absolutely deny,
he said. In response to the statement
that tho institution was so clean that
II looked as though the children were
never allowed TO play he said:
"Why. I've seen the children raise a
dust that would do your heart good
OF the food scarcity in the Long Is
and institutions. the Rev. James ).
Higgins, who is in charge Of them, said
that the children were fed five times a
dav. He admitted, however, that the
bovs in 81. Nalachy's Ocean Home were
required to undergo the hardship OF
brushing their teeth every day. and
POINTED out that the inspectors who re-
ported that once q week was the !lmi'
had asked only one boy about the Gus
tom
lie was asked about st. GATHERINGS
Infrmary at Amityville. which the De
partment Of Charities and the Con
troller averred carried as public
charges men and women who were be
ing paid for by relatives, noting th'
case of Mary Smith as being paid foi
by the city for several months aitel
she had died.
Father Higgins said that she ha,
been carried on the list after her deati
through an "honest mistake in book
I keeping. To have our institution be
smirched by the Mayor and by Com
missioner Kingsbury because OF az
honest error u not fair" he said
"The Mayor knew about the case, o.
/ should have"
When Father Higgins characterized
/ the methods of the city inspectors a.
rather drastic" and said that the in
vestigation should be done by the De
/ partment of Education and the STATE
Board. Mr.. Hotchkiss, attorney for tn,
! Charities Department, read an articl,
from 1.-The Tablet" the diocesan papel
/ of Brooklyn. in which Father Higgin.
wrote that 'in the recent inspection,
Of some of our institutions our man
ayers were treated for all the worlc
/ like a band of counterfeiters. Tn,
committee of inspection dashed in anc
ordered the staff TO throw up theii
/ hands"
"When did the city inspectors ac
| like that?' demanded Mr. Hotchkiss.
That is figure of Speech" replied
the witness.
Did you write that TO deceive tn,
/ Catholics of Brooklyn as to these in
vestigations ?"
"No; | wrote IL in a moment o.
/ hurry, and had no chance TO correct it,
an other words, you are sorry yol
wrote it," said j. X. Clark, Mr.. Strong.
attorney, and Father Higgins said h,
was. Before that he said that he haC
not come as witness for either side i'm
the discussion.
"My attitude" he said. as that OF
the innocent bystander who has beer
hit by brickbat."