Cortland Evening Standard, Wednesday, February 25, 1903.
CHARGES OF CRUELTY.
Susquehanna Valley Orphans' Home Investigated.
BOYS SAID TO BE NEGLECTED.
Witness Said That Caretaker Watson Thrashed 20 Boys in a Day and That a Six-Year-Old Was Beaten Until Blood Ran Down His Legs—Counter Evidence.
Binghamton, N. Y., Feb. 25.—A second hearing in the matter of charges of alleged gross cruelty and neglect against the management of the Susquehanna Valley Orphans' home was held here by the managers and assistant managers.
Further evidence of alleged ill-treatment was added to the evidence of the previous hearing, when several inmates testified that they had been beaten with horsewhips and knocked down by Caretaker Watson and that no care was given the wounds thus received.
Witnesses were heard in an attempt to prove that the boys who told these stories of brutality are utterly untrustworthy, and four women attendants asserted that they knew of no abuses existing at the home. The trend of some of the evidence shows that an effort will be made to prove that the reports of cruelty were started by Wesley Buckley, a caretaker who was recently discharged, and that other officers at the home are influenced by jealousy against Superintendent C. E. Fuller and Caretaker Watson.
At the hearing Clinton Crandall, a recent inmate, testified that Carl Danfirg, aged 6, was beaten by Watson until the blood ran down his legs, and that on some days Watson thrashed 15 or 20 boys. Boys who made slight mistakes in the military drill, he said, were lined-up in rows and thrashed one after the other.
Instructor G. W. Boyce said that the boys were neglected and little attention is given by the superintendent to training them for future citizenship. The boys are lined-up with folded hands, he said, and the one who unfolds his hands is "tanned."
George Hacker, Fred Uttley, Harry Russell, Andrew Wright and Lynn Potter identified a big horsewhip, loaded at the butt, as one that had been used on them.
Miss Sarah McConnell, an attendant, said she had been called to dress a deep cut two inches long on a boy's leg, said to have been caused by a whipping. The wound bled profusely. Misses May Baldwin, Bernice Hayes, Minnie Osborne, Jeanette Appley and Nina Tennant, employees and attendants, denied knowledge of cruelties.
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| Benjamin Tillman. |
IN CONGRESS.
Mr. Tillman Continued His Speech on the Indianola Postoffice.
Washington, Feb. 23.—The Indianola, Miss., postoffice case occupied the major part of the time of the senate.
Mr. Tillman, addressing the Republican side, called on them to meet him "upon the same plane of patriotism, of race pride and of civilization and not to fall into the pitiful cesspool of partisan politics."
Referring to the president's utterance that he was unwilling to shut the door of hope and opportunity in the face of a worthy and competent colored man, Mr. Tillman said at first blush there is not a man alive who would not agree with that sentiment, but he inquired if it ever occurred to anyone that in opening that door of hope it might be shut in the face of the white man.
The purpose of those who endorse the president's door of hope policy, he declared, is that in time South Carolina should become a state of mulattos.
"I beg you for God's sake," he said, facing the Republicans, "not to produce an acute stage of hatred which will bring the two races together with the resolve of the whites to die to retain their supremacy."
Mr. Tillman was followed by Mr. Carmack, who said the action of the president in the Indianola case was not in accordance with reason, justice or the constitution. It was agreed that hereafter the senate will meet at 11 o'clock. The senate at 6 o'clock adjourned.
In the House.
Washington, Feb. 25.—The house passed the Philippine currency bill, accepting the senate bill so far as it relates to the islands. The committee amendment striking out the international monetary conference was agreed to.
Mr. Fowler then moved that the house go into committee of the whole to resume further consideration of the currency bill and the motion was carried, 136 to 57. Mr. Prince of Illinois resumed his speech begun on Saturday last.
Two Negroes Lynched.
Griffin, Ga., Feb. 25.—William Fambro, a negro, has been shot to death on the outskirts of this city by a mob who fired over 1,000 shots into his house. Fambro, who had been charged with insulting a white woman, had been released on the payment of his fine by his employer.
Shreveport, La., Feb. 25.—Frank Brown, a negro, was lynched near here. He had shot, but not fatally wounded, a white man.
SHOW'S QUARTERS AFIRE.
Barnum & Bailey's Herd of Excited Elephants Had to be Removed.
Bridgeport, Feb. 25.—A lamp exploded in one of the sleeping cars at the winter quarters of the Barnum & Bailey show yesterday afternoon, resulting in the destruction of six sleepers, two large flatcars, and 125 feet of car barn, and causing a loss of $100,000, that is partly covered by insurance. The flames spread to the south section of the brick barn before the firemen arrived. A locomotive ran into the yard and pulled the cars from the north section.
The fire and noise caused commotion in the herd of fifteen elephants, and it was necessary to take them out of their barn to another section of the ground.
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| Guest editorials. |
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
Killing Two Birds With One Stone.
The demand of fashion for birds' plumage has led to the creation of a new industry, which apparently does no violence to public sentiment or statute law against the destruction of the feathery tribes.
Farmer Billings of Brookdale, Pa., has taken a contract to furnish a Chicago milliner with crow heads at 25 cents apiece. It costs something to get a dead crow, because it is an elusive bird, and ammunition cannot be had for nothing. Billings, however, is an enterprising speculator. He has devised a scheme by which a maximum number of crows' heads can be obtained at small expense. He has set up a chicken incubator, in which are placed as fast as laid the eggs of about 100 hen crows that have been trapped with perhaps a dozen cock crows. Within fifteen days the little creatures are hatched, and a fortnight later they are ready to be beheaded. It is understood that the head of a crow chick is worth just as much as that of the oldest of the same species. At the uniform rate of four for $1 dead they will pay the producer.
Farmer Billings has up to date, we believe, the only crow hatchery in the country, but with a profitable market for defunct crows others are likely to follow his lead, as there is no patent on the process of producing crows either by incubator or otherwise. The problem which has given farmers much concern is how to get rid of them.
If now my lady can be satisfied with crows' plumage for her headgear and at the same time the farmer be relieved of the most troublesome pest of his cornfields, two birds will be killed with one stone, and the most devout Audubonist can have no reason for complaint.
SAVED FROM RIVER.
Four-year-old Earl Miller Tumbled Into the Water.
TWO BRAVE WOMEN RESCUED HIM.
He was Looking for his Grandmother and Stopped to Play on Bridge—Children saw Him Tumble in—Mrs. Weber and Mrs. Ostrander Waded in and Hooked Into His Clothing with a Clothes Pole--Rolled Him on a Barrel Till Physician Came.
Earl Miller, the young son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Miller, 39 North Main-st., had a very narrow escape from being drowned in the Tioughnioga river, near Kingman's bathing house at about 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. After floating down the river several rods and becoming chilled and filled with water, he was rescued by two women who brought him to the bank of the river by the aid of a pole that had a nail driven through the end with which they hooked into his clothing.
When brought out of the water the boy was unconscious, and it was only after repeated efforts that the water was driven from his lungs and breathing was restored. Today he is doing well and aside from much soreness of the lungs caused by the presence of water in them he is none the worse for his experience.
Looking for His Grandmother.
Earl. who was 4 years old last fall, started out from the house, as he afterward said, to find his grandmother, Mrs. Julia H. Spaulding, M. D., who had gone away from the house a little while before, and had gone down North Main-st. She had then turned up on Arthur-ave., and as Earl could see nothing of her along North Main-st. he wandered onto Grant-st., not stopping until the bridge at Kingman's bathing house was reached.
Seen to Tumble In.
Here some children on the other side of the river saw him playing by himself, but a little later they heard a splash in the water and saw that he had fallen off into the river. They ran at full speed over the bridge and informed Mrs. John B. Weber and Mrs. William Ostrander, who live on Rickard-st. near the river. With a pole that was used to hold up the center of a line of clothes these two women started for the rescue.
Women to the Rescue.
They could see the lad floating down toward them, part of the time with the head above the surface and part of the time underneath it. Plans were hastily made for catching the clothes with the nail in the end of the pole and thus bringing the little fellow to the shore. But a new obstacle presented itself. The pole was found to be too short to reach from the bank to the passing child. Without waiting for a discussion of what should be done the two women both waded into the cold water, and while one of them clung to a tree that hung over the water the other waded out still further and so that the one who was anchored to the tree could just hold on to her by her skirt. With this relay the woman farthest out could catch hold of the lad's clothing with the pole and in this way he was brought to land.
Rolled Upon a Barrel.
He was carried into Mrs. Weber's home and the efforts to resuscitate him were begun immediately by them. He was rolled on a barrel, and the wet clothing was taken from off the chilled body and he was wrapped in warm woolen blankets. Dr. E. M. Santee was called and found that the life of the boy had without doubt been saved the second time by the women by the prompt restoratives they applied.
The boy had floated for t en rods in water that was over his head and was thoroughly chilled. He was in the river altogether for about five minutes.
Screaming Helped Him.
Dr. Santee said today that the fact that the boy screamed each time he came to the surface was accountable for his not being drowned. The large amount of clothing also aided in keeping the body at the surface.
As soon as it was found who the lad was, the parents and Dr. Spaulding were notified and in a short time he could be moved to his home.
The courageous and prompt action of the two women in rescuing the boy from the river and their successful efforts in restoring him are most commendable, and they have not only gained the heartfelt gratitude of the parents of the child, but also the admiration and esteem of the public in general.
Death of Fred Carpenter.
Fred M. Carpenter died at the home of his brother E. W. Carpenter, 64 Hubbard-st., at 1 o'clock this morning, after an illness there of two years from tumor and dropsy. His age was 38 years. The funeral will be held from the house at 3 o'clock tomorrow afternoon and will be private.
BREVITIES.
—Eli Blake has been appointed postmaster at Whitney's Point, N. Y.
—A regular meeting of the L. C. B. A. will be held this evening at 8 o'clock.
—Robert Mantell in "The Dagger and the Cross" is booked for the Opera House on Monday, March 16.
—The village of Solvay, Onondaga county, has accepted the offer of a $10,000 library from Andrew Carnegie.
—St. Patrick's church in Syracuse cleared about $4,000 from a fair which closed last night after a run of six nights.
—The city of Corning is to build a new hospital at a cost of $20,000. A resident has offered to donate $4,000 as soon as the other $16,000 is raised.
—New display advertisements today are—A. S. Burgess, Clothing, page 8; Opera House, "A Millionaire Tramp," page 5; Perkins & Quick, Hyomel soap, page 4; Cortland Fish & Oyster Co., Fresh fish, page 6.
—It is estimated in Ithaca that the absence of the large number of Cornell university students who have gone home because of the typhoid fever epidemic is causing a loss to the city of $5,000 a week, that being about what the absentees would have spent in the city had they been present.
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