Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2016 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== The Chicago Tribune July 18, 1881 INDIANAPOLIS POOR-FARM. Accumulating Evidence of Brutality in That Establishment. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., June 15. - The Poor- Farm investigation was continued this morn- ing before the County Commissioners. MRS. SUSAN PRATT, an inmate aged 70, first testified. She and four adult daughters are all inmates of the Asylum. Her daughter AMANDA is subject to fits. DR. CULBERTSON ordered her roughly to leave the place. She left, but upon re- turning was placed in the insane ward by CULBERTSON. CULBERTSON treated her roughly, and Superintendent WRIGHT refused to in- terfere, saying he sanctioned all CULBERT- SON had done. Witness told how MARY BLOODWELL had been whipped by WRIGHT for lying near the steam-coils in order to get warm. She described WRIGHT'S cowhide. WRIGHT struck MRS. BLOODWELL with a stick at the steam- coils and with a cowhide in the room. She was insane. Witness described how "BIG MOLL" was dragged to a cell while under the in- fluence of morphine. Witness saw DR. CUL- BERTSON bring a rope to tie her. The Com- missioners here stated that they had ordered WRIGHT to take all the steam-coil out of the chapel, as religious services had been abandoned by the city clergymen. GEORGE WOODFIELD testified: Had been em- ployed as gardener on the Poor-Farm. He pronounced the diet unwholesome. But, as he did not seem familiar with the way affairs were managed at the Asylum, this witness was dismissed. MARY PIERCE, who had charge of the insane at the asylum, was called. She testified as to the imprisonment of MARIAN PRITCHARD at one time in the cells for nine days. Said BARBARA STEPHENSON had been put into a crib eight or nine months ago. Witness denied having seen WRIGHT pour the contents of a spittoon in BARBARA STEPHENSON'S face, though that is charged against him. She heard BARBARA say in WRIGHT'S presence that he had done this, and he did not deny it. Being asked if she had been drunk since WRIGHT took charge at the Farm, MISS PIERCE strenuously denied the allegation. The afternoon session began by the cross- examination of MARY PIERCE. She said in sub- stance: There are forty-five insane women in the Asylum; there are about twenty of them that at times are very dangerous; the woman MARY BARRY was put in a crib that was only a box made of slats; a person can neither stand nor sit while in the crib, but can only lie down and turn over; MARY was placed in the crib because she refused to remain in the insane ward; the food furn- ished to the inmates was not always good; the molasses was very poor stuff. GEORGE WOODFIELD recalled: I said to MAJ. GORDON in my chief examination that I had seen no cruel treatment to the inmates while in the ward, but I have seen cruel treatment to inmates when they were out of the wards; say WRIGHT whip HARRY WHITE with a cowhide; he whipped him on the back, legs, and face; I should judge that he struck him fifteen or twenty licks. MARY J. GERMAN sworn: I have been at the Asylum for thirty-five years. I have nothing to complain of about the treatment there. I was never stopped by any one since I have been there. ISAAC DEVEE swore: I am an inmate of the Asylum. I know when MR. WRIGHT came there. I saw WRIGHT whip a boy by the name of THOMAS. The boy had become frightened at a dog, and for that WRIGHT cowhided him. He whipped him rather hard. He brought the blood. The THOMAS boy is an idiot. He sel- dom if ever talks. When the dog had scared him he did not make any noise, but simply threw up his hands and tried to get out of his way. The boy has lost his speech within the past five years. I think WRIGHT had the rawhide in his hand when the boy got scared. JOHN A. BRYANT swore: I was employed at the Poor-Farm a few days putting in some water-pipes, etc. I saw WRIGHT whip the boy OLIVER THOMAS with a cowhide. I should think the cowhide was three feet long. After the boy had been whipped I think he walked out in the garden. He whipped the boy very hard. I did not hear WRIGHT say that he would knock the boy down. ==========================================================================