Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 173, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 July 1919 — PLYMOUTH HOME IS IN BAD WAY [ARTICLE]

PLYMOUTH HOME IS IN BAD WAY

SOUTH BEND PAPER SEVERELY 1 CONDEMNS JULIA WORK ORPHANAGE. 9 ~—• *■ :/. ■ ■' The following article was published a few days ago in the South Bend News-Times, with a Plymouth date line: This city is much excited at present over the revelations being made public in connection with the Julia A. Work home at the outskirts of the city. As a result of a visit of. True Woodworth, sheriff of Jasper county, and C: M. Sands, county probation officer, it is believed, in view of the facts disclosed, that Governor Goodrich will be called i upon tft revoke the home’s license, i The two officers recently visited the home, known as “Brightside,” and were so shocked at conditions they found existing, that they brought the matter before Judge Hanley, who, in turn, has advised Governor Goodrich that Jasper county wiJT send no more delinquents or orphans to the home. The officers reported that they at the prison like conditions they said existed. They found an eight-year-old boy sent from Jasper county, with more than ninety other 'boys locked in a room although it was then nearly the noon hour. Although he had been there only a few weeks he had so changed that he could hardly be recognized. They made a tour of the establishment, which in their i-eport to the judge, they characterized as being unfit in every particular for the purpose of which it is intended. The judge ordered the immediate release of the lad. -- “Fairly Good,” Say» Goodrich. iGovernlor Goodrich and Amos W. Butler, secretary of 'the board of state charities, in attempting to whitewash the management, state that the home is “fairly good,” and that Mrs. Work has reached an age now where much of the work of the institution is left to persons she employs. < William O’Keefe, a prominent citizen of Plymouth, who has been active tn an endeavor to have the home investigated for several years, stated to The News-Times correspondent that the age of Mrs. Work had nothing to do with the state of things existing at the institution. He asserts that during the 22 years Mrs. Work hafe been in charge, that they have never ibeen any better than the officials of Jasper county found them. During that long period he claims Mrs. Work has received between $500,000 and $600,000 from £he State, while it is a notorious fact that she started doing business in Plymouth without a dollar. Mr. O’Keefe further claims that she has spent a sum of $50,000 for automobiles, for which she is •aid to have a remarkable penchant. Besides the many buildings connected with the institution, she owns 200 acres of land adjoining the home, as well as a hospital and five acres a few blocks disibatnfc. She also owns an elevator in Tyner, and also owned one in this city until recently, when she disposed of it. In October, 1918, the three city (banks were carrying mortgages on her property to the amount of $72,000. It wais claimed at the time that she alttempted to deed awlay the property to one of her sorts with (the result that the banks took joint suit against her. The property was deeded back to her. Since that time she has sold the local elevator and one of the residences, turning the proceeds* of the sale into the banks. Friend at Headquarters. (Mr. O’Keefe asserts that % is against the law to operate an orphans’ home for profit, but notwithstanding this, Mrs. Work has attained affluence through her efforts in Plymouth. He further states that the inspections made of the home by members of the state iboard of charities are simply a' Joke. The management, according to him, was always advised a week ahead of the officials’ visit, and everything would be arranged for their coming. Mr. O’Keefe alto states, in explaining ithe evident “pull” of Mrs. Work at Indianapolis, that Mr. Butler is a relative of Miss Barr, who has been the active head of the institution for several years, and that the state board is standing by Mrs. Work so that she may still attain to greater riches. Further, Mr. O’Keefe, who is leading a movement to have the state as well as the county board of charities, abolished, alleges that while Mrs. Work advertises a training scbobl in connection with her institution no such thing exists or ever did exist. He cites several cases which have come under his observation where children taken from the home were found to be affected with bug poisoning. It is a common occurrence for children to run away from the home, and as mlany as 40 disappeared during one of the reicent wintert. When found by sympaithetic friends and given food, it lis a matter of fact that they were so ravenous that they could scarcely be restrained from gorging themselves. A committee of citizens obtained from the managers of the picture

shows permission to bring the children once a week to a free entertainment, but the privilege was denied by Mrs. Work. Again, permission was asked to take the comic supplements of the Sunday papers to the institution. This was also denied. • Goodrich “Ironed Out Situation.” As far back as December, 1918, a prominent manufacturer of the aity wrote Governor Goodrich, requesting that he investigate conditions at the 'home. He received a reply from the governor to the effect that a meeting of Ithe state board of charities had been called on the receipt of the letter, and that they intended having a conference with Plymouth parties interested in the home within a very short time “to see what can be done to iron out the situation.” These are the governor’s exact words. Six days afterwards Amos Butler, Miss Barr’s relative, with four others arrived at the Ross house, Plymouth, being met by W. C. Curtis, son-in-law of Mrs. Work, Harry Logan, her (attorney, and Clint Bondurand, her business manager. Their coming was kept secret from those who had demanded tan investigation, and it was not until after the officials were on their way to the capital that their presence in the city became kniown, excepting to those whose names are above mentioned. Of course, Mr. Butler again gave the institution a clean bill. It is such things as aforementioned that have led to an exposure of the 'inner workings of the home, and have recently brought to the city representatives of Indianapolis and Chicago papers who are gathering such details as are referred to. Public 1* Aroused. Public sentiment here is strongly with those of Plymouth’s citizens W<ho are endeavoring to have an honest investigation in the entire working of “Brightside.” Of course, Mrs. Wort has spent considerable money amlong the merchants, who speak her name only in whispers. The fact of her being wealthy, and having such dear friends at headquarters, has been the means of suppressing (the true state of affairs in the past, but the public is now thoroughly aroused and is 'bound to “see the thing through.” The Kewanna Herald is one of the newspapers joining in the demands for an immediate investigation. In a recent issue, describing the arrival lof five girls, who had run away from the home, it says: “The five girls stated while here that they were badly mistreated and terribly underfed at the home, and judging from the inhuman demeanor of the matron displayed here we can readily believe that their lives are surely little short of a hell on earth, and that the Julia A. Work orphans’ home needs investigation and that .without delay.” The home has at present about 200 children, from twenty-five counties, for which Mrs. Work receives 60 cents each per day. Mrs. Work came to Plymouth from Laporte, and previous to that time operated an orphans’ home at Mishawaka, from which place she was forced to leave under a cloud of suspicion.