Knoxville Weekly Chronicle

A Former Inmate Tells a Woeful Story

[From Knoxville Daily Chronicle. Dec. 23.]

Yesterday a woman from the county poor house arrived in the city, and calling at the office of Justice Conner, chairman of the County Court, she made some grave charges against the Superintendent of the poor house, and happening in we took a few notes.

She called herself Eliza Moore. She had spent the best part of her life waiting upon her aged father, who died in North Carolina, and he being a Mason, the Masons made enough money up for her to come to this county. She made her living by work and when she failed in this, she was sent to the poor house six years ago the 20th of next January.

Three years ago last August, the present Superintendent took charge of the house, and, she said, "as he couldn't read nor write he took one in the house to keep his accounts for him. He mistreats the poor, and often whips and cuffs them about, and many of us were but very poorly clothed. I was compelled to sew for the family, and then also for the county poor, but every garment I made for them I was required to charge against the county, making a sum of from $25 to $85 every three months, and one quarter it amounted to $43, and he would draw the pay and keep it, while I was not even comfortably dressed, having only been furnished with two linsey and two calico dresses, and two under garments."

As to the diet, she said she didn't suffer so much, as she stayed in the house, but that the poor on the hill often had miserable meals, and on Sabbath they never received any supper at all, this season of the year, while during the week they would get a piece of corn bread for supper. On Sabbath morning they were furnished with wheat bread, the only meal in the week they enjoyed this luxury, while "corn dodger" was their regular bread.

She said that they only cleaned up once in every three months, hence the place was full of vermin in the winter and summer. They would clean up everything a day or two before the quarterly settlement, when the Commissioners appeared, but after they had left the Superintendent would again abuse most of the inmates.

She says one of the main sufferers is an old woman, who is subject to fits, and that she is often beat and kicked about. She says that some few can get dresses whenever they want them, but the majority can beg until they are nearly naked before their wants are supplied.

We could fill a column with her complaints but think the above sufficient to suggest an investigation by the County Court.

And here we would state that this is not the first time we have heard complaints in regard to the management of this institution. If the many charges made are without foundation, it will certainly be best for the Superintendent that the matter is investigated and his character vindicated, but should they prove true he should no longer hold the position. At any rate a thorough investigation is the only way to arrive at the whole truth concerning the matter.