Library Collections: Document: Full Text

But as we are mainly interested in the affairs of the paupers, we shall not particularize on any other part of the business than such as had a bearing on them -- for example, the report of the overseer of the poor.

This document was drawn up with some care, and signed by Squire Ben Stout, first selectman of the town, and by Ezekiel Harris, second selectman. There was also a minority report, signed by Erastus Corning, third selectman. The two documents were read. The former represented the whole number of actual paupers on the town during the year, for the whole time or part of it, at twenty-one persons, and beside these there were a few individuals, in a state of necessity or dependence, who required some assistance. There were three young children on the town, one an infant left by -- somebody, and the town would be compelled to support it. The parents of the other children were very infirm and shift less. The balance, of thirteen individuals, were adults, most of them aged. Of the whole number there had deceased during the year but six individuals, which might be considered extraordinary when their diseased and weakened physical state was remembered, were, if not in a great measure accounted for by the fact of their very merciful and humane treatment, especially on the part of Mrs. Siddleton, who seemed to have done all that a pious matron could do to render the unfortunate poor of the town comfortable and happy. And the report concluded with a resolution of the two overseers above named, recommending the town to confide the care of them still to the same hands, in case nobody else made better terms!

This report was received. But it was severely criticised and cut up by Squire Ketchum of the town, who had been quite a thorn of late years in the sides of the old management of the paupers. Between him and Lawyer Tools there was a good deal of sparring. Mr. Haddock also referred to some of the cases reported as deceased during the year, and inquired if there had been "five dollars spent for medical advice and assistance for the whole of them?" He knew one of the paupers to have actually died of starvation in his room, being unwilling to come down -- a young man of ruined property and character, mortified, sick, and half-deranged by his position, he shut himself in his room -- "and I know." said Haddock, with tremendous energy, "that Mr. and Mrs. Siddleton did not send for a doctor, nor for any assistance whatever in his case, but they said, 'if he will make a fool of himself, and not eat when he can, let him starve.' And, sir, starve he did. He was found in a feeble and dying state by Mr. Corning, your third selectman, when on a visit to the poor-house, and who was compelled to burst open his door before he could reach him, no difficult matter it is true, for the door was hung on leather hinges, and fastened with a stick. This young man was, as you well know, left an orphan with a large estate; and he spent it most lavishly among wild and dissipated companions, till want and absolute penury compelled him to beg for bread -- and among the dead of our poor the past year is this young man, only twenty-eight years of age, ruined, forsaken, left to starve." (8)

A dozen men started for "the floor."

"Mr. Siddleton has the floor!" cried the chairman. Now, Mr. Siddleton was not a very smooth speaker, because he had not received the advantages of early education as Mr. Haddock evidently had. But he was a very earnest, decided man, and could make as long a talk as any body. In the present instance "he hoped," he said, "that the majority's report would be put right through and through, for it was a first rate town-paper any way. And it didn't find unnecessary fault with folks neither. It was a considerate document, signed by Squire Stout and Mr. Harris, men he reckoned who knew which way to look for Sunday. He guess'd the whole town thought so too! As for starving Bill Scudder, that was all a regular piece of hunkerism! Bill was as fat when he died as a hog. He got wilful, refused to eat; we carried food to his door; we called him down, but the young scamp got mortified and sort of crazy -- and, your honor -- what could a body do? For my part I was glad when the poor fellow died, because he just grew worse and worse and he didn't want to live any longer any how. And that's all, your honor, there is about starving any body!"