Noble Haigh Testimonials

Statement made to Noble Haigh to Mr. Herbert Welsh, relative to the Educational Home

Philadelphia February 23, 1899

Mr. Welsh - Please state in brief the essential facts known to you regarding the punishment inflicted by Superintendent Jackson upon certain Indian boys in the Educational Home May, 1898(?); what were the offenses and who were the boys?

A.The boys were Ephriam [Ephraim] Budrow, Ray Harper (not an Indian; presumably a soldier’s orphan), and three others. The offences were of a trivial character. In one instance, that of Ephriam Budrow, a potato was rolled to him by another boy, which he failed to catch, allowing it to drop on the floor. The most serious of these offences was the passing by one boy of a crust of bread over a transom.

Q. What was done with these boys?

A. They were first placed in the lock-up, kept their [sic, there] about five days, fed twice a day with four ounces of bread and a drink of water each. They were not allowed to come out even to relive the needs of nature, and had no communication with the other parts of the Home. After they had been the confined for five days they were brought out one at a time and taken to a coach house and stripped of their clothing, without a single covering on any part of their body. They were then flogged with a whip having three leather lashes, each lash about four feet long and one inch broad - given 150 strokes - until they fell exhausted and cried for mercy. I was in a building twenty yards from the coach house, but heard their screams. I went to the door and inquired what was taking place. Some boys who were standing around and the laundry woman told me Mr. Jackson was flogging the boys. I asked who were in the coach house, and was told that the engineer and Mr. Mercer were there with the superintendent.

Q ?

A: Yes, at the dinner table. He said he had given the boys something they would never forget; that one (Budrow) he had given 150 strokes and he cried for mercy.

Q. Were these boys held by other people when Jackson was flogging them?

A. No; I do not think so. They were generally fastened to a post. The engineer and Mercer were inside in case the pupils resisted. Only one boy was brought in at a t time. Had Mercer not complied with Jacksons request, or attempted to interview, he would have been dismissed.

Q. Did none of the teachers protest against this?

A. There was. No teacher but a lady.

Q. Did the managers hear of this?

A. No.

Q. Did Mrs. Cox hear of it?

A. Yes. I know this is so because Jackson made his reports to her generally, and it was talked of in the school. Then, too, Mrs. Cox approved of the superintendent’s actions.

Q. How do you know that Mrs. Cox approved this punishment?

A. By the remark that Miss Deeble had made. She said that Mrs. Cox had heard about it, but only through Jackson’s way of telling it, and she approved of all he had done.

Q. How did the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children hear of the matter?

A. The case of another boy who was about to be punished by whipping was brought to me attention and in consultation with the employer of this boy, a Mr. Whitney, I determined to lay it before the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. I reported to them what Jackson had done before and what was likely again. This resulted in an investigation by the Society.

Q. What do you know about Jackson’s habits?

A. He was a drunkard. I had seen him so drunk that neither his walk, his talk, or his look were those of a man with proper control of himself.

Q. How much compensation did he receive for his position as superintendent.

A. I believe he received $300 a year, together with his board, room and laundry. [I don’t think this is correct. In an earlier Mrs. Cox letter she says Col. Given’s [Givin] Salary last year was $860., together with board, washing, lodging for himself, his wife and son, also his, and his sons uniform. BUT this is about Jackson, so maybe he was only paid $300.]

Q. What ended Jackson’s rule out at the Home?

A. He ran off one night while the investigation was being carried on by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Q. Do you know anything about the severity of the punishment or the condition of the boys after the flogging?

A. I saw the back of Budrow the day he had been whipped. It was almost like raw meat; the blood was streaming down, the skin was cut, and other parts swollen and discolored, from his shoulders down to his buttocks.

Sworn and subscribed to before me this 25th day of Feb. 1899, Jno. F. Turner, Notary Public (seal)

Signed Noble Haigh

Personally appeared Noble Haigh, who being duly sworn and in answer to interrogatories deposes and says as follows: viz.

Q. Will you please state whether at any time you have been employed at the Educational Home in this city.

A. I was.

Q. Will you please state when and in what capacity.

A. First in year 1895 as School Master (Teacher) having charge, with the help of an Assistant, of both schools – this service was from May to end of November. In following April I went back to the “Home” in the capacity of Steward.

Q. Please state the cause of your leaving the Home in the first instance.

A. The wages were too low – insufficient.

Q. How did you again accept employment there.

A. Mr. Jackson the Supt urged me to return, promising me that if I would go back and assist him in the “home” he would be able to give me more than double the salary that I had received the first time, and that we should be able to work the School more to the satisfaction of the Board of Managers.

Q. Did Supt Jackson carry out his agreement relative to your pay?

A. He did not. Although I took Mr. Jackson at his word yet I soon saw that his purpose and plan to increase my pay was by resort ? to a regular system of dishonesty to which by my actions – I refused to become a party thereof. For instance I found the ice to weigh but 81 lb while the Home was charged with 180 lb. 36 and 40 quarts of milk had been supplied to the School and Mr. Jackson ordered me to cut it down to 16 qts – when remonstrated with and sayin that 16 qts would not ___? Jackson said I must make it do and to put water in the milk – a large of amount of butter disappeared from the store room at one time 100 lb. Sugar was taken out of the store room amounts equal to fully one barrel each month. All of these matters were reported promptly to the Supt (Jackson) but nothing was done by him; that shortly after coming to the Home the last time, the matron (Miss Deeble) put me on my guard saying that “Jackson was a thief”, that I soon discovered a regular system of dishonesty going on in every department of the Home; that my removal was for a trivial cause viz. two boys had left their slop buckets in emptied in the pantry which occurred when I was not on duty, but this answered as a pretext to get me out of the way.

Q. Since you left the employ of the Home have you had any knowledge of the existing condition of things there generally or from time to time?

A. Yes generally through visits to the Home or from information received from the boys of the School. I have been very much interested from the first in the school and its success, and have tried to keep in touch with the general interests and with everyone in the School.

Q. From your knowledge of the affairs of the Home what can you state as to the mental training received there?

A. The subjects taught are reading, writing and arithmetic and a letter drawing ? once a week. The writing generally is very good – and some of the boys read very fluently, others fair, and some very bad. Drawing seems natural with the boys.

Q. What can you state as to the Industrial training at the School?

A. Practically none. As there was no trade taught there are no trades learned.

Q. What can you say as to the moral training at the Home?

A. The first time I was there, I began a system of moral and religious education lasting from 20 to 30 minutes. This was in addition to some vocal and instrumental music. I understand that former was abandoned after I left the School. The last time I was at the School my duties were in another line. As to the moral and religious training at the Home at present it is practically nothing. My information is from the boys and also from other sources.

Q. Will you please state your impressions as to the moral excellence of the Indian pupils, when you first went to the Home.

A. They impressed me most formally. Indeed most of the larger boys I thought reached as high a standard of Christian and moral excellence – if not higher – than any boys or youths of same age that I had ever been with – and this was particularly so in the Chapel.

Q. Are the boys, so far as you are able to judge, under strict moral influence and discipline?

A. From what I learn from the boys themselves, I can say they are not, as facts have come under my own observation where the boys have become venerally diseased with gonorrhea and syphilis. In some cases the boys have been entirely neglected while suffering from these diseases and have been sent home to die. One boy John King an Indian boy of the Oneida reservation Wisconsin whose deplorable condition came to the notice of Mrs. J. Bellangee Cox 1st Directress of the Home and he was sent away without an hours notice. One boy I saw myself as he came to me in his trouble (Ch?? Docstater?) and David Peake and self took him to Dr. Byrons, 47 Greenway Ave. who stated that he had treated for similar diseases the following Indian boys: Chas. Philbrick, Andrew? Pettit, Andrew Ransome. In addition to these boys who have been known to visit house of ill repute, I mention John Bain, Peter Huff, Abram Smith and several others whose names are not now recalled.

Q. Do you know of any improper or wrongful acts between the pupils of the Home and those of Lincoln Institution?

A. Edward Warren and Lizzie LaFrance were both dismissed for immoral acts (cohabitation). David E. Peake was arrested and forced to marry Marie Butler for some reason.

1899.45029 p. 79 of NARA record (#97 in top right corner)

December 1898

Noble Haigh, of 1309 S. 51st Street, present occupation, nurse and masseur, stated that he was school master in the Educational Home from May until December 1895. The following year he was appointed steward and served in that capacity from April until the middle of June. When he became connected with the School a Mr. McFeeters was Superintendent. He was dismissed for drunkenness eight or ten days after Mr. Haigh. Then Messrs. Lampen and Mercer were appointed as joint Superintendents. Lampen was Superintendent from June 1st, 1895 to November 1st, 1895. He left because he felt he was persecuted by the Committee and some of the officials. Lampen was a fairly good man. Mr. Mercer succeeded him as Superintendent. He lacked tact, however, and did not seem to acquire the sympathy of the boys.

A Mr. Jackson succeeded Haigh. Three years ago complaint was made of the manner in which the boys were treated. The Society Prevention of Cruelty to Children investigated the matter, and as a result Jackson resigned. Colonel Given succeeded him and is now Superintendent.

Mr. Haigh stated that after leaving the School he had seen the boys from time to time, and they complained of an insufficiency of food, a sort of continual hunger from the food not being well cooked or well served; that they came to him individually without any prompting on his part.

Document History

• Transcribed by HS 2025-07-27