David Peake Testimonials

STATEMENT OF DAVID PEAKE

Philadelphia, Feb. 23, 1899 (p. 77 of NARA record) 1899.45029

Q. How long were you at the Educational Home as a scholar?

A. Five years, from 1891 to 1896; when I went to the Bellevue Hospital in New York for two years where I was studying to be a trained nurse.

Q. What are doing now?

A. Trained Nurse. I am registered at the College of Physicians.

Q. Can you tell me about Mr. Jackson’s leaving the Educational Home - what did Col. Givin tell you?

A. I was not at the Home when Jackson left, but Col. Given [Givin] told me that he ran away in the night, that he had to get out, and that he took some money that was in the office, most of which belonged to the boys.

Q. Do you know how much money he took away?

A. My understanding is that Col. Given said he took about $147.

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

December 1898

David E. Peake, 1309 S. 51st Street, a former pupil of the School; now a regular graduated nurse and masseur. Mr. Peake stated that there were about one hundred and six boys in the School, and that in his judgment about ninety of them are actually actively employed in no work and learning practically nothing. The school sessions are nine to twelve in the morning and two to four in the afternoon. The average number of boys who took part in the recitations was twelve, some times not that many.

The place is always filthy, not properly cleaned. The closets are generally in a very dirty condition and smell badly. There are three of them in the building, and frequently the water does not flow in the m. ?

In speaking of the general health of the School he said it was pretty good; that he lost a brother by typhoid fever. Only the day before he died the Doctor announced that he had the fever. He had been treated previously for something else. There was no nurse to take care of him until the day he died.

He was asked if the boys wore ? old? Clothes when at the School, and replied that they were ? quite ragged, and that he had heard remarks about their appearance.

When letters came for the boys they are opened by the Superintendent. It has been claimed in some cases when these letters contained money it was withheld from the boys.

In speaking about Mrs. Coxe [sic], Peake said he did not believe she had any interest in the Indians; that she puts men over them who have no reputation at all - persons like McFeeters and Jackson; men she does not know anything about. McFeeters was a man who had been guilty of some crime. Mrs. Coxe’s driver told Peake about this and said that through Mrs. Coxe’s efforts, McFeeters was cleared of the charge.

He was so intemperate that the boys at times had to carry him to his office. Once he was reading prayers that he was so drunk that he came near falling from the altar.

One boy said that they were supposed to get two suits every year, but that they did not. He had been there two years, and the only suit he had received was the one he had on.

Document History

• Transcribed by HS 2025-07-27