Salt Lake Tribune | 1904-05-08 | Page 23 | Rears Children like Savages

BEARS CHiLOREM LIKE SAVAGES Wealthy Family Living in Semi-Barbaric Semi-Barbaric State Near Flock-town, Flock-town, N. J. 'itEVARK; N. J.. May 7. Investiga- tion has recently been made by S the Morris County S. P. C. C. into a peculiar case, but the organization finds itself unable to do anything in the matter. It was reported that a family named Johnson, though wealthy. Is living liv-ing in a semi-barbaric state near Flocktown. and that two children were treated very badly. The children are a girl, now 21 years old, and a boy, 20 years old. The father is Peter D. Johnson. He moved to Flocktown 'from Three Bridges and married Hannah Dicker-son, Dicker-son, whose father was one of the most influential men in that section of the country, and who left hls daughter a large and well -paying farm, with a goodly siim of money In the bank. When Johnson married Miss Dicker-fon Dicker-fon he was a widower with the two children, Ida and Wlllard. The coun-tiy coun-tiy about Flocktown is very sparsely settled, and the young man nnd woman seldom met outsiders, and when they did, generally ran away Their clothes were made from feed bags, and they never had clothes fit to appear In public. pub-lic. The family works the farm from early morning until late nt night, and their labors bring In goodly returns. They never knew what shoes were Though treating themselves poorly, the family has a stable full of horses, every one sleek, clean1, well-fed and never abused- Each horse Is worked only so many hours a day. The stalls arc kept in a most cleanly manner. The father has not had a hair cut or a shave In fifteen years and has the appearance ap-pearance of a wild man, while the stepmother step-mother never wears a shoe while around tho farm. The family Is afflicted with a religious mania, but never attends church. The members continually read the Bible. The father and stepmother have separate sep-arate bank accounts, as she pays him a percentage yearly on the earnings. Tho S. P. C. C. was unable to do anything, as the children were more than 11 years of age.