Hansford: Mental Defectives in County H., Indiana 25 
prison, her boys went to relatives and the girls were taken 
by the Society for Homeless Children. Rose thinks that the 
Board had them killed. At times she is so violent that the 
Poor Asylum authorities have to lock her in her room. She 
is very much depressed at times and says that she has a bad 
nervous trouble. Her husband said that she had been crazy 
for a long time, 
Eddie, the first child of Rose Skinner Alvis, is about 38 
years old. His father was a Henson according to the mother's 
statement. He has been insane at one time. He now lives 
in S. County. 
John Skinner, the second child of Rose, was born in 1883. 
His father was Bill Skinner. John grew up to be a steady 
worker according to his step-father ; he side-tended on a chan- 
neling machine in a stone mill. He was alcoholic and licen- 
tious. In 1909 he was sent to the Central Insane Hospital 
from which place he was transferred to the Southeastern in 
1910. His diagnosis is Primary Dementia. 
Oscar, the third child of Rose, belonging to Bill Skinner, 
is supposed to be dead. 
Stella and Bessie were taken by the Society for Homeless 
Children and are probably placed out. The supposed father 
of these 2 girls, Homer Alvis, has already been discussed 
as a typical quarryman. He is related to Jane Lowden and 
John Blew, who have been patients of the Southeastern 
Hospital. 
Bill Skinner, the fourth child of Charlie Sr., married 
Elizabeth Blew, aunt of John Blew. By her he had 2 sons. 
He then fell in love with her sister Rachael, after which the 
wife died suddenly and very mysteriously, according to the 
neighborhood gossip. The day after the funeral he tried to 
force Rachael to marry him but was unsuccessful. A few 
days later she died in the same manner as her sister, and 
then people were sure that he had poisoned both women. 
Nothing was ever done about it, for the neighbors did not 
want the enmity of the Skinners. It was at this time that 
he took up with his niece Rose. Several years later Rose 
and Bill had a quarrel, and Bill shot himself. Some of the 
neighbors think that Rose shot him. 
The fifth child of Charlie Skinner Sr. married a Woods. 
We know of only 2 children of this union, Arthur and a girl. 
