John Armour

 

Mr. Armour was a resident of the House of Industry shortly after it opened. His experiences were quite negative and controversal, which only encouraged the media to cover the story. He came to the House of Industry after being a patient at the Guelph General Hospital. He had a lung disease that was proving to require too much care and attention from the staff. It was decided that he would benefit from the attention that could be provided at the House of Industry. 

 

Mr. Armour was released to the House of Industry under the conditions that he was not to perform hard work outside in the cold weather. The doctor ensured to state that light work in pleasant weather would not cause him any harm. However, he claimed that when he arrived at the House, the keepers believed he had "chronic laziness" and was forced to work outdoors in all weather conditions. He told the Elora Lightning Express that his chest "was raw all the time from having been rubbed with with some stuff left by the Doctor" and that he was spitting up blood with no relief from work.

 

Upon his release from the House, he launched a law suit against the keeper of the House for "inhumanity and ill-treatment of the inmates under his charge." To support this claim, he brought up the case of Mr. Woodrow. He claimed that Mr. Woodrow "fell or lay down on the floor and was kicked in the stomach until he got upon his chair again." The legal case was covered in the Thursday, April 18, 1878 edition of the Fergus News Record.