ury （widowed） and her lover； Howard Parker； were later convicted of child abuse； child molestation； and corrupting the morals of a minor。 Mrs。 Salsbury was sentenced to seven to ten years in the New Jersey Correctional Institution for Women。 Upon her conviction； Ogden was transferred to the home of a neighbor； Mrs。 Carrie Barger （now Peterson）； where he became one of several foster children。 This interview was conducted with Mrs。 Carrie Peterson （now sixty…nine years old） in her home in Teaneck； New Jersey； on the morning of Wednesday； January 22； 1975。 The subject was obviously intoxicated even at that early hour and sipped at a glass of 〃just plain orange juice〃 throughout the interview。 The subject was not aware that she was being recorded。
Dawson had marked the sections of the report that most interested him。 He skipped ahead to the third page。
AGENT： Living next door to Mrs。 Salsbury； you must have witnessed a great many of those beatings。
MRS。 PETERSON： Oh； yes。 Oh； I should say。 From the time
that Ogden was old enough to walk； he was a target for her。 That woman！ The least little thing he did…whup！ she beat him black and blue。
AGENT： Spanked him？
MRS。 PETERSON： No； no。 She hardly ever spanked。 Had she only spanked！ That wouldn't have been so horrid。 But that woman！ She started out hitting him with her open hands。 On the head and all about his sweet little face。 As he got older she'd sometimes use her fists。 She was a big woman； you know。 She'd use her fists。 And she'd pinch。 Pinch his little arms 。 。 。 I cried many the time。 He'd e over to play with my foster children； and he'd be a mess。 His little arms would be spotted with bruises。 Just spotted all over with bruises。
AGENT： Vas she an alcoholic？
MRS。 PETERSON： She drank。 Some。 But she wasn't addicted to gin or anything。 She was just mean。 Naturally mean。 And I don't think she was too smart。 Sometimes； very dim…witted people； when they get frustrated； they take it out on children。 I've seen it before。 Too often。 Suffer the little children。 Oh； they suffer so much； I tell you。
AGENT： She had a great many lovers？
MRS。 PETERSON： Dozens。 She was a vile woman。 Very mon…looking men。 Always very mon…looking。 Dirty。 Crude laborers。 Her men drank a lot。 Sometimes they'd stay with her as much as a year。 More often it was a week or two； a month。
AGENT： This Howard Parker…
MRS。 PETERSON： Him！
AGENT： How long was he with Mrs。 Salsbury？
MRS。 PETERSON： Nearly six months； I think； before the crime。 What a horrible man。 Horrible！
AGENT： Did you know what was happening in the Salsbury house when Parker was there？
MRS。 PETERSON： Of course not！ I'd have called the police at once！ Of course the night of the crime…Ogden came to me。 And then I did call the police。
AGENT： Do you mind talking about the crime？
MRS。 PETERSON： It still upsets me。 To think of it。 What a horrible man！ And that woman。 To do that to a child。
AGENT： Parker was…bisexual？
MRS。 PETERSON： He was what？
AGENT： He customarily had relations with both sexes。 Is that right？
MRS。 PETERSON： He raped a little boy！ It's 。 。 。 I don't know。 I just don't know。 Why did God make some people so wicked？ I love children。 Have all my life。 Love them more than anything。 I can't understand a man like that Parker。
AGENT： Does it embarrass you to talk about the crime？
MRS。 PETERSON： A little bit。
AGENT： If you can bear with me。 。 。 It's really important that you answer a few more questions。
MRS。 PETERSON： If it's for Ogden's sake； like you said； I surely can。 For Ogden's sake。 Although he never es back to see me。 You know that？ After I took him in and raised him from the age of eleven。 He just never es back。
AGENT： The court records of that time were not properly explicit。 Either that or the judge had some of the testimony altered to protect the boy's reputation。 I am not certain whether Mr。 Parker subjected the boy to…you'll excuse me； but it has to be said…to oral or anal intercourse。
MRS。 PETERSON： That horrible man！
AGENT： Do you know which it was？
MRS。 PETERSON： Both。
AGENT： I see。
MRS。 PETERSON： With the mother watching。 His mother watched！ Can you imagine such a thing？ Such a rotten thing？ To do that to a defenseless child。 。 。 What monsters they were！
AGENT： I didn't mean to make you cry。
MRS。 PETERSON： I'm not crying。 Just a tear or two。 It's so sad。 Don't you think？ So terribly sad。 Suffer the little children。
AGENT： There's no need to continue with…
MRS。 PETERSON： Oh； but you said this was for Ogden's sake； that you needed to ask all of this for Ogden's sake。 He was one of my children。 Foster children。 But I felt like they were my own。 I loved them dearly。 Loved all of them。 Little dears； every one。 So if it's for Ogden's sake 。 。 。 Well 。 。 。 For months； without anyone at all knowing； with poor little Ogden too afraid to tell any…one； that terrible Howard Parker 。 。 。 was using the boy。 。 。 using。 。 。 his mouth。 And the mother watching！ She was a vicious woman。 And sick。 Very sick。
AGENT： And the night of the crime… MRS。 PETERSON： Parker used the boy。。 。 he used 。 。 。 the
boy's rectum。 Hurt him terribly。 You can't know the pain that boy suffered。
AGENT： Ogden came to you that night。
MRS。 PETERSON： I lived right next door to them。 He came to me。 Shaking like a leaf。 Scared out of his wits。 The poor； poor baby。 。 。 Crying his heart out； he was。 That awful Parker had beat him up。 His lips were cracked。 One eye was puffed and black。 At first I thought that was all that was wrong with him。 But I soon discovered。 。 。 the other。 We rushed him to the hospital。 He needed eleven stitches。 Eleven！ AGENT： Eleven…rectal stitches？
MRS。 PETERSON： That's right。 He was in such pain。 And he was bleeding。 He had to stay in the hospital for nearly a week。
AGENT： And eventually you became his foster mother。
MRS。 PETERSON： Yes。 And never sorry for it。 He was a fine boy。 A dear boy。 Very bright too。 At school they said he was a genius。 He won all of those scholarships and went up to Harvard。 You'd think he'd e to see me； wouldn't you？ After all I did for him？ But no。 He never es。 He never es around。 And now the social
workers won't let me have any more children。 Not since my second husband died。 They say there have to be two parents in a foster home。 And besides they say that I'm too old。 Well； that's craziness。 I love children； and that's all that should count。 I love each and every one of them。 Haven't I dedicated my life to foster children？ I'm not too old for them。 And when I think of all the suffering children； I could just cry。
The last half of that report was a transcription of a long and rambling conversation with the man to whom Mrs。 Peterson had been married at the time that she took the eleven…year…old Ogden Salsbury into her home。
This interview was conducted with Mr。 Allen J。 Barger （now eighty…three years old） in the Evins…Maebry Nursing Home in Huntington； Long Island； on the afternoon of Friday； January 24； 1975。 The subject is supported at the home by the three children from his second marriage。 The subject； who suffers from senility； was alternately lucid and incoherent。 The subject was not aware that he was being recorded。
Dawson leafed ahead to the passage he bad marked。
AGENT： Do you remember any of the foster children that you took in while you were married to Carrie？
MR。 BARGER： She took them in。 Not me。
AGENT： Do you remember any of them？
MR。 BARGER： Oh； Christ。
AGENT： What's the matter？
MR。 BARGER： I try not to remember them。
AGENT： You didn't enjoy them like she did？
MR。 BARGER： All those dirty little faces when I came home from work。 She tried to say we needed the extra money； the few dollars the government gave us for keeping the kids。 It was the Depression。 But she drank up the money。
AGENT： She was an alcoholic？
MR。 BARGER： Not when I married her。 But she was sure on her way to being one。
AGENT： Do you remember a child named…
Mr。 BARGER： My trouble was I didn't many her for her mind。
AGENT： Excuse me？
MR。 BARGER： I married my second wife for her mind； and that worked out swell。 But when I got hitched to Carrie 。 。 。 Well； I was forty years old and