New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-17
"REFDRMINGD A BOY.

The physical abuse of children in publ
institutions is perhaps the most repulsiye crim'
of which n public officer can be guilty; ant
for such cruelty if left unpublished and Will
no measures taken TO prevent its repetition,
society is directly responsible. If delicate
duties, the performance of which implies and
includes the tenderest charities and the stern
est equities are left to hard-handed, stony
hearted. and coarse-minded BUNDLES, the great
original and most guilty Bundle is that poly
cephalous public which delegates duty, and
then winks with half its many eyes at neglect,
while OF the other half ii is blind altogether
How can n crime like that the details of which
we are about to naTrate occur in civilized
land2 We read of infanticide in China with
a variety of thrills, including thrills OF pity,
horror. and Indignation, but the killing OF
female children in that flowery land is the
result of peculiar notions of political economy
which we, with every schoOl-house which we
erect, every church which we maintain, every
orphan asylum which we endow, do, with much
self-compacency repudiate. Yet there has just
occurred a case of child-murder at the Hyde
Park Reform School at Chicago, in comparison
with which the Chinese methods of strangling
and drowning are benevolent and commend
able. Let rs get through the painful story as
soon as possible.
On the 3Oth ult, the boys of the institution
were marching up to bed, when one of them
gave another push. BertOn, the night watch
man, came down, and asked what the matter
vast He was answered; but then perceiving
George H. Miller to be laughing, he struck
InoI With ruhiU-ufnplr md
Knocked him do,Cn-a pretty severe penalty for
"laughingn Miller went to the dormitory,
complaining of a pain in the head, and he
died some time during the night, for he was
dead in his bed in the morning all effort &c
relieve him having failed. Upon being in.
formed of the result of his passionate anG
criminal conduct, Berton became suddenly
very much affected, and cried, "My God, are
there no hopes" None, it would appear.
Miller was dead
Now let us see what killed him! The post
mortem revealed "one ounce of clotted blood
between the internal membrane Of the brain
"and the skull beneath the right parietal and
"upon the middle point of the right hemi-
"sphere Of the brain" Not to put too scien-
tiic point upon il. "the boy died of COM
preston of the brain, the result Of blow
upon the head. which ruptured some of the
"head arteries So said DR.. Pitcher. So said
DR.. Gillette And Mr.. Berton, night Waterman,
was conducted to Jail upon a charge of murder.
And now there are some questions to be
asked, which we are justified in asking be-
cause we may have homicidal night watchmen
IN some of our own juvenile reformatories,
and Some of our own municipal proteg6s may
he in danger of being knocked on the head
"for laughing" Who was Mr. BertOn that he
should have been employed about the prem,
ises7 Did the Superintendent, who testified
that BertOn was instructed mot to strike {
"boy," know that BertOn was in the habi
of going about his duties with loade,
"whip-stock I" And if Superintendent Rober
Turner did not know this, how did it harper
that he was ignorant of a fact which it wal
his official duty to know7 What was the usi
of his testifying that this big brute had "neve'
"been complained Off" Who was to com
plainf Certainly not the boys whose lives
were in the power Of the man with The
"loaded whip-stock." The sum total of tn,
superintendent exculpatory testimony is thai
BertOn never killed boy before, but had been
notified in writing" not to beat anybody.
Very much Mr.. Berton appears to have cared
for this notice "in writing" not to commit
murder. The satisfaction of the boys friends
Gf he has any on learning that BeFton had