New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-08-24

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In order to ASCERTAIN the true state q
affairs with regard to barbarities alleged b
have been committed on boys confined i
the House Of Refuge. our reporter obtained
| permit from Colonel Lewis, Administr4tol
Of Police, and accompanied BY two well
known citizens, made a personal inspection
Of the institution.
The Jormitory, which contains about one
hundred boys is kept in cleanly conditton,
and is an airy apartment. The interior
arrangements of the institution appeared to
be unpxceptionable.
A report having become current that a
boy named John Bnrns was undergoing
harsh and unnecessary treatment, special
inquiry was made as TO his case. It was
discovered that he had only been confined
to the limits of the dormitory, and fed on
bread and water. Two pounds of bread
| per day were allowed him.
| The boys, with few exceptions, stated
that they were well treated, and had plenty
| toeat.
EXAMINATION IN THE MAYORS PARLoR.
Abont twelve O'Clock yesterday large
| number of persons assembled in the Mayors
| parior, to witness the investigation of GER
tain charges made against Mr.. Sehwind, of
having cruelty treated two boys under his
charge, as assistant superintendent of the
| House of Refuge.
The examination was conducted by Ad-
ministrators Lewis, Remick and Shaw.
Mr.. Charles Schwind was called to
answer, and was informed that he was
charged with having numerically whipped
the boys Coppel and Mccormick.
The first witness was Mr.. Harrison, who
is employed as timer in the House of
Refuge.
Mr.. Harrison stated that boy wrote an
obscene sentence ON q slate. Sehwind mace
all the boys write the same sentence. and
then decided that John Coppel was the
guilty party. Coppel was whipped, and
received two hundred and forty. lashes.
His skin was whipped Off a space asilarge
as his tive hands. He was stiff from the
whipping. Next morning Mccormick got
two hundred and forty lashes for having
done the same thing that Coppel was
whipped for. The whipping was cruel and
excessive.
The boy Began is coiored. and was
whipped every day. Mr.. Schwind kicked
and bruised the boy, and made him stand
on the railing two and three hours at
time. The boy grew thin and emaciated,
and became most crazy. The boy was in
the House of Refuge two or three months.
and was sent to the Insane Asylum. Every
time the boy saw Sehwind he was fright
ened. Saw Schwind strike the boy with
his fist. 3
Witness has frequently seen Schwind
twist boys around by the head until they
became dizzy, then trip them up and throw
them down. Sehwind drilled the boys, and.
II they failed to keep step, he beat them
with barrel hoops, and put them on bread
and water. Schwind has been in the House
OF Refuge since October last, and has
whipped the boys daily. The boy Began.
when he left the House of Refuge, was
emaciated from want of food. The boy had
bruise on his face. They keep two straps,
one to show and the other to use. The bows
confined IN the House of Refuge are from
seven to twenty years old. Schwind has
always been brutal to the boys.
DIR. Hurd examined the boy Mccormick
and stated that he saw eight lines on his
back, that might have been inflicted three
months ago with a strap. Two of them
were ten Inches long, and the rest of them
smaller. They were on the back part of
the thighs. 1t would require deep ineision
to leave scar; such bruise would make
the body temporarily stiff. Such bruises
some times leave no scar ON boy.
Mr.. Bowen stated that he went into the
House of Refuge the day after some boys
had been whipped, and asked who was try
ing to kill the boys there last night? He was
answered that some boys had beeh whipped;
saw boy bruised, and remarked, that any
man who abused boy in that way was a
brute. Orders were given that he (witness)
should not be admitted to the House of Re-
fuge. Mr.. Bowen stated that the backs of
the boys looked as if they had been whipped
by bull drivers, and the flesh looked like
bruised beef; never saw boys whipped as
they were-worse than slaves twenty years
ago..
Mr.. Bowen is keeper of the Workhouse,
and said that after he examined the whipped
boys he was refused admission to the House
OF Refuge, and was never refused before.
As keeper Of the Workhouse he had under
his charge some desperate criminals, whom
he has punished, but not as severely as
these boys were punished.
Captain Dutinet. keeper of the Insane
Asylum, said when the boy Began. was
brought TO the asylum he was badly bruised.
and might have done it himself in his crazy
fits.
The boy Mccormick testified that he was
accused OF writing the words on the slate;
denied 1t, and was whipped for it. Mr..
Schwind gave him fifteen and twenty-five
lashes, which was no more than he had
been whipped by his parents. He worked
IN the bakeshop at the time, and the whip
ping did not prevent him from doing his
work.
Bote, boy, said that the boy Coppel got
seventy-five lashes. The boys get plenty
TO eat. They are punished by being made
to stand on the rails.
Mr.. A. j. johnson said he was invited to
the House of Refuge by Mr. Henry, the SUI
perintendent, Saw a boy punished. He
was laid down on u bench and struck fifteen
lashes with a strap an eighth of an inch
thick. This was for putting pin in a posi-
tion where boy sat on it. Saw MIR. Schwind
punish a boy by throwing him around.
Mr.. Kenny, gatekeeper of the House of
Refuge, said he saw Mr Sehwind strike the
boy Began in the mouth Witness had
charge OF the boy. and ,ound he was easy
to manage. Schwind struck the boy in the
mouth with his clenched fist, and the boy
shortly after became insane. Saw Schwind
scuf1llng and throwing the boy around. The
boy did not resist. By Mr.. Henrys orders |
the witness tied the boy on the railing. |
witness struck him lightly sometimes to |
make him stand still.
The following testimony was introduced |
for the defense:
August Hand, watohman of the House of /
Refuge, said: Never knew Mr: Schwind to |
treat the boys cruelty. Mccormick and I
Coppel were not punished worse than other |
boys under former administrations. He /
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