Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-03-19
The Reform School.

| Vic aScAsCanC superintendent OF the
Reform School from September, 1871,
to August, 1873, in which he recites
most narrowing details of cruelty
practiced, as he says, upon the pupils
in that institution by McCarty, the
Superintendent. The details of pun.
ishments inflicted upon the boys by
McCarty, as given by Kilvington, are
positively horrlfying, and if true,
stamp the perpetrator as wretch be-
side whom Squeers and Pagan were
white-robed angels. The following
are specimen extracts, italics inclu-
ded:
In 1871, at the Reform School in
Salem, saw McCarty whip with a
raw-hide a boy named Albert A. Is
mon. The boy was about IA, Grip
pie, having club-feet. He was whip
ped for trying to run away. McCarty
gave him forty or fifty lashes, leaving
wells on his body. Have seen him
repeatedly strike boys with his crutch
in savage and cruel manner for
slight offences. At Eldora saw him
whip boy named Burns for throw
ing mud at the outside of the build
ing. He whipped him until he drew
blood. The boy was between l2and
Is years old. l ssw McCarty whip
boy named Brown, at Salem, whip
ping him with a horsc-whip. The
boy had undertaken to run away, and
was found in one of the rooms Of the
Reform School hidden in a bed; the
boy was clad in thin denim pants;-
was abo IA years old, small of his
age. After beating him brutally with
horse-whip, Nc Carty had the boy
placed an a dungeon acithout light
fourteen days, aoith no company,
and no nourishment but bread and
acater, gicen him once day. This
boy had has acrists bound an iron
handouts, and has legs tied ri'h
iron chains, so that he could only
walk with the greatest difficulty
Punishment was inflicted because he
tried to run away. This was in the
summer time, during the hot weather.
Dungeon was room about eight
feet long and fom feet wide, and the
ceiling SO low that a boy IA years old
could not stand up straight any place
in the room. This dungeon was in
the garnet near the caves of the build
ing. The only light or air for this
dungeon came through two Stats
above the door, about an inch wide,
and the only articles in the room
were a pair of blankets. During
these fourteen duys and nights the
bay cas not alloaeed to 90 ont Of the
room for any purpose achotecer, nor
were his handouts or chains taken
from him. saw the boy OH the day
he was taken cut of the dungeon
He looked weak and sickly, and l
saw body lice crawling on him. l
looked into the dungeon. 1t was an
unspeakably filthy place, and a horrid
stencil came from the door.
l have known Of McCarty's placing
other boys in the same dungeon for
similar offences. 1t ,cus Ills usu"i
punishment for boys acho co"ld not
he conquered scith the 'chip. 1t was
the general custom to use the hand
cuffs and chains. There is dungeon
in the Reform School at Eldora. 1t
is inst about such Il room rs the one
described above, being under the
roof, but it is a little darker. While
assistant superintendent at Eldora, Il
boy named William Bowen (colored)
of Muscatinc, was placed in the dun
geon. His offence was stealing lard.
He was placed in irons and kept in a
dungeon three days. AT Eldora l
have seen him whip boys brutally
with a buggy whip, also with a raw
hide, and a hickory stick five feet
long and an inch thick. Have seen
him twice whip boys at Eldora until
he drew blood. Once for attempting
to run away and once for stepping on
a painted floor before it was dry
Have seen him furnish the boys
meat after 1t had spoiled and be-
come maggoty. l have seen this
cone both at Eldora and Salem
Saw him whip a boy once with
trace taken from a harness. 1t was
one of the largest boys. This was at
Salem, in 1871. The boy had tried
to run away. I saw McCarty strike
the boy. The boy WAS made to as
sumo STOPPING posture, his face
downward, his hands resting on the
floor. l saw McCarty strike the boy
while in that position about sixty
blows with a harness tug, a heavy
harness tug, striking the boy Oh the
back and shoulders and small Of his
back. The boy begged for mercy.
1t the time he acas ,chipped, the boy
aoas hand-cufed and his legs ,eere
chained together. The boy after
wards escaped and was not caught.
If this story is TO be relied upon,
or if it is anything like the truth, of
course the matter is settled. McCar-
ty ought to be dismissed in disgrace.
But is it true? We confess that we
have serious doubts Of it. Kilving-
toms tale is set on too high a key
The picture is too highly colorcd.
and its exposure before the public
at this late date invests it with an IT
of doubt and suspicion. Its
style is much after the sensational
model of Bob Mcbride, and pos
sibly may be animated by no better
motive than his. We know nothing
Of Kilvington's character and ante
cedents beyond what he tells us, and
we notice, though residing in the
same county, that the Courier does
not vouch for him. This narrowing
tale Notwithstanding, we think the
public had better suspe..d judgment
until after official investigation of
the charges against the government
Of the Reform School.
THE Republicans of Ohio are talk