The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-05
HORRIBLE REVELATIONS.
THE ORUBLTIEs PRACTISED IN A
PITTSBURGH REFORM SCHOOL.
Three superintcndcnt-, Of whom One
Worse than the Other-DcbauchcrV and
Infamous Hrutnlity-PItIfnI stories.


PITTsnURou Feb. 25-The legislature
has just completed an investigation into the
man gefDeHt Of the Reform school of Western
Pennsylvania. located at this place. and has ex-
posed system Of unsurpas. ed cruelties Tho
Reform SOhool IA governed nv n BOARD OF Man
nger-. who appoint a SUPERINTENDENT. For years
TINS institution has teen an ulcer upon the BODY
polite, but II had become 40 close a corpora
ton that II was impossible to expose It's infa-
mics, though they have long been suspected.
More than twenty years ago reform school
for Pittsburgh became n necessity. The GLASS
of men attracted by the work ~ tue iron mills
increased the humber OF uncaredfor children
until the streets swarmed with them, and crime
was rampant. A number OF wealthy gentlemen
finally organized a corporation. and obtained a
CHARTER permitting them to establish School OF
Reform In the Guy of Allegheny which IL across
the river from Pittsburgh. At the outset the
contract svstem-that Is, the leasing OF the In
mates time TO contractors-wAs inaueurated,
and II has been curse to the Refuge.
Inmates. or these about one third have been
girls, under the care Of matron, who was sub
ordinate to tine Superintendent. The first SuDer-
intendent-a Rev. Mr. RutherfOri-left his po-
sition at the serious call OF the District Court.
ing his reign II was shown that lie had used his
position to indulre In horrible and disgusting
debaucherv. Rutherford WAS succeeded by ono
Rweeny. and at the same time the Rev. X. N.
Ave ', an Enlscoualian clergyman, became A.
ant Superintendent. sweeny was hard,
cold man, repul-ive IN manner ana stern OF
speech, while Avery Is piu 2, plausible. nffable,
and as smooth "a oil. From the frst he Inn
pressed the managers by his elegant culture aud
extensive Information, and he frequently depre-
Gated the corporal punishnents 81 freely dealt
out by hts supel Tor Officer. A particu larly A.
grant case of cruel punishment beCom-
Ing known sweeny was deposed. and X.
N. Avery was elevated to the position. Imme-
diately the whole nature Of the man changed.
lie at once set about creating small despotism
Of which he would be the autocrat. The ma
iron, Miss Mccoy, a tall angular, large-Ooned
masculine old maid. fell In with his ideas, and
the other subordinate officers were made crea-
tures Of his will or dischai ged. The contractors
were made his friends by the unlimited control
which he gave them over tue boys whom they
employed. Tue oovs were all tasked oy the con-
tractors, and they were lashed with rawhide VI
they failed TO perform the work marked out for
them. From time to time loud conn lhnts Of
Avcry's inhuman abuse OF the BOYS were public
ly made, and several times the Board Of Man
ayers Investigated the subject. The board Il
composed Of nigh-toned,. retired gentlemen,
who, being honest themselves, were easily ca
JOled into The belief Of Avery's probity.
SHOCKING STATEMENTS.
Shortly after the meeting Of the present Lecis-
lature three former officers OF the school
Miss Mekelyy, Miss Pence and MISS Nelman.
ment OF the crueltios practised there. The
Board OF ManaRers investigated tue charges.
and declared them not proven, but the public
were not satisfied, aud an inyes tiga:on was be-
gan by the State Bourd OF Charities. which has
a supervisory control Of all suon institutions.
Shortly afterward this was dropped to make
way Tor an examination by oomuittte OF tue
consumed fortnight, and the revelations were
dhmning. he testimony showed that for u
series of YEAR the Reform school has been hell
were legion, aud the committee found II neccs-
sary after the second day 10 set init 90 the
number. II was shown that little ganiine OF and
~ years, sent To the school "A place OF refuge,
were unfortunately mixed up with older aud
more hardened youths. VINO we're cOnhned Ia
the Refuge for crimes sgiin-t the laws. Thus II
came That the Refuge turncd out more thieves
and prostitutes than good citizens. One
witness, Mise sarah Byington. who taught In the
Reform School for many years, said that the
proportion OF reformed cnildren was as one to
ten The Investigation was begun with the tes-
tlnnnN former
testimony was immense, and everv page was
story OF brutality and suffering. A few speci.
men oaEes must suffice. Ahnie Roberts en-
tered the Reform School when she was but
eight years 81 age, aud for speaking impcr
tinently TO q teacher sne was hOr-ewhipped. put
into strait cket. ana fed upon bread aud
water for three weeks. Maggie donaldson swore
That the young Rirs were associated with tho
oder ones, some OF whom were sent to the
Refuge Ia the hope that they could be rescued
from abandoned lives, and that che took her 1rst
lessons 10 wickedncss IN the reform School.
she had been very severely whipped on several
occasions aud sue once saw Marion NC, oy
whip n airl named Kate Hooper for tr1fing
offence until the blood streAIned from the VIC
utn's shoulders.
LAsuEp wIru A housewife.
most piuaole story was t,ld by han dsome
young woman named ANNE Nanderkist. When
twelve YEAR Of axe Annie Was taken from the
Protestant Episcop Home ~ Pennsylvania NY
two ladies' Of Allegheny, aud employed by thein
during year Being unable to furnish her
with employment any longer, thew sent her to
the Refuge To TIE thaken care Of. Up TO this pc
! giOn ana Tespectauility aud vice was a stranger
| TO her. She wis barely WITHIN the Refuge walls
when her senses were assaulted with the vilrst
language, anu sne soon became familiar Win N c
| vocabulary Of the brOthe She was thrust In
among 100 girls. many OF whom had lived the
| lives Of Cypri rs. Sue was girl OF hlgn spirit,
and for replying to an insulting epithet hurled
at her by teacher. sire was cruely whipped by
the Matron, Miss Mccoy. From that moment
all the devil In the girl was rampant, ana she
determined 20 escape AT all hazards. She was
detected and seriously punished, but she e.
|
fearful. hne testified that she was tied TO
| n chair, and beaten by Superintendent
| Avery with a hOrsewhip until the blood
flowed from her breasts and from her
hands. Then she was taken 10 cold room,
| tor three months. The room was not larger
than some prison cells, ana she was not allow ed
! to leave IL for exercise. For four days after she
was conn ed she h,u nothing To eat, and during
the FIRST three weeks OF her Incarceration her
diet was bread and water. 10 prevent her from
| attempting to escape from the cell, Annie was
hanoouned, and the manacles were liked 40
tightly upon her that the circulation OF the
blood WAS impeded. Her suffering was Intense
The pain In ner wrist drove sleep away FROM
| her. and to relieve her agony she frequently
dow openi ~ into the cell, so they might be
| come numO With the COLI, aud thus for a shori
time insensibie 10 the cruel grasp OF the hanc
| cuffs. While she was hHndcunvd, she rau, Su
| perintendent Avery struck her blow In tn,
face that brou- ut the blood from her nose ant
mouth. On the day that Annie testified, a large
crowd W Q In Attendance AT the Investigate u
| ana when she concluded her story by exposing
| to the COmutttee all lDuenOle scar on ner NrlSt
as a remlniscence Of the manacles, the Grove
was excited to fury, and the slightest encour
aRement would have preoipitated their rag
upon the head OF the Superintendent.
| THE sCoUHGE.
In the boys department the discipline OF tn,
! scourge was In terrible favor. ELI Myse wa
beaten until the blood flowed from him, anC
| then ounnned IN a lock -up-a cell about 9 by o
| for three months, In midwinter, and his fee
were so badly frozen that To the present time h'
Is unable to Wear leather shoes. Adam Heddl
swore that superintendent Avery had given hln
a hundred lashes upon the bare back, and tha
the blood flowed from his shoulders to his heels
James Cassidy, a one-armed youth, swofe tha
he had received LIZ lashes on the bare back fol
trting offence while quite young, and that he
would carry the marks Of the whip to his grave
Mr. Robert Melles, at present a teacher In The
public sonoOis, but formerly teacher In the
Refuge, and who has a testimonial OF biRh char
Acter from Superintendent Avery. swore that h'
saw the Superintendent tie a boy to a post ant
whip him upon the bare back until the boy
fell exhausted. He watched tue whipping
until overcome with disgust, but before he left
the scene the boy had received over I0 lashes
John Anderson, William Scott, viii lam Metz
and Harvey Reed appeared before the commit
tee. and exhibited sears made upon their per
sons ny the whip Of the superintendent and nii
subordinates.
10 meet this terrible arraiVnment tho defence
offered the testimony OF the Superintendent, hi
wife, and number oil the subordinate officers
briefly summed no, II was a general deni i. II
was admitted that Annie Vanderkist had beer
whipped, handcuned, and confined, but II wal