The Portland daily press., 1877-05-16

HasC riuay the Argus printed despatC
censurlng the officials at the Reform School f,
their management of the boys The trustee
knew where the information came from an
knew what it was worth, but to satisfy SON
people ordered an investigation. This invest
CATION began yesterday afternoon, and it wa
clearly shown that the information furnishe
the Argus was from Tim Kennedy, a boy fo
merly in the school, and whose record will
found below. He is a most jealous prosecute
and his zeal is only equalled by that of th
Argus. The city editor and the book-keeper G
that paper were present at the investigation
and the former assisted in the prosecution. A
one time be went SO far as to ask tho trustee
what right Mr.. Wentworth had to ask the vii
nesses questions, and few moments later b
with his usual modesty, was plying the ques
tions at fearful rate. In fact he showed mucl
talent in trying to make points, which he cou,,
not prove with the witnesses at his command
The investigation was held in the parlor al
the school, ard Messrs. William E. Gould, W
ii. Vinton, Jeremy W. Porter and Dr. Georg
q. Higgins of the trustees were present. Dr.
Paine, the fifth member IF the board, died
short time since. 1t was decided to take III
one case at time and hear the testimony OF
both sides of it. Mrs. Susan Barry, who lives
on York street, came forward and said she hat
charge to make against the officers. He
boy, William B. Barry, was committed tt
the school on the 9th of July, 1872. He came
home sick September 18th. 1875, and died the
18th of March, 1876, aged 16 years and ~ days
He was put into the school for truancy and
once before for setting fire on Merchants wharf
He ran away in August, 1874. but was caught
and returned. In October 1875. Dr. Files who
was attending him, said he was in consump.
ton and he was discharged, although DR..
Paine. one of the trustees protested against the
discharge, as he said he was not sick. Mrs.
Barry testified substantially as follows: When
the boy came home he said that on his return
after he ran away he was compelled to stand on
the line six hours day. He was also chain
ed to another boy and he stepped on his foot
breaking the sinews on top. He ran away be-
cause Mr. Babbidge, one of the overseers knock
ed him down, and Mr.. Wentworth tkrashed
him because he told of the affair." Inursed
him until he died in March. know nothing
of the abuse except what he told me, except
that saw Mr.. Davis another of the overseers,
strike him while at work in the corn factory at
Stroudwater When Mr.. Babbidge struck him
it was simply because he asked permission to
work in the field. He said he was knocked
down and afterwards kicked in the back and
head, and that he never knew why it was done.
When he came to myhouse after running
away gave him dry suit of clothes and his
sister gave him SO to buy shoes with. After
wards L heard they were going to prosecute me
for it. SO went to see lawyer Butler and he
said it was all right. Just at this poirt Mr.,
Davis entered the room and she recognized him
as the man who struck her son in the face
while in the corn factory. She said the next
day he struck him again for falling down while
coming from work. Mrs. Barry closed her tes-
timony by complaining of the clothes that her
son had on when he was finally discharged by
the trustees, and also that when captured after
running away the officers kept the So which his
sister gave him.
Upon being cross-examined by Mr.. Went.
worth she said that Mr. Hutchinson was in
charge of the school when the boy was abused
at the corn shop. The boy came home to me
wet from swimming across the river. After he
had changed his clothes the officers called for
him, but do not remember what told them.
Gave them no information. The boy said he
was going to Bangor and started for the boat.
All that was said about clothes when the bow
was discharged was that if 1 would wait the
10y should have an overcoat.
This closed her testimony, and one of the
prosecutors, or prosecutor, was introduced as
Timothy Kennedy. Timothy was very willing
wituess, in fact eager to tell the truth (?). He
assisted Mr.. Osgood very materially in his ar
1uous labors. AT one time he suggested to the
r1stees if it would not be better to hold this
hearing in the city go as to be handy for "us
ellers.' Perhaps before we give his testi-
mony it would be well to let our readers know
something of the young mans history. Timo-
thy was sentenced to the Reform School on the
9Th of November, 1870, for truancy. He had a
brother in the institution at the time. After
being in the school year he was allowed to 90
home but became unruly and his father asked
70 have him returned. November 9TH, 1873, he
was returned. Soon after he picked a lock and
escaped through the domitory window, but was
'eturned next morning with two other boys
whom he took with him. In May 1875, he was
Jet to work in the kitchen, but escaped from
here in October. He was returned in Novem.
per- Last June his father asked for his dis
charge, as he could get employ ment for him
IN the New York boats, but he has never been
On the boats at ALL
Kennedy said that he saw the assault that
Mrs. Barry alleged Babbdge made on her son.
The former went up to the back yard gate to
get some boys to help him in the field and
Barry stepped up and asked to go, when Bah
oidge reached forward and struck him several
times in the face, knocking him down and
then kicking him twenty times in the face. He
,rawled off on his hands and feet, the blood
running in stream from his face. MCGOWAN
was shackled to Barry after he ran away, and
when Mrs. Barry came to see him he told her
about the punishment he received from Bah
oidge, and when Mr.. Wentworth heard that he
had told of it he thrashed him for it. 1 have
been to see the Argus editors about publishing
this affair and told them wanted it looked in
70. also spoke to officers Fitch, Aver, PEN
1eli, Carr and Runnels, who were formely here
about it. Fitch said he could tell good story
f he was called.
On cross examination he said that when
Barry was returned be was shackled and the
hackles were kept on for two weeks. Mr..
Wentworth then began to pry into the true
nwardness of the thing, and asked him who
furnished the matter in the Argus about the
flair Mr.. Osgood was equal to the emergency
md objected to any one but trustees asking
questions. The Argus always protects
Is correspondents. After the objections
we're overruled by the trustees Kennedy
onfessed that he carried the articles
o the Argus complaining of the school and it's
He said he had met Barry
several times after his relesse. Saw him here
asst Christmas and he appeared well.
Hugh MCGOWAN, former pupil of the
chool was called to corroborate Keunedy's
Hugh too has record. He was
committed to the school in April, 1870, for
ruancy. In February 1873, he escaped by
ealing the wall with fourteen others, but was
eturned the same day. In July 1875 escaped
lgain, and in September was returned. Last
Nay he was discharged. He testified that he
Jaw the assault referred to. Barry asked to 90
INTO the field to work, when Babbidge reached
over the gate and struck him in the face, and
)ut for the wall he would have fallen. He