The New York herald., 1877-07-29
THE BLUE COAT BOY.
CRUELTIEs IN ENGLISH CHARITY scHooLs-A
SUICIDE OF TWELVE YEARS.

| The "Blue Coat Boy" s of the most picturesque
and characteristic sights OF London He is clothed IN
uniform that has something closteral and mcdimvai
about It long blue gown, without collar. encom-
passed ut the by sirdle OF leather; brooches
reaching to the knee, yellow stockings and around
the neck white like that worn by clergymen at
service. such is the dress in which the Blue Coat
Boy passes through the streets In addition TO this
psculiarty Of attire tho Blue Coat Boy is marked
out from other people by the fact that he
never wears any covering on MS head BE
the weather fine rough, sunshiny or showery the
Rue Coat Boy is to be seen without cap or hat me
"Buc Coat' school, call It by its proper name,
"Chrsps Hospital" is Of the Oldest, IL not tho
Oldest educational institutions In London IL was
founded by Edward W. June 20 1868, ten days be-
lore mis- death II originally intended Tor the oene-
fl OF poor athorcss children and foundlings; but ike
the majority of London charities It has been complete
y diverted from its original purpose The children OF
the poor no longer Gnd admission there lis inmates
OF rcciors officers in the army or navy,
and Of persons in still higher ranks OF society
Admission the school Is obtained solely aud entirely
through patronage tho majority oil the patrons oeng
members OF tho Court OF Aldermen. Nominaliy 10
child has right TO be there whose parent Is worth
more than f30O a year. In fact "Christs Hospital''
Is every of tho word charity school, Tor not
only do the pills receive their education gratis, but
shoes and linen free o. charge. Yet parents actually
drive up their carriages 10 visit their offspring IN
this school, supposed be tenaned only by the waits
aud strays Of society.
The school owes nothing TO the State being entirely
supported by voluntary contributions. The annual
nearly S35, 600. IL Is not surprising that
under these circumstances admission to "Chrsts
Hospitap' should be eagerly sought afor by parents,
and nobody can tell amount OF labor, intrigue and
ar
aboy
A TRAGEDY.
Recent revelations have, however, shaken this be-
lic In the benefits Of the "Blue Coat school, and
terrible tragedy mas just thrown lurd light on the
inner life OF the place. William Gibbs, boy OF
twelve years OF age, recently pupil oil the
school For some reason or other he took strong
soon brought back. He ran away second time, and
y second lmc he had 10 return third time
was placed in the nlirmary. there ~ await what
punishment the Head Muster would tnlicL When
lad had passed beyond the power OF his human mas
ters; he had hanged himself coroner's inquest
was held, and ut tho inquiry some extremely awk-
ward revelations wcrc made In the first place II
was proved that young Gibbs had been punished by
a fellow pupil who filled the position Of monitor, and
tho public learned that these MONITORS who were
usually more than fourteen or fifteen years OF
age had practically almost complete power over the
younger pupils II ID needless 10 say that such
thority Is frequently aud cruelty misuscd
PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY
The occurrence has excited universal attention
The Home Secretary a nights ago was questioned
with regard to IT in the House of Commons, and
cared nmid marks OF general approval that an IN
uury into the constitution OF the school mad been
ordered In the meantime tho daily papers contain
columns OF correspondence on the subject some Bit
terly attacking and others as vchemeny defending
the school The vigorous assaant of the Ia .titu
ton has been clergyman named the Rev Andrew A.
tsman ".hat the seven years which / spent
IN that school were years Of misery and
age and have several sous Of my own, nothing IN this
world should induce me to send one OF them to tho
school As regards the education given, believe
that Cnrists Hospital is second 10 no school IN Eng
land bat when have said this have said all that can
be said praise. Tho ood, though good OF It's
| in Guanuty; tho treatment was such ms to
evory boy deest the school, and the punlshments
were simply brutal in their severity and often were
meted ont with scanty justice. II upon this lat
pont that will touch, as showing why poor little
Gibbs look away his lite. He knew wnat he would get
il he was alive in the morning He had, | under
stand, run away from the school on previous oc-
cason and as IS usual IN such Cases mad been logged
Copeland but was brought back to tho school and
there shut up IN a room by himself to await his
punishment, and that punishment he knew would bo
another logging, to DO followed by further bullying"
The reverend gentleman then goes Oh to give an NC.
means. .Fortunateiy," be writes, II was never
iogged myself, but as long ns live shall never Tor
get scene that witnessed IN the case OF another boy
who haa been logged. He was small aud delicate
lad by Bount and he slept In the bed next 10
mo- big boy haa compelled Blount to 20 and brng
h,m some Jumps sugar out oi the monitors sugar
BASIN Tho big boy ate the sugar himself and the small
boy had none of it. The facts o the case became
the monitor who reported II 10 The steward,
who logged Blount as thief and did not punish the
big boy. That night poor little Blount could
not sleep and last he begged me TO help him.
cordngly took his shirt OF, ana found his back, from
the shoulders to the waist one mass OF aceratcd
flesh, the blood sticking to tho shirt
agony In getting It or then, with my finger and
thumb pulled out OF his back at least dozen pieces OF
birch ROD, which had penetrated deep ino the nesh.
That boy's buck looked like piece Of raw meat
than any thing olse have since seen the back OF
sailor after three dozen with naval eat and SOL
cmny declare that the injury done to the sailors back
would not compare with that dono to the Blue Coat
Boy"
And then the writer tells us how the fogging was in
ficted 'srwo men," he says, "are required for the
operation One takes hold Of the boy, nols!s hum on
his back by the wrists and keeps him suspended The
strips off his coat and, armed with large aud
heavy rod gives fifteen cuts Oh tho boys bare back,
and these with might and main. This however, was a
mild 0ogeng; for II the offence was at all great
the boy. after having fifteen cuts on hIs
bure back received fifteen more in another
place with fresh rod; that at least in my time,
used TO be the punishment for running away. have
large aaS " T s
pounds). split his own shirt sleeve right down with
the violence he used In logging poor little LAD OF
thirteen years of age Compare this. Sir. with q
modern garrotcrs fog9ing AZ the OLD Bailey whero,
as the newspapers tell US, me mans back c was was
readers say what they think OF Christs Hospital
hogging'
haps than that Of the masters. Some almost in
credible related in the papers. Al the bath
ing place. which Is called the "reeriess rooi" young
seniors In letter published in the Daily Telegraph
an ex- Blue Coat Boy relates that consuinptve lad,
who was extremely weak used to be dragged down
stars, feet foremost his head being allowed all tho
time bump against tho STEPS OF the stairs The lad
died shortly after he had left the school.
.FAGGINC."
The institution called "lugging'' nourshes In full
force In Chrisrs Hospital as indeed in all the great
English schools According TO this system younger
boy is the seivant-t might DO even sad the slave of
a fellow pupil older than hms elf The "fag" pollshcs
his patrons boots, runs his messages and s bound
10 bear with patience whatever KICKS and blows his
lord and master may inlicI II might DC imagined
that the public opnon 0t the school would prevent
"a misuse of the powers exercised over the "iag" But
experience has proved that this Is not the case.
Boys, everybody knows. are not very tender
hearted, aud have little sympathy Tor tho suffering
OF the weak Nor the masters Of the school miti
gate the tyranny of tho .'iaR" system Tor the "iag
who would complain OF the treatment nc mad received
would immediately become unpopular and be despsed
by the rest OF the pupils 10 well known TACT that
the OF English boys have been completely