The New York herald., 1879-09-10
THE HOUSE OF REFUGE.

SERIOUS COMPLAINTS or MIsMANoEMENr AND
WANT OF DIscIpLINE-cHARoEs MADE BEFORE
THE. STATE BOARD OF CHARITIES.
The House OF Refuge on Randall's Island is now,
or VIII be at an early day, under tho investigation
OF the State Board OF Charities which met yesterday
at saratoga Colonel Clay formerly assistant super
ntendent of the institution. has been recently en-
deavoring to bring before the proper authorities
what he feels to be the terrible abuses which have
long existed in that so-called reformatory,
and he framed series OF charges which
ne has carried with him to Saratoga for
presentation to the State Board at its session. If
the allegations of this ex-olical are we'll founded
complete reorganization OF the House of Retuge
must result. Several witnesses TO the causes of
complaint madc in the specified charges. OF which
there are thirteen are ready to testify before the
State Board the truth OF tho allegations. Mr..
Rastus S. Ransom has been the legal adviser Of
Colonel Clay i'll this matter as far as technicalities
concerned. but that gentleman was yesterday
unable to give specifically from memory the gist
of the several charges Colonel Clay having done the
chief part of the work in the preparatory stages.
1t was ascertsned. however, that the charges
which might be made embrace almost every depart
ment of the institution. The highest officials
accused of working the institution as a reform
atory for youth. To enumerate the allegations.
which are said to be the result of nsmanagenient.
it may said that the food is not what ought to
be- the boys clothing is poorly adapted to the win
ter season the punishment is capricious and too
severe sufficient is not taken of the cleanliness
OF the place. beds on the upper halls are wretched
the boys of the second grade made use of to do
too much work tor sake OF revenues; no method IS
adopted by which the boys can be reached by moral
Influences; the boys are deprived of sufficient
ation ex-Penitentiary youths are admitted; en-
ployes of contractors have an opportunity OF pun.
tba how fnrn fhArs 4.
of discipline in the institution; there is but little
hope of reform for any boy who Is once committed
uNpERrED AND ovERwoRKED.
The reporters informant III regard to these COM
Refuge and expressed himself as willing to make
oath the truth OF what he said. He stated that
he had seen the bread supplied to the boys rotten.
and that for considerable time the butter supplied
could not be used. The bread was made in the in
stitution; but rule it was bad, and with the
facilities afforded ought alw ays to be good. The
boys, even in winter, allowed only shirt. a
jacket and pair OF pants-clothing lnsufhclent to
sufficiently heated winter for such cloth
ing. The exoilicer who gives this informa-
ton stated that he saw boy lashed
another case OF refusing to give information to
the offence of another boy. The employees of con-
please. the officers OF the institution do not care
to interfere. Many of the beds i'll the upper halls,
which the visitor is never pernitted to see are rot
ten There are few large bathtubs in the institu-
ton which will contain in ali about sixty boys at
one time. The water used in these tubs for first oc-
cupants is the same as for the bathers who succeed
them, and the boys not the healtlnest the
suit is apparent. The boys of tho second grade,
about three hundred and fifty in number, are re-
quired to do too much work Each boy Is farmed
out to the contractor for twenty cents day,
for which he knits stockings or makes overalls.
A fair days work would be twenty-four pieces,
but the boy is made to finish thirty pieces which
is more than he should do. From seven 10 noon work
goes Oh in the shops, and again from one to half
past four o'clock-eight hours and . half steady
work in close confinement for boys OF tender age
the oldest boys in the institution not being over six
teen. From five o'clock p. NJ. in summer TO q
quarter to eight they school. and how much
they learn after eight and a half hours hard
work can be imagined. In winter time school does
not begin until hali-past five in the evening" In
summer time, then there is not even half an hour q
recreation. In winter time, 1T IS alleged, there IS
none at all
HEALTH BOYS.
When tho gentleman who stated the above facts
asked the health OF the boys he said that
it only quite recently that scurvy prevailed in
the institution. When boy dies lac is thrown into
hole dug in specified place. and there is nothing
known about his burial place ever after. When
asked who was the physician belonging to the insti-
tuition he replied that the physician lived in the city.
and that on call it took him TWO hours to get over to
the hospital When asked what moral influences
were brought to bear the inmates he
answered that there was religious SER
vice by the chaplain every Sunday morning.
When boys became incorrigble they some
times sent away. When questioned to the dis
position made of the boys when their term OF scclu-
up, he said that il after fourteen months
the usual time the committed are kept the island
friends of the boys did not claim them they were
then sent on board some ''coaster' or on u canal
boat where of course, they did not remain long. In
fact he said. they usually became criminals and he
could not see how any boy, only partially depraved
when entering the House of Refuge, could leave it
without being tar worse than when he entered ii.
serious cause of all this want of discipline he
ascribed to the effort to make the house