The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-08-29
THE REFORM SCHOOL.
SOME ANSWERS TO GOV. PLAIsTED's
CHARGES.
The Charges Trumped Up for Political
Purposes.

A dispatch to the Argus from Augusta in
Saturday g edition, announced that in public
speech in that city Gov. Plaisted accused the
officers of the Reform School of practising hor-
rble cruelties upon the inmates, enumerating
cases where the boys had been starved and hog-
ged and where one boy had been left to die OF
fever locked in a room exposed to the burning
sun. A reporter for the PRESS interviewed sew
eral persons yesterday supposed to be more or
less acquainted with affairs at the school and
cleaned the following statements:
THOMAS f. DoNAHUE.
Mr.. Thomas f. Donahae is the. only one OF
the Trustees of the School who lives in tbs
immediate vicinity. Mr. Donahue was APP
pointed to office by Gov Garcelon. Mr..
Donahue said he had taken proper steps Tor
his yindication from the charges bronght
against him by Gov. Plaisted and therefore he
should have nothing to say on the subject at
present When the time came for him to
speak he should not be backward in giving
bottom facts.
H. A. HART.
Mr.. III. A. Hart of Deering is a gentleman
who has officiated as chaplain, without pay,
at the school. He is intimately acquainted
with is workings and speaks as follows:
Gov. Pastsd is an old friend of mine and L
therefore am very sorry TO see MN 90 an IN
just and unwise thing. What he said about
the Reform School is not true, is uncalled Tor
and is unjust to the present superintendent.
| have seen more of the boys the last year,
probably, than any one not connected with the
school. Several of them have visited me at
my home and have talked with many OF
then freely at the school. know that they are
treated we'll, and I know they regard the
superintendent as their friend. 1 know 90
that he feels deep interest in them aud
spares no pains to promote their well-belng.
The school never wasiin so good condition.
BOYS of course are punished for wrong-doing
and are under restrrint But there is no cru
city prscticed there is no Unnecessary severity.
The general good health of the boys and their
whole appearance shows that there is no starv-
ing. Gov. Plaisted has made a terrible blum
der, in allowing his partisanship to urge him
into this assault upon the school!
W. \. GOULD.
Mr.. W. E. Gould of the First National bank,
says: II have not been officially connected
with the Reform School for nearly four years,
nor during any part of the administration of
tie present officers, although was for about
twelve years quite familiar y it'll the school.
have on two occasions visited the institution
by invitation during the past three ears, and
have been much impressed with the general
good tone and style of the inmates and officers.
Having known Mr.. and Mrs. Harrington by re-
pntation for some time past, am surprised at
any charge against their Kind and patient
treatment of the boys. have always suppos-
ed the superintendent and matron to bs qui
efficient, and that the school had progressed
during their administration.
Mr.. Gould also said that there was room
used as hospital in the third story, and that
boys were placed there suffering from lung
complaints. 1t was not uncommon for town
officers who had boys on their hands sick with
consum ption or lung diseases, to send them TO
the Reform School. Here they were treated
as well as it was possible. There is no provision
made by the state for great expense in this
line, and sometimes boys would have to be left
a short time without an attendant, but not to
their neglect.
ALBION LITTLE.
Mr.. Albion Little was a trustee of the Re-
form School for many years. He was twice
nominated BY Gov. Plaisted for trustee OF the
school after his term of office expired. Mr..
Little and MIR. Gould are the two trustees to
whom more than any others the humane
system of treatment was adopted. Mr.. Little
says this system included shortening OF SEN
fences, lifting of restraints, improved diet and
dress, as Inducements to obedience, industry
and faithful ness. By this system no punish
ment can be inflicted without record
having been made of it. II Gov. Plaisted's
statement is true then there must be conni-
vance between all the officers. He could not
believe the Governors statements. Reform
school boys testimony is generally worthless.
Ii the boys are feeling pretty well, ana
stranger asks them if they are well treated
they will say yes. Almost Immediately after
wards if asked if they do not consider reform
schools prisons, which ought to be abolished,
they will answer yes. Mr.. Harrington, the SUI
perintendent of the school, has always de-
carsl himself in sympathy with the humane
system of treatment. He and his wife are
both kind-hearted Christian people, and Mr.
Little knew that Mrs. Harrington was really
overworking herself in her devotion to the
boys Mr.. Little knew they were both consci-
entious. He had visited the school this sum
mer and the boys all looked well and acted
well. 1t would be useless to tell him that
boys looking and acting as those boys did, were
liberated. He knew better. He was too ia
miliar with them.
DIR. WEBSTER.
DIR. G. E. Webster states that he is the at
tending physician at the Reform School. He
says that the greatest attention and care has
always been shswn Invalid boys by Mr.. and
Mrs. Harrington. The case referred to by
Gov. Paistsd is that of boy named Winn.
This boy was attended by Mr.. Farrington's son
Arthur who had been studying medicine at
Cornell, and was competent to take care OF
him. The hospital door is always kept locked
because there are occasions when patient
might take the opportunity to escape. The
sun streams into the room at times, but is a
good thing in sanitary point of view and does
not touch the bed on which the patient lies.