The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-03-17
HORRIBLE BRUTALITIES
Practiced on Inmates of the Toledo House
of Refuge.

CLEVELAND, o., March 14.-Miss Blanche
M. Garvin resumed her testimony yesterday
morning before the Legislative Committee
investigating the Toledo House of Refuge.
She recited numerous cases of cruelty TO
boys, and told how a little fellow named
Wizard had been cruelty beaten by an at
tendant named Weston. She reported Wes-
ton to the McDonalds and to the Directors
but he remained there for six weeks after
ward, and then quit of his own volition.
a c: Brltto1, aged twenty-one, y: and now s
merly an inmate OF the Refuge, and for
some time had charge of the laundry. He
told of many cases of brutality. A BOY
named 0vington, aged sixteen, was cut from
head to foot by strap in the hands of Nc
Donald. i was whipped myself by George
II. Poulson, and bear the marks to this day
was punished, but justly. Again, Mayer
whipped me most severely for losing my
place in the school-room. On June 81, 1884,
| was whipped again. That day some of the
boys attempted to escape. Some money was
reported stolen. Two boys were whipped,
and one of them confessed to the offense.
The boy who confessed said he left the
money in his vest in my drying room, when
i was alone IN there with another boy
guarding me. 1t was not found there. Nc
Donald demanded the money of me. could
not give it, because did not have it. Nc
Danald and Norton took the other two boys
and myself to the stock room at 10 O'Clock
in the morning, and strapped us continually
until 1890. i was whipped five times at
that time, Mcdonald and Norton taking
turns and giving me seventy-fve lashes each
time. Once Norton strapped me in the dor
mitoTy, while was naked and preparing to
bathe. i bled considerably. Thenext after
noon was punished again by Mcdonald
and Norton, and the wounds opened again.
i think / was whipped seyenty-fve times
while / was in the Refuge.
L know that Norwalk was whipped by Nc
Donald and Norton until his flesh was filled
with holes which ultimately turned to fever
sores. Joe Kimbah received very severe
punishment His skin wss broken in many
places.
wide, open cuts on mis- legs. The boy
Llewellyn was whipped four and five times
day. John Stoner has received as high as
six and seven strappings day. John Fell
was whipped every day for a week for sim
gle offense, until his body was all bruised
up. Wizard, very weak, nervous, frail
boy, was repeatedly and terribly whipped.
Willie Lamb was very severely whipped on
several occasions. / saw his person in the
bath room, and his limbs were fearfully
laceIated at that time.
Kennedy is boy who looks to be twenty
one or twenty-five years of age. He received
very severe punishment with. me on one
occasion. / saw bruises on his person after
that beating. have seen John Reid's limbs
lacerated from lashings. c. L. Wild had a
good record in the institution, but was
brutally beaten many times. George Smith
was one of the boys whipped with me by
two men and three straps. Johnnie Patter
son, the OberliH boy who died of consump-
ton, was whipped while very frail and
coughing badly. Mcdonald inflicted that
punishment also.
Oscar ID. Madison was horse-whipped until
he had to go to the hospital. Mcdonald ap-
piled the whip on Madison. Madison s whole
body was a mass of wales. The whip was
broken OH Madison on that occasion.
Britton said that the treatment he received
made him morose and desperate, but that
he was finally encouraged by talking with
Miss Garvin, and he resolved to become a
good man if possible. He said he owed all
he was to this lady.