The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-08-02
HOW THE WHIP is APPLIED
Refractory Boys at the Reform School
Sometimes Given Several Lashes.
The System Of Punishment Not Unnecessarily
Severe-GoyernOr Hoyey Thinks the In
stitutiOn Is Under Good Management.

SIlIuIlOu is tuucr UO0u management
Governor Hovey went to the Reform
School at Plainfeld, Wednesday afternoon,
aud remaining over night, looked through
that institution yesterday. Recently there
have been several complaints OF excessive
punishment given to boys, the last case be-
ing that of George Haines, sent to the school
from this city. No special investigation of
it was made, the Governor evidently not
deeming it necessary. Il have looked over
the place." said the Governor to the re-
porter, when the latter met him at the in
stitution, land find everything satisfactory.
j feel proud of the school, which is we'll
adapted to the class of boys sent there. 1
do not think there is anything
more in the way of punishment
than there should be. saw the boys at
supper and at breakfast They had good
food and plenty of it, and they seemed con-
tented. The entertainment given by them
last night / enjoyed very much. The
bright boys of the State are there. They
are not to be regarded as criminals. Doubt
less, the offenses of many of them are to be
attributed to the way in which they have
been reared; largely a matter of their sur
roundings and many of them are orphans.
1t Is a reformatory and a good school In the
English branches They are at work. learn
ing little trades. brick-making, brick-laying.
shoemaking, gardening and other things OF
like character. If the fathers of some who
are there had been whipped themselves 1t
would have been better for their offspring.
The punishment is falling on the wrong
generation. However, / regard the cor
poral punishment there as all right"
In reference to the punishment of that
boy Haines, / was absent at the time" said
superintendent Charlton, ''but if / had
been at home l would have granted the
same permit for the whipping. When 1
saw the boy l had him stripped There
was no evidence of undue punishment. Mr..
Latta. the officer who punished him, is one
What punishments are used herev in
quired the reporter.
I'VE have but one," said Mr.. Charlton,
''outsde of markings, which prolong their
as keeping them from play. These are for
small otfenses. The only other is corporal
punishment. with small, round, sewing
machine strap This strap was handed to
quarter of an inch in diameter, and when
doubled makes sort of cat-'o-twO-tails. 1t
is not formidable, but looks as if in the
hands of man entirely great it might be
stsaS on SWITCHES sSe
emit continued. Switches make marks, no
matter how carefully the knots are
trimmed off. 1 really think this strap is
harder on the officer who applies it than on
the offender who receives It, This matter
Of punishments has been discussed in our
refOrm-school conventions. l have shown
this strap there, and it received approval
as one of the best things, better than rat
tan. Every officer who administers pun
ishment has to get permit to do SO from
me-
DO yon ever lock the boys up as pun
No. sir; we have no place in which to
lock them up
do you change their dietg"
''The bread-and-water line was broken
up years ago"
Judge Jordan. one of the trustees who,
with Captain Vanarsdel and l.. A. Barnett,
the other trustees, were present, at this
point said: Il stopped that myself
1t used TO be that boys with bad re-
ports when they marched to the dining
room, instead of being allowed to go into
the dlnlng-rOom, were sent into the collar
to feed on bread and water
I'VE feed such boys" Said Superintendent
Charlton, 1.-The same as the others. Another
case of severe corporal punishment men
toned IN the papers was that OF young
Swlsher, who is now IN the northern prison.
He escaped, and was given. 1t was charged,
fifty lashes with the machine strap. He
did not receive that punishment. but be-
lore that time he was punished, and adj
the school on q communication of sentence,
and after his escape being captured with
stolen property in his possession, was sent
foprisOn to serve out his original sentence
How many lashes are given!"
THE number varies, the average being
ten or twelve. The worst case have ever
granted permit for was thirty, and that
was reduced
What are the worst cases7'
Attacks upon officers and escapes
Another case cited is that of Weathers who
claimed to have had whipping that threw
him into commissions. He had an infrmty
How and when are these punishments
administered"
I'm the building where the offender lives
presence of the family of boys who are with
him. from forty to fifty in number"
Why before so manyY
I'VE do not administer private punish
ment. We desire witnesses for the rea-
son that. should an officer go beyond
the permit, he will be reported. The
permit system was adopted to control the
punishments. We once had an officer who
out into the world 2,4OO boys, 1,SOO of these
IN my time. Had there been much or un-
usual punishment surely more would have
been heard about. The postmaster at Plain
field, who is hostile to us. brought .gener.
al complaint against the institution"
What is the character of that witnessg'
"He is now under suspended sentence
IN the United States Court for embezzle-
ment of the funds of his Office. AS to pun
tshments. there is not a boy in the institu-
tion who would not prefer corporal punish.
ment to anything that would affect his
standing and delay his discharge"
There is no attempt to conceal anything
at the Reform School. and the reporter was
readily granted a private talk with the boy
Haines. He is twelve years old, a
nervous little fellow. and what prob.
ably would not be over-punishment
for another boy of different Temperament
would prove quite severe in his case He
thought he had been uniustly punished fol
breaklng rule when new to the place and
unfamiliar with the regulations. He said
that great welts did appear over his body,
and he thought he had been cruelty treated
superintendent Charlton has placed the
boy In another family. He is now better
INFORMED as to the boys condition, and as
he VIII get better nourishment than he had
in his own home. he will improve phys
1calIy, and be better able to sustain a whip
ping when next he may deserve One
CULIINGS FROM THE COURTS.