Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-17
IN A DARK DUNGEON.
DIR. Child's Investigation Of Complaint.
from the Hampton School.

DIR. Child's Investigation Of Complaints
from the Hampton School.
CONTROVERSY WITH THE INDIAN COMMISSION
ERs-pR. cHrLps MAKES STRONG STATEMENTS
ABOUT THE INHuMANITr OF PuSIsHMESrs HE
SAYS WERE INFLICTED ON INDIAN BOYS.
Just now there is q slight disagreement be-
tween the Rev. T. 8. Childs, d D., Of this city,
and the board Of Indian commissioners. II
appears that some time ago Secretary Noble
requested DIR. Childs to go down to Hampton
Indian school and to quietly investigate COM
plants which had been made to the President,
the Secretary Of the Interior and the commits
sioner OF Indian affairs. DR.. Childs went to
Hampton, and his report was to the effect that
the food given the Indian boys was not good and
that there was a dungeon in which boys were
immured for days at a time. Gen. Clinton B.
Fisk. chairman Of the board of Indian commits
sioners, secured a copy of DR.. Childs' unpub-
hshed report and at once sent two of the men,
bers OF his board to Hampton and they reported
directly to the contrary. Their report has been
published, and DIR. Childs has written
letter to Gen. Fisk, in which he SAYS
that there were things needing correc ton in
the management Of the school is suff GENTLY
evident from the fact that they were corrected
after his investigation, and as a result Of that
investigation a representative of the school,
standing among the first in the res pect and
confidence OF the officers of the Institution,
he states. came to Washington, bringing the
acknowledgements and thanks of the Indians
for their improved condition.
THE INDIANS coMPLArNrs
The Indians DIR. ChiIds says, complained of
their food; they complained also tina, they did
not get the full benefit Of all that was con-
tributed for them-whether by the government
or not was unessential. They believed that
money was given for their benefit which went
directly or indirectly for the benefit Of the
negroes of the school. They believed that il
they could have the use Of all that was intended
for them it would be ample for the supply of
all proper diet and everything else.
d, The principal subjects Of complaint"
the letter continues, "were in regard to diet
and discipline. In respect to the former 1
found the dissatisfaction Of the pupils pro-
nounced and, with single exception, think,
universal The great majority of the students
complained that their health was not as good
as when they came to the school. The result was
this: Almost Immediately after my visit i'm
portant changes were made in the bill of fare.
This was reported to me and stated in my re-
port, which your committee had before them.
Yet they make no recognition of this, but con-
denim my report for Directing to a diet,
the unsatisfactory character of which was
virtually admitted by the changes that were
made in it.
THE DARK DUNGEON.
"But the severest charges against Hampton
had been made in respect to its discipline. es-
pecially in the use of a certain guard house de-
scrlbed by your committee as a small room I'M
der the office 1t ,cas small room. or cell
for by no ordinary use Of language could it be
called room-built in the basement under the
offices of the institution and near the center of
the building. The dimensions, as given me by
an officer Of the school, were as fol-
lows: Six feet and six inches long.
three feet and three inches wide, and
9 feet and 6 inches high. The cell
had no window or means Of light whatever,
and when the door was closed was absolutely
dark; as proved by moments experiment,
which was all cared to make. The only ven-
tilation visible or pointed out to me by the
officers was by some small holes in the side
wall at the top of the cell. These holes did not
connect with the fresh air from without but
simply with the air of the area around the cell.
On the pavement or floor of the cell was bed
sacking with apparently a little straw or some
such material in it; it could in no proper sense
been called bed. The time of confinement of
the boys there varied l was told from few
days to more than week. The recollection as
to the exact time of imprisonment seemed in
distinct. In one or two cases understood il
to be admitted that it might have been
ten days or two weeks. When a boy was
removed from the cell it was stated that
the stencil was awful On my
report the use of the place for Indians was
forbidden by the government My judgment
OF that dungeon as place of punishment for
mains unchanged. With the heavy door closed
and locked without ray of light, in absolute
darkness and silence, with no proper ventiia-
ton, with room only to lie down and rome to
move, even from side to side, beyond the mar
row limits of three feet and three inches, if it
a MIA ~ a,pfo h,,,n II h.,
failed to hear OF one this side
THE BACK HOLE
of Calcutta. That the place was disapproyed,
at the time of my visit, by some Of the officers
of the school. including the physician know;
and the amazing thing to me is that the board
OF Indian commissioners, who have no reason
for existence unless they stand between the
Indian and wrong, can defend and publish to
the world their defense of this mode and
means OF discipline for Indian children"
In concluding his letter DIR. Childs says: 81
can only again express my surprise that the
honorable board of Indian commissioners
should be found publicly justifying and defend
ing such a system. If the object is to secure a
revocation Of the order Of the government for
bidding the use of that cell as place of pun
ishment for Indian children, must protest
against 1t. Negroes are never put there, and
neither the government Of the United States
nor Hampton school, nor the board of Indian
commissioners can be justified in bringing chill
dren of any race to that place of torment 1t
is not pleasant to differ from warm personal
friends, as must do here, but there are con-
siderations higher than those of friendship"
DR.. Childs has asked Secretary Noble to pub
llsh his report on the school at Hampton.
This may not be done, but the Secretary has
decided not to allow the board of Indian COM
missioners, during his term of Office, to infict
the cell punishment" upon the Indian chill
dren at Hampton.
The Weather and the Crops.
The weather crop bulletin of the signal Office