Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-05-16
SOLDIERS ORPHANS IN REVOLT.
Defying Gov. Beaver and Other state Off
GERS, and Running Things Themselves.

The scholars in the Soldiers Orphan
School at White Hall, State institution,
have for sometime past been in open re.
volt, and have not only defied the schooi
authorities, but the State officers as well,
from Gov. Beaver down to State Inspector
Grier. When the famous investigation of
the soldiers orphans schools of the State
was made during Gov. Pattison's admin
istration, the White Hall school was about
the only one where abuses were not
found. 1t was model school. 1t was
run on contract with the State by Capt.
Moore. A year ago the State itself took
charge of the White Hall school. Capt.
Moore resigned. Since then, owing to in
competent or weak management, the
school has been growing lax in discipline.
On the 1st of January last, Capt Finley L.
Thomas became manager of. the school.
He was unable to control the boys in the
institution, and made ]. w. Kline prin-
cipal of the school. Kline tried his hand
at running the institution. The boys OBJ
jected to Kline and made it uncomfortable
for him in many ways, and one day last
month they broke out in open revolt.
Among the soldiers orphans attending
the school are number of girls. A boy
pupil named Charles Wolfe fell in love
with one of the girls. On the 23d of April
Principal Kline had occasion to punish
this girl. That aroused young Wolfe, and
he showed his opinion Of the principal by
making a round of the school.room and
smashing the states and tearing up the
books. Principal Kline seized Wolfe
while lie was engaged in this work, and
Wolfe promptly knocked Kline down.
Then Captain Thomas interposed his au.
thoritY, but Wolfe drew a knife or him
and the captain retired. He had Wolfe
arrested and lodged in Jail at Carlisle
Wolfe got bail on Monday last and had
Principal Kline arrested for assault and
battery, and Kline had to give bail.
Following Wolfe's arrest the boys in
the school revolted, under the leadership
of pupils Krause, Kuntz, Page and Myers.
The school was a daily pandmonium un-
til Wednesday of last week, when the
managers, finding that they could not con-
troll the school, sent for aid to Harrisburg.
Secretary of Internal Affairs Stewart and
Captain George c. Boyer, members of the
Soldiers Orphans State Commission,
answered the summons. They cornered
the four ringleaders in the revolt, and,
being unable to bring them to terms, had
them placed in durance in one of the
rooms. This restored quiet for a day.
Then a new leader arose in the person of
Jim Leippy, 15-Year-old scholar. The
first demonstration was made last Thurs
day, when the school was called together
for evening prayer. Captain Thomas be-
gan his prayer, when his scholars, both
boys and girls, began to stamp their feet,
give cat-calls and make other noisy DEM
onstrations. The exercises had to be
closed. Captain Thomas ordered the girls
to their rooms.
While the girls were going out the boys
began to lombard the manager and teach
ers with ink bottles, states, and books.
One teacher was badly cut in the temple
by an ink bottle. The riot was finally
quelled and the boys left the room. One
of the teachers was waylaid by Leippy
and other scholars and beaten into insen-
sibility. The entire force of teachers and
helpers succeeded in making Leippy and
three other boys prisoners, and locked
them up. From the room where he was
confined LeippY continually shouted
orders to the scholars on the outside for
them to carry out in acts of violence and
diaorder which they promptly and per-
sistently did.
This state of affairs continued until re-
Gently, when Gov. Beaver was sent for
He came to White Hall, accompanied by
States Commissioner Boyer. He had the
ringleaders in the trouble brought before
him, but they were as defiant and impu-
dent and boisterous to the Governor as
they had been to the management of the
school, and he could do nothing with
them. They said they they had no fault
to find with their food or clothing or
treamett, but wanted more liberty. The
Governor, being unable to bring the boys
under discipline, he telegraphed for State
Inspector Grier. The Inspector reached
there on Sunday, and, after arguing and
pleading with the obstreperous ringlead.
ers all day, had to give up and acknowl-
edge that he could not cope with them in
that way, and declared that they must be
brought to terms by stringent measures.
They were placed in solitary confinement
On bread and water. Leippy was willing
to surrender, and the rest also gave in.
They have been released, and matters are
now quiet. The State Commissioner will
take measures to have change made in
the management of The school that will
restore the old discipline.
New Y. O. t. u, at MorrelIville.
Miss X. Foster, Of New Alexandria, Or
ganized a promising Y. VIC. t. u, at
Morrellville, April 25th, with the following