Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-17
FOR THE M0RGANZA.
Superintendent Quay Denies That In
mates Are Badly Treated.
MANAGERS ALL AGREE WITH HIM.
They Unite in Saying There Is Happy
Family at the School.
HOW AND WHY PUNISaMENTs ARE MADE

thing to be administered to Mr. Wagenhurt,
the agent of the State Commission who
visited this place and made such a lurid re-
port to the Commission as to the bad things
done here"
So said j. A. Quay, the Superintendent of
the Pennsylvania Reform School at Nor
ganza, yesterday. Mr.. Quay was not dis
posed to talk. He considered that the MEM
bers of the Board of Managers were the
proper persons 10 tell about the workings of
the school. So far as he himself was con-
cerned, he did not think it proper to give
out information that was equally as we'll
known TO the superior officers. Mr.. Quay,
after a little persuasion, consented to tell
about Mr.. Wagenhurt's visit to the institu-
tion, and finally about the charges that had
been made.
"Mr. Wagenhurt came here" said Mr..
Quay, land spent nearly day. He was
given every opportunity to see, and to learn.
There was no difficulty thrown in his way.
He had the run of all the buildings Later
on, quite time after the Commission had
begun its work, Messrs. Dearden and Walk,
members OF the Commission, came here and
had look through the place. Then the
next visit that we got was from Messrs.
Lemon, Lyttle and Lisch, members of the
Appropriations Committee. That has been
the extent of our official visitors, with the
exception of members of the Board of Man.
ayers
Thorough Investigation Courted.
81 would like to state here that just so
soon as heard that these charges would be
preferred against the Reform Sahool, notified
Messrs Charles w. Houston, ex-Sheriff Gray
and w. B. Lupton. who were on the Visiting
Committee. They came down here and
inmates. They know how many of them
have marks upon their persons, even to the
vaccination marks In each case they were
given my certificate as to the condition of the
inmate and as to why he was whipped
"Do we whip the boys? OF course We do.
There would be no discipline here did we not
have corporal punishment Sometimes they
have to be whipped hard. We don't whip them
now with a strap, but with paddle, the reason
of the change being that boy might throw up
his arm and get a blow that would hurt hlm
more than the one intended for his back The
rules of the school provide that every inmate
who willfully violates a known rule shall be
punished, either by the officer in charge
when the offense is committed. or by the
Superintendent or under his direction.
Here comes the point" said Superintend-
ent Quay, where Mr.. Wagenhurt makes his
He says the punishment has first been inflicted
and then report made to the Superintendent.
That is wholly untrue except in some instances
which are provided for in this rule: Corporal
punishment shall not be inflicted by any officer
without first consulting the Superintendent
and obtaining his permission, unless in cases
where delay might be dangerous to the person
or completely subversive OF discipline
Discipline Must Be Maintained.
again what sort of corrective institution
would this be where the officer in charge after
the ordinary reproof in cases of marked in
subordination had been administered, if an
attempt was not made to maintain discipline
at all hazards? In such cases punishment must
be prompt and of such character as to con-
vince the offenders beyond a doubt that they
must obey the rules of the school. We have
not the element here of which angels are made.
When the first offense is committed, If not ag-
gravated, we ask personal pledge; in the Sec
ond case we put SO many demerits to the in
mates credit. Then, if he persists in his con-
duct. we put him in the cellar on bread and
water. The fourth and last punishment is that
known as 'strapping,' but really padding A
boy is only whipped when it is found that no
other punishment will do him any good
''Punishment" exclaimed Mr.. Quay ''why.
there have been only three boys whipped since
the first of the present year. They sadly
needed it. This talk about the boys being half
starved! How absurd that isr' Then Mr..
messenger, and asked him whether he got
enough to eat The dImples in his chubby
cheeks answered before the boy could form the
reply. The Superintendent then went over the
bill of fare for the benefit of the reporter. the
season of the year making the difference in the
quantity of vegetables served.
AWeek's Bill of Fare.
Sundays tho bill of fare ordinarily is for
breakfast, bread, molasses and coffee; dinner
soup. Here the Superintendent stopped and
gave the composition Of the soup. In the SUM-
day soup there were 125 pounds of fresh meat,
five gallons tomatoes and "A pounds of macca-
rom. This Mr.. Quay thought was good soup.l
Then of course there were soup, meat and bread.
For supper on sunday there were bread and
tea ginger bread and cinnamon cake.
Monday-Breaktast: Bread and butter, coffee
and molasses. Dinner: Bean SOUP breakfast
bacon and bread. supper: Bread, tea, molas- |
les and oat meal.
Tuesday-Breakfast: Potato stew, bread,
molasses and coffee. Dinner: Vegetable soup.
bread and meat. Supper: Bread, tea, molasses |
Wednesday-Breakfast Bread, coffee, mo-
lasses and sausage. Dinner: Corned beef and |
corned beef soup. Supper: Bread. tea and mo- |
lasses-
Observation-Disclosures Bread, butter, moIas- |
ses and coffee Dinner: Bean soup, beef and |
bread Supper: Bread molasses. tea or milk.
Friday-Breakfast: Bread, molasses, cheese |
and coffee. Dinner: Pork, cabbage and bread. |
Supper: Bread, molasses, prunes. ana tea or
milk.
bread and meat. Supper; Bread, molasses, |
milk or coffee.
All Are a Happy Family.
in the last two years." said Mr.. Quay. 81 |
have never had a complaint about the food |
served here. If it is bad the inmates should |
show it" Mr. Quay pointed to a dozen or SO |
boys working IN the vegetable garden, and |
asked if they looked as though they had been |
Look at them closely" said he, |
land you win find that they are stout. well |
built boys. They are not stooped-shouldered, !
nor are the girls in the brush factory. Always |
remember that the most tender point, the |
point upon which people committed to institu-
tions of this character first object. is that of
food. The second Is that of treatment.
You may send person to a school of this
kind, and if he be SO disposed he may see many
things that would not appear right to him. 1t
requires men OF judgment and discrimination,
for their work was most i'm
portant one. still don't think that the agent
they sent here is a man in whom you could
place implicit confidence. There are people
for whom we form likes and dlslikes upon first
sight His stories are not borne out by the
facts, and my hope is that the Legislature will
appoint a committee to come here and investi.
gate the school,"
Speaking of the parole system, Mr. Quay said
that il was the desire of the managers to send
the younger inmates of the school back to their
homes. When this cannot be done then they
are sent to people who will take them upon the
promise Of doing the best they can for them |
and reporting the conduct of the paroled person
to the Superintendent. "Unfortunately," said
Mr.. Quay, I'VE are compelled to send most of
the cnildren who have been here back to their
homes, where they meet the same baleful in
f1uences from which they were supDosed to |
have been taken" His preference was for out
side homes, and a man who could give all his
time to looking after them. But he thought
man who could fill that bill worth more money
than could be paid him by the State.
Mr.. Quay took up the report from the female
tn m |