Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-25
PIANOS AND PENALTIES.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE FURNISH.
ING OF THE REF 0RM SCHOOL.
Naughty Boys and Girls to Be Reformed
by Esthetic Furniture-A Point From
the North About the Work of the
Grand Jury.

The San Francisco Examiner has been
examining the bills for furnishing the
State reform school at Whittier, and re-
ports as follows; "Three pianos are
among the articles provided to train the
youth away from wickedness to virtue.
Twelve leather-covered chairs purchased
at cost of $3.50, one sideboard costing
1925 and one extension table costing $50
will also help to lead the young into the
straight and narrow path.
"Fine chairs seem to be very import
ant object lessons in teaching good
morals and manners, for in addition to
the twelve leather-covered chairs cost
ing $3.50 are two easy chairs costing $50
each, leather armchair costing $45 and
two leather-covered Turkish chairs, the
price for one of which was sos and for
the other $65.
Luxurious sittings appear to be re-
garded as the ready relief for criminal
intention.
"Other aids to virtue at Whittier are
a chiffonier bought for SIS, a table six
feet long bought for $50 and a folding
bedstead, warranted not to close up with
DIlCG
for which was $114.
This furniture was purchased with a
part of the $685. 900 appropriated bv the
school. OF this $4,000 the sum of $1S,-
600 was paid to one Los Angeles firm,
the Los Angeles Furniture company.
"The bills incurred by the trustees of
the reform school were approved by the
state board of examiners, warrants were
drawn by the state controller and
cashed by the state treasurer.
''In Los Angeles, as in San Francisco
and Sacramento, county grand jury is
in session, and grand juries are of an
investigating mood this year. As Whit
tier is in Los Angeles county the grand
jury began an investigation OF the pur-
chase of fine leather easy chairs, pianos,
extension tables and sideboard for the
reformation of the young.
'To obtain correct list of the articles
purchased and the prices paid, the jury
issued a subpoena duce tecum to State
Controller E. P. Colgan, instructing
him to appear, bringing with him the
vouchers and accounts for the furniture
of the reform school.
IA subpoena directed to state officer
by county grand jury is novelty, and
in Los Angeles has provoked rumors OF
interesting information concerning the
application of fine durable leather to the
reformation of the young.
THE directors of the school are
Hervey Lindley, OF Los Angeles, E. L.
Stern, of Los Angeles, and James r.
Lowe, of Santa Clara. The bills that
the controller has are expected to show
the itemized account of the articles
bought from the Los Angeles Furniture
company. This is prominent COM
mercial enterprise of the southern city.
The president is one of the able busi-
ness men of Los Angeles, one II. II.
Markham, who is also governor of the
state and ex-officio president of the
state board of examiners, the board that
passed upon the bills for the virtuous
furniture.
Gan the articles purchased may be
found to be needed to correct the evil
in the young, and the prices may be
reasonable, but while the San Francisco
grand jury is exploiting the deeds of the
state boodlers, and the grand jury OF
Sacramento is laughing at the farce
comedy in the letter of Atty. y.-Gen.
w. H. H. Hart, the grand jury of Los
Angeles is in the procession and wants
to know the relation OF pianos to pen
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