Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-10-14
AN OUTRAGE.
The BelOit Scandal q Vile Cen
spiracy Against Upright
People.

Concerning the great outcry and re
organization at the industrial school fol
girls at Beloit, which resulted in turning
out all those in charge of the school under
allegations Of the most brutal and revolt.
ing nature, the Marion Record Hon. E.
W. Hoch) says:
when the recent charges against the
management of the Industrial School for
| Girls was sprung, the Record expressed
the belief that it was merely another
populist scheme to get lot OF places
for Reformers with big r We said
this because we knew Miss Matte Spen-
Ger. the matron, well, and also her
amiable assistant, Miss Mitchell. Miss
Spencer taught in this county good
while, and lived in Marion some time.
| She has host of friends here, as she has
everywhere she is known. The same can
be said of Miss Mitchell. The writer was
shown all through the school year ago
and was highly pleased with all the ap-
pearances. The fact that the wife OF
one of the members of the state board
was Immediately put in charge of the
institution at once furnished the key to
the charges of encouragement. Since
then, lady whose child was said to have
been shamefully mistreated, has visited
the institution, and reported the charges
utterly false. And few days ago the
citizens of Beloit gave great banquet
in honor of Misses Spencer and Mitchell,
showing their opinion on the subject"
Commenting on the above the Edo
RADIO Republican Hon. T. B. Murdoch }
says:
''Three or four years ago the Kansas
legislature was deluged with petitions
from the women of the state asking for
the establishment Of girls industrial
school at Beloit. Each succeeding morn
ing OF the session large number OF
these petitions were presented and read
and at last the legislature provided for
the putting up of small building for
this school, and Miss Matte G. Spencer,
OF Emporia, was put in charge. Miss
Spencer is sister of Mrs. Susan Rug
giles, Emporia, Mrs. Brown, OF Burling
ton, and Mrs. Frank Adams, of this
place, and IL there is woman in Kan
sas who is endowed with an extraordi-
nary amount of good, sound sense, it is
Miss Spencer. She graduated at the
Emporia Normal school. and has taught
in number of towns in the state. She
is even-tempered, has great mental force,
and is trained disciplinarian. She is
between thirty and forty years Of age
and is in excellent health. AS matron of
the girls school at Beloit she gave entire
satisfaction. Nobody complained or
found fault and the state board Of char
tiles, on their monthly visits, always
found everything in the best of order.
Three or four weeks ago the state was
informed that the very devil was to pay
at Beloit; that the girls we're cruelty
treated, poorly fed on improper food, and
that many of the poor little darlings
we're walking skeletons. 1t was an aw-
full tale of suffering and woe. Then Mrs.
Lease announced that she would go up
and investigate. She went, and Miss
Spencer also went and Simon pure
was put in charge. It now
transpires that this whole racket was
gotten up as an excuse to get rid of |
Miss Spencer and put pop in her !
place. Girls in the school have been in |
terviewed and are unanimous in their |
declarations that Miss Spencer was the
of kindness, frmness and |
good government; that their food was
good and well cooked; that they were al
lowed lots OF freedom and were not pun
shed as often as they deserved. But
then they got Miss Spencer's, place and
hat was all they were after.