The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-05
WILL INVESTIGATE JOHNSON.
Charges of Cruel Treatment of In
mates VIII BE Considered.

Charges of Cruel Treatment of In
mates Will BE Considered.
When the Senate and House committees
on benevolent institutions left for Fort
Wayne last Saturday they were loaded with
a series of questions calculated to be of in
terest to Superintendent Johnson, of the
School for the Predetermined. Since the
Legislature met the committees on benevo-
lent institutions have received many letters
making charges of cruelty and mismanage-
ment. Along with these letters was given
information as to the witnesses that should
be called to substantiate the truth of the al
legations.
At the start the committee had some diff
Guilty in getting the persons sum noned to
talk, but the assurance being given that the
witnesses should be protected from removal,
assistants and inmates talked freely. The
witnesses were called one at a time, and
after several had been heard Superintend-
ent Johnson was called. When he was in
formed Of the character of the inquisition
and of the charges that he would have to
meet he was greatly disconnected, and de-
clared that the employees of the institution
had formed a conspiracy TO ruin him. His
embarrassment was visibly increased when
he was told that the as yet had
taken practically no testimony to substan-
tiate the charges, and that his attack on
the employees was rather premature.
The examination of witnesses lasted until
a late hour Saturday night, and the show
ing that was made S,s gains si Johnson was
were not sworn, but their statements were
taken by a shorthand reporter.
Bearing on the charge of cruelty Ct. L..
Paxton. bookkeeper, testified that while
Jack Frost, a feeble-minded boy, was en-
gaged in spr ink the fenn Lawn. he made a
which she carried to her father. What the
remark was is not known, but Johnson was
greatly enraged, and going out he knocked
the boy down. and taking the hose turned
it on him until he was thoroughly drenched
and nearly drowned. Paxton further states
hose on Frost he dragged him into the
office and beat him until he was black and
blue. Frost told the committee that john
son whipped him with a paddle until he was
black from his neck to his heels, and that
as IA result he was SO sore that he could
scarcely lie down. DIR. Swearingen, ply
after this treatment Frost was taken sick
and was unable to leave his bed for six
weeks. He would not swear hat the sick
ness was the result of the cold bath and
the beating, but he supposed it was.
DIR. Swearingen also testified that three
boys had once ran away from the institu-
ton, and were recaptured and brought back.
For punishment johnson ordered that sacks
of sand weighing twenty-five pounds should
they were compelled to carry around for
three days. This was the penalty that was
commonly inflicted on inmate who ran
away. DIR. Swearingen. Mrs. Orr and. Mrs.
Decker all testified that Johnson had
slapped and kicked a little girl named Nellie
MAY.
Mrs. Orr, matron of the school,, testified
that wormy cereals and prunes were fed to
the children and when she called the at
tention of Johnosn TO the fact he had asked:
How can. l help it?" On this same line
DIR. Swearingen testified that the wormy
cereals had for a time been displaced with
a diet composed of hot mush and molasses
until the children were badly run down with
diarrhoea. Once when she had called his
to the quality of the fare Mrs. Orr
says that Johnson called her a d liar
and shook his fist under her nose.
1t can at least be said for the administra-
ton of Johnson that in some lines the
severest economy was practiced. ]. III.
Leonard testified that when a boy, Howard
Crouch. was buried. by order of Johnson
the bottom and sides of the coffin were
removed. leaving nothing but the lid sup
ported by the two end pieces. He said that
when the earth was shoveled in the board
over the body caved III.
Mrs. Gerrish testified that Johnson had
sent a boy by the name of Daniel Lueeman
TO the Jackson county poorhouse and had
taken in his place two other boys because
Mrs. Johnson was afraid of Luceman. She
to run about in cold weather in their bare
feet, because of the poor quality of the
shoes provided. She stated that there was
gambling in the institution. and charged
further that when the children of Johnson
were sick with the scarlet fever they were
There was also evidence that the school was
run as a sort of an adjunct to the Demo-
cratic machine. Johnson admitted that an
eHp.oye Of the school had stood at the polls
day as a Democratic challenger. He was
asked By Senator Boyd if he had ever writ