The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-10
MIR. JOHNSON OBJECTS
SOME CHARGES AGAINST HIM DE-
MED, OTHERS ADMITTED.
In a Long Communication He Tries
to Explain Away All that Looks
Dark Against Him.

School for Feeble-minded Youth, at Fort
Wayne, feels very much injured by the
criticisms which have recently been made
upon his management Of the institution.
Yesterday he sent a communication to the
Journal, which is printed in full below.
The first paragraph IS somewhat misleading
to those who have closely followed the do
ings of the Legislature. Last week, on mo-
ton of Senator Boyd, the ommitte Of
which he is chairman was instructed to
make a full and complete investigation of
Mr.. Johnson's administration. This inves-
tigation will begin in this city Tomorrow,
and Mr.. Johnson will be given the oppor-
tunity he courts. Mr.. Johnson's
cation, in full, is as follows:
Since Monday night and until to-day /
ton of the affairs Of the school for Feeble
minded Youth. l now feel that i owe 1t to
my friends to wait no longer. but to make
charges of Mr.. Boyd. The charges. which
are unsupported by any sworn statements.
paper interviews; each time new features
are introduced and the former ones colored
ana made more circumStantial.
In the first published interview Mr.. Boyd
gave names of six witnesses. Three of
Snese SIX haye declared eltner mat they
said what Mr.. Boyd alleges.
Mr.. Boyd says that DR.. Swearingen says
that the children are fed on mush and hot
molasses. causing diarrhoea and failing
strength. The Doctor, knows that the
dietary is carefully studied and is abundant
and varied. Of the twenty-one meals week.
~ there is always meat at nine or ten;
fruit, stewed and fresh, preserves, etc. are
daily. The cereals-hominy, oatmeal, rice
and corn meal-with milk and syrup are
weekly, but there is always other food at
me ! , same fm time, and the he supply oo Of I bread
300 quarts of milk daily, and the children's
milk is never skimme Dessert is served
such as radishes, lettuce and celery, are
had in abundance in their season.
BILE in soiling their beds. when such food
as mush and milk or stewed fruit was used
for supper, that ABOUT nine months ago
to bread and butter. with cold milk. This
has been very successful in avoiding the
of truth in the false charge. AS a positive
test of the food supply the children are
weighed monthly. Any that show a loss of
matted, milk, poached eggs, beef tea, milk
i toast addition stea; 81 given the in reg plhas food OF; Or I
regard our food supply as above reproach.
Every institution is troubled sometimes with
| wormy fruits or cereals. When we find
them, the goods containing them are
promptly shipped back to the seller. 1 hope
| Fort Wayne on the stand to testify to my
strict enforcement of contracts for first
| class goods.
The Doctor charges carelessness about
contagion. Every effort was made to disin-
feet after our e~pidemics of CONTAGIOUS dis
| ease. DR.. Swearingen prescribed burning sui
| phur, which we did thoroughly, but as the
State Beard of Health did not consider this
method sufficient, we used their plan as
well. All infected clothing was either thor
oughly boiled or was burned. Neither ex-
| knows now it, # iffoaaussnm small i piece of fly netting es t es-
capped the flames, it was an accident
The Doctor rns says w my own Csref Ghlldr iao,a had
and l did not go near them for over five
weeks. ] do not believe. nor has the Doctor
visited the institution six months after they
were out of quarantine was communicated
DR.. Swearingen complains that when there
was a night alarm of fire, Mrs. Johnson
came from the sick room to find whether
burned alive. I think no one will wish to
deuy such a charge as that To the charge
81 s,,an 1rS be clad ! to ehr Meet a the geH witnes aeni face sf 10
face. That there are strong, robust boys and
girls among the inmates of such an insti-
tuition who, occasionally, must be kept in
order by the use of corporal punishment,
every one familiar with the work will testi-
fly. This class of punishment | have tried
to reduce to the minimum. Whenever some
thing else will do, it is dispensed with. I
is eomplained Of to the Committee. They
will testify that they were not abused. They
are of the most intelligent, and, therefore,
the most troublesome class, and [ am con-
WINGED that any fair-minded man who will
know the circumstances and viii talk with
these boys will be satisfied that there Was
no cruelty practiced.
That a man with much v1gor and energy
can always under the most trying eircum-
balance Of temper is, as everyone knows,
impossible; but that / have treated the chill
dren with constant kindness, that their vel
fare and Improvement have been my sole
aim and study: that they have confidence
bles is known beyond question to my subor-
dinates, and to many not connected with
the institution. L shall be glad to- put on
the stand persons who have had much eX-
Derlence In the Work, whose evidence on
this subject is of value.
The statement that 1 made the closing
scene of the funeral of a child unseemly
and shocking for the sake of saving a few
cents worth of lumber, | need say nothing
of our funerals. We do all in our power to
make them beautiful and peaceful. every
effort is put forth that the idea of death
may be a happy, and not a ~sorrowful, ONT
to the afflicted children.
1t is absolutely false that gambling is
allowed in the home, nor do / believe tina
it is or has been praticed in secret. Al
innocent recreations. on the other hand. are
allowed to the help, whose work is hare
and trying. 1 wish that their few leisure
hours may be as pleasant as possible.
The charge that have used the institu
places to party workers is absolutely with
out foundation. / shall offer the testimony
of all the male employees as to their poll
tics and whether any political infiuenc,
has been brought to bear upon them. TIL,
only way wanted to help my party was t.
ton as well as it could possibly be done.
1 am proud of the way that most of tn,
benevolent institutions of the State hav,
been managed during the last few years
and wanted to rank the School for Feeble
minded Youth among the very best O
them. I fail to see anything to be ASHAMED
of in that assertion.
When accused of displacing Democrats IL
order to make. room for Republicans ad
nit that / answered the charge with NOR
strength of expression than was quite fit
ting. The charge Was made very strongl,
on one side: in answering it / leaned un
duly to the other; but / ask to be Judge,
by my acts, and / assert without qualif
cation that I have obeyed the letter an
spirit of the law which governs the insti
tuition. No one has been appointed or dis
charged for political reasons. Employe
have been chosen solely for personal fitnes
and retained for merit.
In securing new help, as in taking in ney