Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-21
MIR. DOYLE'S DEMAND
As Superintendent Of the Staunton In
stitutiOn He Wants an Investigation.
WHAT yR. RANDOLPH WRITES.
Letters Of a Rather Conflicting
Nature Received from Other Deaf
Mutes-Committcc 10 Lcok Into the
Mafter-Othcr Legislative Gossip.

Mafter-other Legislative Gossip.
Since the publication in Sundays Dis
patch of the fact that Mr.. Randolph
OF Norfolk. had written letters to men,
bers of the General Assembly, making
grave allegation against the Deaf Dumb.
and Blind Institution at Staunton, in
terest has centered upon that insutu-
tion. and the public is eagerly awaiting
the result OF the investigation which the
Legislature is sure to make.
Hon Silas ii. Walker, member Of the
House from Staunton. yesterday re-
ceived the following telegram:
''Staunton. Va. January 10.
Hon. Slas II. Walker. Richmond, Va:
ION behalf of the teachers and others
OF the Deaf and Dumb and Blind lnsti-
tuition, | demand an immediate and tho
rough investigation by the proper
committee of the Legislature of the
charge made by Randolph. OF Norfolk,
and others. Please present this tele-
gram to the Committee on Asylums and
Prisons. f. ;. DOh LIE.
principal Of the Institution Of the Deaf,
Dumb, and Blind"
FOR AN INVESTIGATION.
This telegram Mr.. Walker had laid be-
fore the House and at the same time
he offered the following resolution, which
was agreed to:
Resolved by the House of Delegates.
the Senate concurring. That commit
tee OF three on the part of the House
and two on the part of the Senate be
appointed to inquire into and report
upon the charges preferred against the
Institution for the Education of the
Deaf, the Dumb, and the Blind by one
John l.. Randolph. of Norfolk, Va, as
published in the Richmond papers of the
18th and 18th instant; thar said commit
tee shall begin its Investigation i'm
mediately, be empowered TO sit during
the session of the General Assembly,
and to send for such persons and papers
as II may need; and, II necessary. to visit
the city Of Stanton for the purpose of
their investigation.
The Senate did not act upon this
resolution yesterday, but will take 1t
up to-day, and as soon as il passes that
body the committee of five win be ap-
pointed TO visit Staunton and investi-
gate.
THE LETTER OF MR.. RANDOLPH.
The letter which caused the inquiry
and made necessary the resolution
was not addressed to Mr.. Hathaway,
as stated. but to Hon. Charles T.
Bland. of Portsmouth. who turned ii
over to MIR. Hathaway. The letter fol-
lows:
''6l6 west BrambletoD avenue
Norfolk, Va, January 49, 1896
Hon. Charles Bland. House of Delegates
Richmond, Va:
Dear Sir,-Your record as a member
Of the Legislature emboldens me TO call
your attention to the bill now pending
relating TO the division of the institute
for the education of the deaf-mutes and
the blind OF the State. | appeal to you
TO endeavor to have the said bill amend
ed so as 10 have the division drawn on
the line of sex. instead OF separating the
blind from the deaf-mute, az now in
tended. | am a graduate OF this nsti-
tHtion. as is also my wife, and IL is my
knowledge of matters gained in my
school-days that prompts this request. on
the grounds of economy alone the di-
vision by sex is preferable There has
been no difficulty I'm teaching the blind
and the deaf-mute I'm the same institute,
and there Is great saving, as the deaf
mute can do a great deal Of labor that
the blind are restrained from by their
loss of sight, such as mending clothing,
etc. for the blind. Dividing on the line
proposed by the bill would place l02
deaf-mutes i'm one institute and IS blind
in another. A division by sex would place
an almost equal number i'm each school,
so. on the grounds of convenience alone
the latter plan is highly preferable. BUC
t.f.r rA4-
quest. Education is a grand thing.
(Mr. Randolph here speaks very plainly.
and makes some serious charges. saying
he knows of several ex-pupis who have
been ruined a( the institution.) Continu-
ing, he writes:
Does not Virginia owe il to those
poor. afflicted girls. more ignorant Of the
world by reason of their afflctment,
that their purity should be guarded while
their education vas being perfected.
This is an ever-recurrng danger
II has been I'm the past. and will be In
the future, if permitted. Several ladies',
now married, in this vicinity. including
my wife, can give evidence or the perse-
cution suffered by them i'm the institu-
tion from male teachers. | appeal to you
to az least do your part to prevent
the continuance OF this horrible state OF
in dense ignorance than to gain know
ledge at the expense Of what any honest
man would preserve at the expense OF
his life among his own family The State
owes II TO these female pupils that they
should be under the charge and super
vision of their own sex. Some
OF the people now endeavoring to have
the bill ] mentioned passed may wish
the perpetuation Of this inTamy. but 4
appeal TO your honor as a man. your
chivalry as a Virginian. and to the gene
rous sympathy all should extend to fel-
low-beng, and ask that you do what one
man can do TO prevent the further ruin
OF innocent girls I'm the institution kept
and maintained by the great old State.
Respectfully yours.
"JNO l.. RANDOLPH"
"P S.-lf you please, see Dr. W w.
Parker. to whom ! have written a letter
I'm regard TO the same thing
OTHER LETTERS CONFLICTING.
MT Hathaway has received letters from
other mutes who have graduated from
the institution at Staunton, and TO some
extent they conflict. Some are partially
substantiative OF Mr.. Randolph's charges,
and others deny their correctness.
Mr. Randolph. 1t was ascertained. Is
respectable shoemaker. and resides at
No. 6l6 west Brambeton avenue. Nor
folk He is a lineal descendant OF John
Randolph of Roanoke. and is said by
those who know him TO be a reliable
man. His wife. to whom he alludes in
his letter as being able to testify to
the immortality OF the institution. is also
deaf mute. and was a student at Staun-
ton. She was Miss Ethel Blankenship,
OF Ettrick. near Petersburg.
THE BOARD MEETS TO-DAY.
The following telegram was received by
the Disnatch from its Staunton CORES