The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-10-28
MOTHER SUPERIOR OF THE HOUSE
OFF THE GOOD SHEP-
HERD
SAYS 1T is A REF0RMAT0RY
SETS FORTH CLEARLY THE LINES
ON WHICH 1T is CON-
QUOTED.
GIRLS ARE ALLOWED. TO LEAVE.
If They Are Over Eighteen They
May Secure Their Liberty on
Three Days Notice.

Judge Brill's court room was again
filled yesterday with a crowd of citi-
zens men and women who exhibit the
keenest interest in the trial of the suit
for $4,000 damages for alleged false
imprisonment of Saline Clewett against
the House of the Good Shepherd. With
the opening of the forenoon session, the
work Of securing the jury was resum-
ed, only two having been obtained on
Tuesday. When completed the jury
was composed of the following:
]. M. Hambay w. H. Howard,
Samuel A. Frost Edwin James,
w. H. Lesemann, Hans A. Jensen,
Peter Mcdonald, G. f. Koerner,
Frederick Low, John F. Gregory,
e. E. Lincoln, Harry Longfellow.
AS soon as the jury had been sworn
in, Attorney Butts made his opening
address. In the course of his remarks
Mr.. Butts declared that the inmates
of the House of the Good Shepherd
were not supplied with sufficient and
proper food and were subjected to ex-
cessive labor. Mr.. Butts said the girls
were served with chickory and crust
of bread in the mornings, and with
mush and molaSSeS at noon, with tea
SO weak it could hardly be distinguish
ed from water, and bread and tea for
supper. Prunes or baked apples they
were occasionally favored with, and
once in while a few scraps of meat.
The plaintiffs complaint does not make
allegations concerning the nature of
| the food, but counsel for the defense
allowed Mr.. Butts to proceed without
| interruption. At the conclusion of his
address, Mr.. Butts called, as the first
| witness for the plaintiff, none other
| than the mother superior Of the House
of the Good Shepherd. This procedure
was followed under the statute per-
hitting the plaintiff to call a witness
for the defense and submit such wit
ness to oss-examination before the
defense can examine directly
The mother superior thereupon took
the witness stand and Mr.. Butts pro-
ceeded to interrogate her concerning
| the rules and regulations, and general
nature of the institution.
In substance the mother superior,
who gave her testimony clearly and
concisely, testified as follows:
The plaintiff, Miss Clewett, was an
| inmate of the institution for about two
years All the mail addressed to in
mates and all letters written by them
to friends and relatives outside were
! inspected by the mother superior be-
fore delivered to the inmates or to
|
perior was the sole judge Of whether it
| was proper to deliver the mail or send
| letters out
The mother superior testified that
Miss CleWett once escaped from the
House of the Good Shepherd by break
| ing a cloister window. She was gone
three days and then came back volun-
! tarily. Two girls were sent to find
! her and tell her to take off the black
1
society would give her suitable garb
for the world. The girls were not ask
ed to bring Miss Clewett back. She
came back of her own accord. Had
| she given the authorities three days
notice of her desire to leave the House
of the Good Shepherd, being over eigh-
teen years of age, she would, the
mother superior declared, have been al
| lowed to go free.
The mother superior denied that COR
poral punishment of any of the inmates
was allowed by her But discipline had
to be maintained.
1--WE keep a reformatory for wayward
girls" explained the mother superior,
mot an academy"
The common punishment for improp-
er conduct consisted in compelling the
inmates guilty of such misconduct,
such as the use of obscene and bias
phemous language, to wear tick
dress made of common gunnysack. If
the language used was f1agrantly OBJ
scene the woman or girl guilty of such
offense was kept aloof from the others.
All the inmates were given fictitious
| names Mrs. CleWett was known as
! Loretta.
Mr. Butts questioned the mother su-
perior closely concerning her own
status in the institution and the cour-
tesies and respectful attitude of the
inmates in her presence. The mother
superior admitted that the inmates
stood up whenever she passed through
a room, as a token of respect for her.
So did the other sisters. But they were
! not compelled to. She denied that she
sat on a throne" in the recreation
| room where she meets the inmates on
Sundays She sat in an ordinary chair
slightly elevated above the level of the
-four
Miss Clewett was an inmate of the
criminal ward, where the washing and
ironing were done. The mother Su-
perior explained the practice that pre-
vailed of entrusting with the keys
certain inmates who convinced the Sis
tiers of the sincerity of their purpose
to reform. She was not sure that Miss
Clewett was not so trusted
The mother superior here took occa-
sion to say:
I'VE do not lose sight of the fact that
the House of the Good Shepherd is q
reformatory and therefore the girls are
not allowed to go at large, nor are the
inmates of one class allowed to mingle
with those of another If they were
how could we preserve any distinction
between the children, the younger girls
and the Magdalenes?
Questioned concerning the escapes
from the institution, the mother supe-
rior admitted there had been six dur
ing the present year. She believed thai
some of these girls were present in the
court room.
''Who are they?" inquired Mr.. Butts
You will not not hear their true
names from me-" responded the mother
superior. in decided tones. 1T is one o.
our rules to protect these girls anC
save their families"
The mother superior, in response tt
further questioning, said that if girls
over eighteen years Of age ran away
from the institution the sisters did moi
notify the police and seek to have then
brought back but let them go. But il
they were under eighteen years the po-
lice were notified in order that they
NAV be found and brought back il
their parents so desire.
The mother superior declared posi-
lively that all girls over eighteen Years
of age we're at liberty to leave the
House of the Good Shepherd upon Civ
ing three days notice.
Mr. Butts then questioned the mother
superior concerning the food served to
the inmates. The mother superior an