The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-27
NO PROOFS OF CRUELTY
BOARD OF STATE CHARITIES INVEs-
TIGATES AT PLAINFIELD.
Witness HeinI Could Give No Names
of Observation-Disclosures Chari-
ton Exonerated by the Board.

John r. Elder and DR.. Mary Sphinx. men,
bers of the Board of State Charities. and
Ernest Z. Bicknell. secretary and executive
officer of the board. went TO Plainfield yes
terday to investigate charges that were
made against the management OF the he
form School for Boys by Otto Heinl, of
Terre Haute After spending the entire
day at the Reform School hearing evidence
the board reached the conclusion that the
charges were not substantiated. although
not disproved. but that if substantiated
they would not necessarily convict the SUI
perintendent of failure to do his duty. The
report of the board fully exonerates Super
intendent Charlton.
The charges of Otto Heinl were made
public about a month ago, during the meet
ing of the Legislature. At that time the
Board of Charities had SO much business
on hand that the investigation was post
poned. 1t was said then that charges that
were not made until more than five years
after the occurrence of the facts could not
be so pressing as to demand that the board
drop other matters of importance to attend
10 them.
Otto Heinl charged that he was employed
at the Reform School for twelve days dur
ing July, 1891, and that he left the place be-
cause his heart revolted at the cruelty of
the punishment administered TO many of
the boys in the school. He said that in the
house in which he was the assistant faith
err the father often whipped ten or fif-
teen boys each day. and whipped them so
cruelty as to cause the marks to remain on
their bodies for a long time. The only spe-
cifc charge was that on Sunday during the
services in chapel a feeble-minded boy went
to sleep. Heinl said one of the officers OF
the institution called on him for assistance,
and the feeble-minded boy was taken to the
basement of one of the cottages and cruelty
whipped because he went to sleep. Heinl
could not give the exact date of this oc-
currence. nor the name of the boy nor any
officer connected with the cruelties ne
charged.
The board was confronted with these
vague charges without anything definite,
and the management had no means OF OIL
fering any testimony, because they couid
not ascertain definitely what had TO be re-
futed. Heinl told his story in a straight
forward manner that seemed 10 indicate
that he was telling the truth. but the men,
bers of the board concluded that he had
probably unconsciously magnified some OF
the occurrences. His memory was not Soou
enough to recall the names of a single OIL
Ger connected with any of the cruelties re-
ported, and for this reason the board was
not inclined to accept as absolute ms state
ments of the things he charged. although
tnefe was no disposition u tiio yin
with telling what was not true.
The only evidence submitted by the man
agement of the chool was the rules pro-
viding for the punishment OF the boys ana
the records and testimony to show that III
every case where officers had punished boys
without proper orders TO do so. or had pun
ished them more severely than is permitted,
the officers were discharged, not for the
second or third. but for the first oifense.
1t was also shown that every boy in the
institution knows that he can go at any
time. without fear of punishment. ana
make any complaint he may have to super
intendent Charlton and it VIII be fuiiy IN
~vestigated. The boys have learned this.
and at the hours when they are received py
Superintendent Charlton for this purpose
there is always a large crowd, but most OF
the complaints are not against tne hlahasgo
ment or the officers; they are simply little
requests of various kinds. all of which are
granted when within reason. Secretary
Bicknell looks upon this feature or the
management of the home as the great 50.
Charlton. He could not find a boy VINO nau
any complaint to make about the way MS
requests had been received by the superih-
tendent.
ined the report that there had been some
~political fayoritism shown IN the selection
of employees. superintendent charlton salu
he had never asked a single employe 10 ten
his politics, and had in several cases re-
fused to employ men who had purposely al
lowed him to know their political feelings
in the hope that it would influence MS ac-
ton. The poll books OF the polltical parties
for the precinct show that the DIVISION or
marty lines has sometimes been on one side
and sometimes on the other, without ~
great deal of difference either way. Al the
present time the books show the employees
ahout evenly divided. The board came 10
the conclusion that the superintendent Is
not influenced in any way by poltlcS III Sc
lecting his employees.