The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1897-02-24
lNHUMAN TREATMENT.
Bad State Of Affairs Found At
the Reform School.
Out Of sixty->Thre Inmates of the
Institution, Only Two Had
Not Been Whipped

Ic)FeSG GUuUlNCo = 11ilN 1ohso'e'>''' ~
Missoula, and W. II. Cochran, OF
Dillon, who have been investigating
the affairs of the reform school at
Miles City, made the following re-
port today:
no the senate and house Of repre-
sentatives:
Your joint committee appointed to
| investigate the state reform school
at Miles City report that we gave
the institution a thorough and i'm
partial investigation, that we took
the testimony Of over 100 witnesses,
and after due consideration we
beg leave to submit to this
honorable body the following report:
We find that this home is at all
times kept in a state Of perfect clean
lncss, but that the sanitary condl-
tions connected with this institution
are such as can only breed disease.
We were indeed surprised to lind
such state of affairs regarding the
most important item connected with
this institution: we would therefore
: recommend to this honorable body
that small appropriation be made
! to complete a sewerage system winch,
. in our estimation, would hinder the
spread of contagious diseases.
We believe, after a most searching
and thorough investigation as to the
+ modes of punishment aud the offences
: committed, that the perintendent
8 Of this institution is entirely too Sc
s we're in his punishment Of these chill
s drcn. The punishment for trif1ing
: otfcnses is entirely too great and has
: caused every inmate Of this home to
s become discouraged and long for
: freedom. Out Of 63 children who
3 are inmates Of this institution we
q find but two who had not received a
: severe whipping' While we believe
& in corporal punishment being ad-
ministcrcd for just causes, we GO not
believe it should be administered as
it has been done for such small Of
. fenscs, such as talking to each Other
" in line, talking in the dormitory at
night, talking to each other at the
table, for not being competent ir
sewing u patch on a garment to spec
tally please the seamstrcss, Tor acCl
oily SpllIlHS HtlUCl, p1CAh'lISo s'AH''AE'
and making unintentional mistakes
for not getting stitches close enough
on clothing, and many like petty OF
= fcnscs. Corporal punishment often
times administered for these small
. otfcnses is certainly brutal and cruel
Il and the regularity with which TIN
u thick heavy strap is administered t
the children We feel has caused tn
SUPERINTENDENT to forget the poWe
lof his right arm. We find that tn
boys and girls are oftentimes beate
81 upon the cords Of the wrists with
y ruler or strap hard enough to caus
IL the wrist to swell to twice it's nature
size. We find the girls have at time
been severely punished for havin
occasion to use the chamber at nigh
One Of the rules Of this establishmer
VS., is that they arc allowed to go in
ITS body at different hours Of the day
the outside closet, but after a'cloe
at night, under no consideration, C
md cept when sick, are they allowed
obey the calls Of nature until 7 o'cloc
Any violation of this rule causes
severe punishment with a strap
the girl who violates it, and "ht
- the physician of the institution W
made aware Of this inhuman rule
at once pronounced it cruel and
crime against nature. The childr'
are oftentimcs whipped black al
bS' blue for petty otfcnses. We tlnd tn
the male superintendent at dl1fere
times has punished the girls hims'
by raising their dresses and ADM
tering strokes with q leather strap.
We recommend to you that in t
future the matrOn or female emplt
es alone be allowed to adminis1
punishment to the female inmates
~. this home.
MA We find after careful Investigate
that one of the girl inmates by
name of Bell, was sick, and for co
- planning Of such sickness she was
ycrely punished. The next day
was removed to the hospital
treated for dipthcria, and in a
NH days she died. The physician Of
! institution Informed us that
II death was caused by heart faill
~ In this connection we find that m;
of the inmates, who have at differ
times complained of illness,
whom we are satisfied were justi
in their complaint, have been seri1
" whipped. While there, are CO
:of feigned Illness, in which the
fender should receive punishms
we believe that the cases of complt
tely have not been thoroughly invc
The gated and they have been too rca
f of punished for such complaints.
two different times haYe chile
been accidently struck over the
and forced to carry a black mark
days.
At different times when the
have complained to the trustees
VIC hold, had perfect right to
ceive their complaints, they
been severely punished for SO do
one instance being when they a:
JIG. for better food.
The whip is not the only ins
mcnt used for punishment, but
2 the tcntimcs the superintendent
ding used a wooden iatne' ana @ at one n's
i'oi one Of the boys for slight dis
lead diencc, which caused marks tc
main upon the boys face for SCI
days.
a We believe that the suDerint