The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-11-15
WILL SOON BE EMPTY.
Eight Boys Escape From Re-
form School in Eight Days.
The Institution Made an Asy-
lum For Political Heelers,
And as Might be Expected Nobody
Pays Any Attention to Anybody
Else and Generalization
Reigns Supreme.

The internal quarrel at the reform
school still continues with as much feel
ing the different sides as ever. Little
attention is paid to the school affairs
and the employees spend most of their
time discussing their grievances and in
making reports to the board of chari-
ties.
On last Tuesday two boys escaped on
Thursday one boy escaped and on Fri
day two more took their leave. Week
( before last two boys escaped, making a
total of eight within eight days.
The state board of charities held an all
night session at the reform school on Fri
day night. They held their investiga-
, ton in what is known as the board room.
All but three of the employees were sum
moned before them and requested to give
their sides of the trouble. After each
one had told his or her story they were
dismissed and sent to their rooms and
someone else was called. There are 16
male employees, and 10 of them say that
unless Superintendent Hart is removed
they will leave the institution. The re-
naming three stand either neutral or for
the present superintendent. There are 16
female employees and they are about equal
" divided in their likes and dislikes.
blight of them wish Mr.. Hart to stay
and the remaining eight wish him remOv>
ed. 1t has not been openly stated by the
insurrectiOnists that they wish the pres
ent assistant superintendent, Fred Sours,
appointed to succeed Mr.. Hart. Mr.. Sours
is the chief insurrectionist and it would
be acceptable to him and his followers to
have the position given him.
Mr.. S. c. Wheeler, secretary of the
board of charities, was seen by a Journal
reporter on Saturday afternoon. Mr..
Wheeler showed the effects of the all
night session, but said that there was mo
trouble" at the school and that the
stories from there were greatly distOrt-
ed" He admitted that the boys had es-
capped and that they had not yet been
found but disclaimed any knowledge of
the trouble between the superintendent
and the employees.
The board of charities left Saturday for
Winfield to attend to the monthly bust
ness of the imbecile school. They will
return to the reform school tomorrow and
make known their decision. They have
not promised the employees as to what
action they will take, but they have given
the ones who are DESTROYS of Harris re-
moval to understand that they have Moth
ing to fear and that they will not have to
give up their positions as they have
threatened, but that everything will be
settled in their favor.
Some of the employees who are against
Mr. Hart claim that Indirectly it was his
fault that the barn was destroyed by ire
They claim that the story that it was set
on fire by tramps is trumped up and that
there were no tramps about the place.
The boys of the school were on their way
to town to attend a parade during the FAN
Festival 1t was claimed by the man
agement that the barn caught fire Ions
after they had left. 1t is claimed by
some of the employees that the barn was
in flames before the boys were out OF
sight of the school, and they Furthermore
claim that the fire was started from a
lighted cigar stub thrown carelessly near
the straw bedding by one of the employees
and that it was the habit of the employees
to go to the barn to smoke.