The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-25
INVESTIGATION RESUMED.
Several With sses Tell Xha. They
Know About the RelOTmatOry.
NJ RE MOTHERS WITH GREY nc IS.
Two Former Inmates Tell OF Their EHpe-
rience-They Were Treated Kindly as
Long as They Behaved Themselves
Food Was Good and Plentiful.

The House Committee on Asylums and
Prisons held another session in the Sen
ate Chamber last evening, to examine
into the affairs connected with the Re
formatory School at Laurel, Va. All the
members OF the committee were present,
and large crowd Of spectators were on
hand, who completely filed the big room
and also the gallery. The Board OF Di-
rectors Of the Prison Association Of Nir-
ginia was represented. as usual, by
Messrs. James Caskie, Charles V. Mere
dith Roosevelt Page. Thomas Potts,
George c. jefferson. j. W. Crngan' and
Thomas Poindcxter
a number of witnesses appeared> who
had been summoned by the prosecution
but their testimony did not develop any
thing new OF consequence. TWO boys
I who have been inmates OF the institution
testified that they were treated kindly
IS long as they behaved but they were
punished when they behaved Dadi!.
The prosecution viii De closed win the
examination of Mir. Russell, lawyer,
| tomorrow evening and the Board OF Dl-
]
nessCs on the stand.
IL was not until 20 o'clock that the
committee was called TO order by Ut.
winston. The chairman, the delay having
been caused by the late arrival OF Mr.
/ Meredith.
ANOTHER MOTHER COMPLAINS.
Mrs. Mary 5. Brown was the first Wit
| ness called. 81 live at 1ll2 Twenty
sixth street." she said Il have a son at
! the reformatory school. who was sent
| there in March last by his father on the
charge OF blowing out the lights IN sun
! day school after the congregation had leit
! have been divorced since last october.
! NV son win be eighteen years old next
| July His name is James Edward Black
! burn. j have visited him about fifteen
/ times. on June lat l went out there and
/ heard lie was beaten awfully 10y Nj
| Sampson with q strap that had buckle
at its end. which hit him on the eye. He
/ created a fuss in the dormitOry by caus-
| ing the boys TO laugh. He wore jeans
| pants and cotton shirt and coat. The
1 last time ! saw him was on July sth
when he got the beating and l want
ed 10 see him, he wanted TO show me the
marks, but was driven away by Mr.
| Sampson, who said the boy was not my
child now. but his. know Of
/ another boy who was chewing
tobacco because he had the tooth
| ache. The guard made him take
the tobacco out Of his mouth and stand in
! the hot sun lie escaped with the other
/ boys in August and was not recaptured
until last Friday q week ago. lie was
! caught near Basic City lie wrote 10 me
! last Monday. hut Mr.. Sampson never
| sent me the letter"
! on cross-cxaminatiOn the witness said:
My son was whipped on June lst. J was
! out there two or three times i'm June.
/ Mr.. Sampson drove the hoy away from
me ike a dog when no wanted TO show
me the marks on his body. On the 9TH
/ Of July when ! saw my son. my daughter
| and sOn-in-law and Il lady were with me.
/ on June lst his cye was black and ] saw
some marks on his arm and on his neck;
/ the stripes were about two inches wide.
: lie had been whipped an over. When
| came 20 town I wanted to get warrant
ont for Mr.. Sampson. but I was advised
I TO see the board ] went TO see Mr.
/ Christian in his Office on Main street
! lie sent me a letter two weeks later, but
/ hc did not give nc any satisfaction. He
said the boy had been examined by A
| physician who said his bruises did not
amount to any thing
! THE FATHER SENT HIM THERE
Mrs. J. Addn Blake. who lives in tho
same house with Mrs Brown. said: II
/ nave a brother a. the institution. James
/ Eddie Blackburn. went out 10 sec
( him four times. first went there about
April and ] went there again on June lst
/ when ! saw bruises on his neck and arm
/ and on his eye. Mr. Sampson came up
! and pushed my brother away like dog
! I overheard the conversation between my
| mother and Nr Sampson. The latter
| pushed my brother away and told him
! u go 10 his class He ,Old my mother
| the bow was his child now and he would
! beat him whenever he got ready. When
my brother escaped. he was gone four
| months ard twenty-six DAYS. 7 have
/ been told my brother was sent 10 the
! rcformatory by Mr.. Crutchfed at the
/ instance of my father. who said he would
! not pay the fine. 7 was not present. but
| ! am told my brother blew out the lights
IN tho Sunday school room after the
conrreTation was gone and don't know
whether he disturbed the conCreQat tion. 80
DID NOT WANT HER TEMPER TO
GET UP,
Mrs. Mary Mitchell Cox. Of 500 north
Eighteenth street, said: II need to have
no occupation when | had plenty to live
on; Ike most Of the Nirginians, l now
have to work for my living. and am a
/ scamstress. 1 have a son VINO Is now in
| his seventeenth year. He was sent TO
! the Eotormatory in June last. having
| been convicted BY Justice Crutchheld for
| entering Mr.. Moran's bar-rOom. Ny boy
never told me anything about the treat
ment. but ! heard from others that he
had been whipped numerically. l asked
\ him about H. but he laughed II of. How
eSer, / saw a bruise on his arm. / have
seen nothing out there 10 justify me say
ing that the boys have been treated un-
kindly lie was with the boy who broke
into the oar-room. and they got each g.
but my son gave his money back % the
officer. l pulled his shirt open white yis-
it.ng him, when 1 saw a bruise on his
arm. / did not look farther, because /
am a Southern woman, and did not want
my temper to get up"
WORKED" WITH A PITCHFORK.
Mr. Davis Il .Mauck was the next wit
ness: Davis Frank MaucE is ny name,
he said II live in Fulton, on Graham
street, but have no occupation at present
have been an inmate at the institution
and vas committed in 1892 by Squire
Vincent FOR being dsobedient 10 my
mother She consented 10 my commit
ment | was there two years. lacking
one month and thirteen days | was un-
kindly treaty by Mr. Brown, an officer
i'm charge OF the stable gang. was un-
well and laid down. He got 60 work at
me with a pitchfOrk. He hit me with a.
| made a complaint 90 my father. and
| told Mr. Sampson when ne asked me
4 was the line I boya 40,