Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-25
BOYS ON THE STAND.
TWO FORMER INMATES OF THE
REronMAToRy AS WITNESSES.
TESTIFY AS TO PUNISHMENT.
A Mother Says She Was Mislcd I'm
Sending Her scn to the Institution.
havcsI--Dcfcnce TO Bcgin.

! Inc itouSc committee Oh Atl tuIIS dll'
Prisons last night continued the investl
cation Of the affairs at the Laurel Re
formatory.
The proceedings were quite interesting
and for the first time boys who had beer
inmates of the. Institution were placed
upon the stand. One of these testified
that a guard had used a pitchfork on hin
as means of stirring him up when he
complained that he had a headache on q
certain occasion. and didn't care to work
The other boys testimony was rather
favorable to the institution. mother
testified that her son was beaten until
his whole body was striped. and a 'blach
eye" was given him, though upon cross
examination she admitted that the stripes
were confined TO the arms and shoulders.
The chamber was again crowded. and i'm
the gallery were dozen or more boys
who had been inmates OF the reforma-
tory. They were called the graduating
class by one Of the gentlemen on the
floor, who made the statement Just be-
fore the proceedings commenced.
"CAT CALLS" AT A MISSION.
DR.. Winston was in the chair and
nearly ali of the members OF the COM
mittee were present. Mrs. Mary Brown.
OF No. HOP north Twenty-sixth street. was
first put on the stand. She had been
divorced from her husband. 1t was at the
latters request that her son. James
blackburn, was committed to the re-
iormatory. She had son at the reform
atory-James Blackburn-who had been
sent there nv his
Mr.. Crltchfeld: Witness was divorced
The boy had been sent to the school for
blowing out the lights In Sunday school
lie was committed last spring, and was
now in his 18th year. The lad. when ghe
saw him. some time last June. o,as
striped from his head to his feet ami
had badly-bruised eye. These stripes
had been inflicted by Superintendent
sampson, she said, with leather strap.
which had buckle on the end of It. Her
son. she SAID, had never been given un-
ueiclothes since he had been at the in
sutution. ON the 6th Of July the witness
visited the school and noticed a how who
had tobacco in his mouth to cure the
toothache. a guard ordered him to take
the tobacco from his mouth, and com
PEELED him toI'stand in the hot sun for Is
minutes. The boy, the witness stated.
had written her more than a week ago.
but Mr.. Sampson had not as yet mailed
the letter
When witness was cross-examined bv
MI Meredith she stated that she had
only seen the stripes on her sons neck
ana arms Mr.. Sampson heard her con-
Versatlon at that visit and came up and
drove the boy away like a dog" The
witness came to the city and en-
deavored TO get q warrant out against
Mr.. Sampson She had seen Mr.. Christian
IN regard 10 this. The latter, after some
ueiay, mad written her a letter, stating
mat a physician had examined the boy.
and said that the bruises did not amount /
TO anything. Witness said this exarnina- |
lion had been made however, several |
weeks after the whipping occurred.
Mrs Josephine Blake, OF No. 1ll2 north /
Iwenty-sixth street, who is employed at /
Whitiosk's cheroot-f3ctory, was then /
placed on the stand. Witness was a sis
ter of the boy above referred to. She
mad visited the reformatory on the lst
OF June. Her brother then had stripes on
his neck and arms, and n terrible bN-.
eye, out OF which he could hardly see.
Her mother asked Mr. Sampson why he
beat the boy so badly. The Superintend-
mt replied that it was not her child but
AS, and that "he would beat il when
ever ne got good and ready" Her brother
lad escaped tEom the institution and re-
NAMED away over four months, but was
about two weeks aso. and was
low az the reformatory
ONE BRUISB on HER SON.
Mrs Bette Mitchell Cox, Of No. SOC north
Eighteenth street. a scamstress, next
ook the stand. "Once," she said. nike
most OF the Nirginians, she did not have
@ work Her son, who was in his 18th
'e9r was sent to the reformatory last
une for entering Morran's bar-room and
tealing s.. Witness had visited the in
titution several times. She noticed seve-
al boys in chains. though her son was
ot one OF them. She had heard that her
on was whipped. but he had not told her
o. Witness had however, noticed a
ruise on his arm
Upon being questioned By Mr.. Meredith |
s to now many bruises she saw, witness
eplied that she only noticed the one. SHE
liant look for any others because she
eclarod she was a southern woman ana
idnt want her temper TO get up"
BEATEN WITH 4 PITCHFORK.
Daniel f. Mauck then testified He
we'd In Fulton, and had no occupation
{ the present time once he was en-
ioyed by the Atlantic and Virginia Fer
iiizing Company. Witness was now is
ears OLD. He said he was committed to
he reformatory in 1892 for disobedience
, his mother, and remained at the in
Tuition twenty-throc months He was ,
nkndly treated once by Mr.. Brown one
the officers Witness explained that !
ne day lac was working IN a stable ana
)mplaineo OF headache, and that he ,
)ulcn't work. Mr.. Brown tnereupOn \
went 10 work upon him with a pitch /
,rk.' Alauck said that he was beaten /
It'll the implement, but was not "stuck" !
lth II. He had seen several boys whip
"a, but none brutaly. As to the cloth . =
u worn by the boys, the management | !
q not furnish undertaking to the pri-
'ners. The pants which were Of jeans.
ere lined. All OF the guards at the in $
tuition we're white when witness was q f
isoncr thefe. Witness said he didn't s
link lie had undergone any reformation u
hiic at the fcformatory. He received II
stINctiOn there i'm the school" for two ~
ours each day, from to in the morn (,
< and to In the evening. He was :
u n regular attendant upon the school. h
en- during those hours, a. his duties II
evented him from being present. The y
itiess did not complain Of the food. ei
Mr. Gywnn asked the witness IT, he IN N
II think the institution was a good one il
r unruiy boys. lie replied that he o.
ouglit SO.
THE CASE OF BLACKBURN.
Mr.. James +. Flournoy, Clerk of the ~
'cond Market, was put on the stand ~