Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-28
SEARCH FOR LIGHT.
THE REFoRMAToRy rNvEsrreA-
rroN CONTINUED LAST NIGHT.
SEVERAL WITNESSES WERE EXAMINED
The Committees Questions Aimed 20
"rsng Out the Fact That Negroes
Are Put In Charge OF white Boys
Punishments at the Institution.

Several more witnesses were examlner
oy the House Committee on Prisons and
Asyiums last night. with reference to the
management OF the Laurel Reformatory.
Inc intent OF the question of DR.. Win
ston, who. as chairman OF the committee.
conducted the examination, seemed TO be
chiefly TO show that negro employees at
the reformatory are put in charge of
white boys. Two witnesses, including
Superintendent Sampson. testified to this
effect. One witness deposed to having
seen a boy too sick to raise his head from
the bed confined by shackles.
IL will probably be some time before the
| investigation Is concluded. as IL is under
stood that there are yet about twelve or
nfteen witnesses to be examined. These.
or most of them, at least, are expected
to testify in behalf of the institution.
1t is evident that the committee is
anxious TO complete its labors, as it was
decided last night to meet twice Monday
IN the morning at 10 O'Clock, and at night
| at O'Clock.
Judged from the size Of the crowd In
the Senate chamber-behind the bar and
in the galleries-interest in the investiga-
ton is increasing instead of waning. The
gallery was nearly FULL and there were
very few vacant seats behind the bar
| while many visitors occupied seats on the
| floor. After the conclusion of Captain
| Parks's address in the hall of the House
! the chamber was crowded. Among the
| spectators were probably twenty ladies'
Justice John ]. Crutchfeld was present,
as at each preceding session OF the COM
| mittee.
| WHY MR.. VALENTINE RESIGNED.
Chairman Winston raped for order at
! SlJ. and Mr.. Henry Lee Valentine, of
this city, was put upon the stand. He
said he resigned from the RefOrmatory
Board about year ago, because the
| board refused to allow John Sterling, a
| young boy, 10 be released from the in
| stitutiOn at the request of his father,
who had secured a position for him. The
| boy had only been sent up for sixteen
| months for disobedience, he thought. He
left the board because he thought he
could no longer serve conscientiously.
| The boy had not worked off any OF his
badges, but he did not know what steps
| the board took to investigate the case
in order to arrive at conclusion affect
ing the application for discharge. He
understood that the boy was put into the
| refOrmatory by his mother because he
|
| lake to battle. He thought he was COM
| mitted without the consent of his father,
| who, he thought, was absent from the
| city at the time. Sterling was committed
by Justice Crutchfield, who, not wishing
TO brand the boy with crime, did not en-
| ter opposite his name the offence for
| which he was sent to the reformatory.
| He did not think the gentlemen on the
| board would countenance any cruelty TO
inmates of the reformatory, but he did
| not know what steps were taken 10 IN
| Vestigate Sterling's case. He ola know
| upon what grounds the committee based
| its refusal to release the boy; he resigned
because he thought the boy ought TO De
| taken out of the company of thieves ana
other criminals, and put to honest work
! he had been offered place as apprentice
under his father
| COMMITTED AT MOTHERS REQUEST
Cross-examined by Mr.. Meredith, wit
| ness said there was no doubt as 10 the
! boy having been committed by the JUS
tice at his mothers request; and that, so
far as he knew. his badges were just,
| and that he had done nothing to have
| them removed He did not believe boys
who were simply disobedient should be
sent to the reformatory with thieves. he
could not see how a boy, merely dls-
| obedient, could be improved by asso-
citation with thieves. He knew the Ster-
ling boy who sold papers regularly In MS
office. was a remarkably polite, we'll
hammered boy, whom they called NC
Ginty." He was greatly wrought up by
| the refusal of the board to release him.
| Cross-examined by Major Stiles, Mr..
Valentine said he had never studied the
| theory of reformatories. Witness stated
| that he thought the crime for when a
bow was committed should be entered
opposite his name so that the world
could know for what he was committed
and reiterated that he was firmly OPP
posed 70 putting disobedient boys INTO
confinement with thieves.
| Re-examined by DR.. Winston, witness
stated that Major Stiles had said 1t
would be a bad precedent to release the
| how before he had worked off his badges.
| He thought the law allowing boys 10 DE
| committed by magistrates was a pao
one. in that II did not require the onence
10 he stated in the record. Mr. Meredith
stated that the charge against the boy
was entered upon the record Of the COM
hitting justice.
WAS NOT REFUSED ADMISSION.
DIR. c. w. z. Brock testified regarding
the statement of Mrs. Scott some nights
| ago that he had been refused permission
TO see her son, when sent to the re-
| fOrmdtOry 10 90 81, lidt Nh'h hO "N"'
| there TO see him he found the regular
nhysician was out, and he did not request
| TO see him.
! Mr. lanes r. Russell, a lawyer of Hen
! rico county. said that he knew nothing
| of the treatment of boys at the lnstitu-
| ton. but some time ago Mr.. ID. I. Butter
| came to see him. and asked him 10 Try
! 10 get out of the reformatory his boy
sent there some time before. ne eN-
| anined the records in Justice Crutcn-
| fields court, and found the boy hau Deen
sent ND for disobedience. He had the
boy taken before Judge WEXFORD on
writ Of habeas corpus In this court ne
| found the boy had been charged WIN
being disorderly as well as olsoDeoien'.
He then went to see Major Sthes aoou'
the how. The Major said he would LOOK
| into the case, and later the ialter to'o
him the boy was a thief; that his uhe
boy's) sister had told him enc boy nau
ehown a great deal OF temper wheh
visited by his mother on the previous
| Sunday. Later the girl had told MN
she had not made such a statement ne
afterwards went to see Mr.. Christian, CT
the board, but he was denied his request
THE BOY FINALLY RELEASED.
Some time later, Mr.. Russell said, he
went 10 see the Governor, who said ne
| could not pardon the boy, but promised
| IA write TO Mr.. Christian, asking MN
| Ia release the boy, in view of the very
| delicate health of his mother Few
| davs after this he went TO see Mr.. Chris
| tan who said he had received letter
| from the Governor, and read the reply.
| which he had just written. Mr.. Russei