The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-22
DEFENDS The REFORMATORY
Superintendent ". T. Sampson Before
The House Investigating Committee.
A STRAIGHTFORWARD EXPLANATION.
Other witnesses, some oil "ho" ""''
Relatives in the Institution, Complain
of the Management-One Lady says
tbeFoodisnot Properly Prepared


Senate chamber fog the purpose OF near
ing testimony in regard TO the admins
tration Of the affairs at tho Reiormatory
School at Laurel station. The witnesses
who appeared before the committee were
Mrs. NJ. +. Leith. Mr.. Mineiree Folkes'
Miss Edna Jennie Farmer. Mr.. I. X
Darracott. Mr.. J. a. Scott, Mr.. teor6e
Robert Napier and Superintendent WIZ
liam Thomas Sampson. The last nained
gentleman was on the stand when the
committee adjourned until next Monoay
evening, and he will be again a witness
at the next meeting.
The only witness who had a grievance
to relate was Miss Edna Jennie Farmer
who said she had visited her brotner
twice while at the institution and during
her first visit she had seen stripes on her
brothers back. caused by !ashes. she
was asked 10 stay 10 dinner on that oc-
caslon by Mrs. Sampson and found that
meal not properly prepared. because meat
and salade were not seasoned right ana
the bread was not what II should have
been. She did not remember however
| at what time she made that visit
MIR. SIMPSONS FRANK STORY.
Mr.. SamspOn gave a detailed statement
OF his life which developed the iact thal
ne has been a teacher ever since nc was
! about sixteen years old and had spent
| a good many years in various roforma-
| tory schools as "a teacher lie told every
| thing I'm the most straightforward man
ner and explained i'm detail how one OF
! the boys had made his escape with an
! other boy from the dOrmitory. lie was
about eighteen years old and had bteh
| committed for hOusebreakng. lie was
overtakcn two miles from Ashland and
! told three times TO stop. He did not obey
! and the guard shot AT him. wounding
! him i'm the feshy part of the thigh. lie
was able 20 walk back to Ashland, where
/ the guard took the train with him. From
! Laurel Station the boy walked 70 the in
| stitution. in the hospital he was chained
to his bed 10 prevent him from running
away again. No criminal proceedings
were ever commenced against the guard,
who is still employed by the institution.
The committee met promptly at
| o'clock with the following members pres
net: Dr. y. J.. Winston. OF Hanover; DR..
s. r. Saycrs, Of Wythe. Dr. W. ID.
Quesenberry, Of Caroline; DR.. \. p.
| Fitzpatrick. OF Nelson: DR.. s. r.. Mclean
ahan. Of Culpeper DR.. w. NJ. Palmer OF
Halifax: J. w ChurChman, OF Augusta;
| 'i'Vl sc Afs eA0otilWANf "a AfNaA'A"NA p lff
w. l.. Banton Of Cumberland y. j..
Clarke. of Dinwiddie: John NJ. Gwyn Of
Smyth: w. T. Wilson. OF Pittsylvania.
Tho Board of Directors OF the Prison
Association OF Virginia vas represented
by Mossrs. James Caske, president;
Roosevelt Page. Charles V. Meredith,
George G. jefferson. a. II. Christian. Jr..
| Thomas Potts. John W. Cfingan, Thorn
as Poindexter, NJ. Stewart Woodward.
MRS. SMITH RECALLED.
| Mrs. VI. +. Smith. who testified on
| Wednesday evening. was recalled 20 tes-
tify TO a statement which she had made
| several days ago. She ACKNOWLEDGED her
signature and related the following.
Il went TO the reformatory on Whit
! Monday last June for the first time /
went to the hospital and saw the boy who
\ had been shot. He was fastened with
| one leg to a bedpcst. lie told me NJ was
/ shot his leg was all bandaged up. lie
| told me he could not walk. but the people
| thought he could and that Is the reason
/ why he was chained. Mrs. Farmers
| daughter was with me"
Mr.. Minetree FOlkes was the next wit
| ness When asked what ne knew about
| the refOrmatory, said: Mrs. Smith came
20 see me- after her boy had been con-
| victed Of stealing cigarettes and asked
ilt ~ NY ~ E'N l'i INl tNAa l4ttNf
| every effort 10 get the boy out but failed.
| All ] know about IT, is what she told me.
/ saw Justice Crutchfcld after the hoy
had been convicted and saw Mr. Christian
| and Mr.. Caskie. Justice Crutchdcld said
! he could not do anything. il was out of
| his pOwel. From what he told me i feel
satisfied that the boy was guilty. Mrs.
/ Smith told me an sorts of stories Of the
| treatment Of the boys about their be-
| ing chained, but 1 always denied that It
was so.
81 knew that the board OF directors
have authority TO send the boy there,
which / deemed proper in his case, but
| what l cannot understand Is. how 10 is
| that they can dctain o boy there. j know
Mr. Caskie and Mr.. Christian and have
the highest regard for them. but / don't
| know the superintendent / don't think
! Justic CIutchhcld would sent q boy there
unjustly. he has too big a heart for that.
THE NlCTUALS NOT SEASONED.
When cicss-eXaminel Mr.. Folkes said.
II did not CONSIDER the consequences that
would follow the boys release. ! knew
nothing of Mrs. Smith but / believe her
to be a woman Of good character
never looked into the authority vested i'm
the board. I am satisfied the Governor
could parGon a boy there. I did not know
that Governor OFerrall had looked into
the matter and said ne could not inter
fere.
Miss Edna Jennie Farmer vas the next
witness: ! live at 3o2l cast Franklin
street She said. II am employed at
Tyser and Pollak's cheroot shop. / have
q brother az the reformatory and have
visited him. When I first went there.
my brother showed me the stripes he
had on hi back from the whipping he had
received ] know there were over three
stripes. but / don't know how many
They were about nine inches long.
MY brother Is i'm his sevent cnth year
and has been there five years. lie has
a sweet disposition and was sent there for
waywardness and disobedence. lie
would stay out late at night. lie was
committed at my mothers request He
wore a jeans jacket, pants and a shit
and undershirt. 1 have not seen my
brother since the electric cars began 10
run 70 Lakeside Park. l thought he was
not sufficiently clothed My father is
living, he IS a fireman on the Southern
railroad.
right. ] saw them az dinner when they
had beer, salad and bread; IT was not
seasoned right; the meat was not half
way cooked, and was not seasoned right
Ny brother told me that was thu best
they had. The bread was half done l
could not eat anything. Tie meat appear
ed 20 be sound Salad was not seasoned
right, It had trash in H. sticks and grit.
The officers Of the institution ate at the
same table and / ate with my brother