The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-20
TIE REFORMATORY INQUIRY
The House Committee Opened the InVeS.
tisatiOn Last hight
CLOTHING OF The BOYS TOO LIGHT.
Is the Principal CompIaint-A Number of
Relatives of the Inmates of the Institu-
tion Heard-One Boy Claimed
to Have Sears.

or nearly Tour nOurS inc House 'OM-
mittee on Asylums and Prisons was in
session last evening, and investigated
the affairs in connection with the adj
ministration of the Reformatory School
at Laurel station, as directed by a reso-
/ luton adopted by the House OF Delegates.
a number OF witnesses were heard
! relatives Of boys who had been or are
now at that institution, and the only
complaint was made by some OF them
that they thought the boys did not wear
enough underclothes. one Of the wit
nesses Mr.. John Wilkerson. OF Danville.
said he had his boy sent there as last
! resort. and after the latter's escape and
return home. he had discovered scars on
his body which, as the boy claimed, had
| been caused by lashts.
on cross-examination, Mr.. Meredith
| however, brought out the fact that the
boy in making his escape made his way
! in his night clothes through hole that
| he cut into Il wire screen. thereby inti-
| mating that the boy might have been
! hurt in that manner while making his
escape. After his first escape the boy
! had been recaptured, and. in order 10
| prevent repetition shacklcs had been
put on his feet. when asked by Mr.
| Meredith. whether he considered II
| harshcr punishment TO have a boy locked
UP i'm a room by himself. or shackles put
on his feet Mr.. Richardson replied that
he had made no complaint about the
shackles that had been placed on his boy.
| Mr. Harry NJ. Smith, Jr.. and Mr.. VIII
liam II. Bevoridge, Of this city, who also
testified before the committee. stated that
| theonly objection they had against the in
stitution, was that the Board Of Directors
har too much power inasmuch as that
body alone could decide when boy
should be released.
TIE Committee.
The committee met at SIS o'clock last
| evening in the Senate Chamber. with the
| following mebers present: DR. Il. j.. Win
ston. OF Hanover (chairmam; DR.. :. II.
| Sayers, Of Wythe. Or. W. ID. Quesen-
! berry, Of Caroline: Dr. 5. Il. McClana-
| han. Of Culpepcr. Dr W. NJ. Palmer. of
| Halifax: J. W Chrrchman. of Augusta;
II " l. BlaLtcn. OF Cumberland; John
NJ. Gwyn. of Smyth; W. 7. Wilson, of
! PittsylVaEia
The absent members Of the committee
! were: Mr.. George g. Bland. OF King
| and Queen; Dr. \. Il. Fitzpatrick Of Mel
/ son. and Mr.. Il. l.. Clarke, OF Dinwiddie.
The Board Of Directors Of the Prison
! Association Of Virginia was represented
! by the following gentlemen: Messrs.
! James Caskie president Charles Y. Mere
| dith. Roosevelt Page. \. IL Christian,
Jr.. George c. Jefferson. John W Cringan.
| Major Robert stiles, Thomas Potts, and
| Thomas POindcXter
Before the examination was gone into
| Mr. Caske informed the committee that
! the Board of Directors Of the Prison As
sociation had met on the previous evening
| and appointed a committee 10 be present
during the investigation. This committee
consisted Of the following gentlemen:
| Messrs. James Caskie Charles V. Mere
| dith, Robert stiles, Roosevelt Page. 4. II.
! Christian. Jr
The investigation was then at once gone
! into.
MRS. LAMBS TESTIMONY.
Mrs. Martha 5. Lamb, Of Manchester,
| was first examined. II have q little
| nephew" she said. my sisters child,
who has been az the refOrmatory. lie
has been there sixteen months. lie was
| sent there by Judge Ingram. His name
| is Thomas Mathew Napier. l was out
! there on December 18th. The boy had
no underwear on. and / spoke TO super
| intendent Sampson about il. The boy is
| sickly: his mother died from consump-
/ zion. The superintendent said in Colorado
cOnsumptivcs were turned out in the cold
! 10 be cured. but ne said he would give
the child underwear u two weeks. The
! little boy said the underclOthes ] gave him
| We're cut up. lie had Kentucky Jeans
pants on. lie wore this undershirt. shirt,
! coat and pants. have no further
| KNOWLEDGE as 20 the treatment of the
| boys. / was there again yesterday. and
| ne still had no other clothes on. | car
| ricd a letter from Or. Mathews 60 Mr..
Williams. the secretary, stating his con-
ditiou.
THE hoy lived with me since his mother
died, about seven years ago. ! have not
| seen anything wrong about him. but he
was mischicvOus. like other boys lie was
sent mp there for being cruel 10 a horse.
j am dressmaker. and know the boy
is not any more lncofrieible than any
! other boy ] wcnt TO Mr.. Sampson 10 get
| the boy out. then l saw Mr. Williams,
Mr.. Stiles and MIR. Christian. The last
named gentleman said il would b. better
/ 10 let him stay there twelve months. Al
| terWards while the case was pending In
( the Supreme Court. ] went 10 see Mr..
/ stiles. and asked him TO give me the
! child. and he said he would not do any
| thing until the matter had quictcd down
and public opinion was satisfied This
was last Friday. the Supreme Court hav-
ing decided on Thursday that they would
! not grant a new trial. The boy now is
| on his twonty-sixth badge, but he was
down 10 the sixteenth badge before. They
| increased since he has been employed I'm
/ the dy'ng-rOom. The boy says he has
| plenty 10 eat, but he said he did not sleep
| very warm. but he is very delicate. lie
/ has been given codlivcr oil right along.
! His mother died of consumption; his
| father died from an overdose Of lauda-
mum which he had taken by mistake. DR..
! Thomas h. Mathews has treated MIN all
! the time. and hC has told me that his
lungs were not strong. lie also wrote
| that I'm the letter tc Mr.. Williams. The
| boy has been whipped. but he told me
| that 10 bruises were left.
EXAMINED BY MIR. MEREDITH.
ss-eXamined by Mr. Meredith wit
ness said. The boy had been called
! bad boy by the neighbors. lie was FIRST
| before Mayor Maurice. who said the boy
| should 20 to tho RcfOrmatOry. and ] got
| Mr. Pool 10 Z, le an appeal, and the lat
! ter advised me afterwards TO Withdraw
! the appeal and induced me TO let him go
| 10 the RefOrmato tory / expected 10 get
! him back after six months | was per-
| suaded by others to let him 20 there.
! Before he left home he had chilis this
| was about two months before he went 20
| the institution. j don't remember what
/ he was treated FOR before that. There
| has not "a year elapsed since his mother
| died that / did not have to take him 10
! the doctor. The only complaint ] nave To
| make was that the boy was dressed too
! light I do not remember what l told
| Major stiles. but l did not tell him that
the boy was clothed TOO light l. com
| planned OF the lack OF clothing TO Ar
| Caskie who said ne would have the mat
| ter looked into at once.
HER HUSBAND CONSENTED.
Mrs NJ L. Smith was the next witness.
| She testified as follows: My name -
| Mrs NJ T. Smith and live at -- east
| Main street. ! am housekeeDer and my
| husband Is carpenter My little hoy was
! sent 60 the institution on June lat. lie
was charged with stealing thirty-ive
| cents worth of cigarettes He was tired
| BY Justice crutchheld and sent 20 the
| Reformatory ! don't know whether my