The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-08-15
COOK WON'T GO.
Managing Trustee Of the
Industrial School Re-
fuses to Resign.
MR.FITzGIBBON SpEAKSOUT
He Tells Why He Resigned
and Talks About the
Schools Manage
ment.
rsneoial 10 ..rhe Jersey cIty News. ''l

TRENTON. Aug Is. 1S99.-B. J. Fitz-
gibbon. whose resignat ton as a memper
of the Board of Trustees Of the stare m
5ustrial school is now in the hands OF
Governor voorhees,. consented yesterday
II be interviewed with reference to the
reasons for his action. To a reporter ne
said
Il feel that the work Of the present
Board of Trustees at the school IS at an
end. When the information came to my
ears that undue punishments were being
inflicted at the school, l called the mat
ter to the attention of the Board and Dr.
Maddox, the President, and myself,
were Of the opinion that the interests of
the State and the welfare of the unfor-
innate girls who were sent to the school
to be trained in the way of Righteousness,
could best be conserved by change
In the administration This did not meet
with the approval of majority OF the
Board. however. and things continued.
AS Governor Voorhees, has been kind
enough to state publicly, I rendered him
,ay resignation some time ago. It was
at his solicitation that ! consented 10
remain on the Board.
when the charges of cruelty made
against the school became so open. Dr.
Maddox and I felt that immediate ac-
tion should be taken. A partial invsstiga-
ton by us convinced US that something
was radically wrong, and we at once
called on the Governor and asked him
to name a commissioner or act himself
in investigating the conditions of the
school We felt that the Board, in lis
divided condition, could not conduct the
inquiry properly. and SO called upon the
Governor.
THE charges upon which we asked
the investigation seem TO have been
proven, not only by the officers of the
school who are not friendly to Mrs.
Eylers administration, but were virtu-
ally admitted by her own witnesses.
Believing, as I did, that the conditions
at the school were not as they should
be- and as the Governor started in to
conduct the inquiry. I felt it my duty
to bring out all the facts. The evidence.
it seems to me, is very conclusive, and
I have no desire to go any further in
the matter ] don't wish TO turn the
prosecution into persecution"
When asked if his resignation would
not result in the withdrawal of Coun-
sellor John H. Backes from the invests
cation, Mr.. F'itzgibbon replied
0f course, my immediate personal in
terest in the inquiry is at an end, and so
far as l am concerned Mr.. Backes can no
longer represent me. 1t may be, however.
that as he has gone so far in conducting
the matter an effort will be made to have
him remain until the depositions are
taken. The State Charities Aid is great
ly interested in the inquiry, and In that
way 1t is quite possible that an arrange
ment will be made with Mr.. Backes''
Managing Trustee Ephraim R. Cook,
of the Girls' Industrial School, persists in
hanging on, despite the fact that all the
other trustees have either resigned or
signiiied willingness to step out as a
result of the recent disclosures at the
school. 1t leaked out today that Governor
Voorhees, got this information from Mr..
Cook himself. The Governor has open
ly expressed himself as opposed to there
being such a thing as a managing trus-
tee at the school AS such officer Mr..
Cook has received 800 year and has had
practically the entire control of the
school.
AT their meeting today Mr.. Cook in
formed the Governor that he would not
resign as trustee, but intended to stick 1t
out to the finish. This was in reply to
query from the Governor as to what Mr.
Cook intended to do as a result of the In
vestigation into the management of the
school
The Governor said yesterday that ne
had been informed that all the trustees
eventually would resign. He will appoint
ad interim a new board just as soon as
the designations of all the members Of
the old board are in his hands The Gov
ernor will then confer with the new trus-
tees, as they will have the appointment
OF matron and all the other officials.
new board as soon as possible, so that
at can undertake at once the work of
correcting any abuses in the management
scandal.