The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-08-03

she kicked a panel out.
Miss Vanderveer denied that girls were
| placed in punishment rooms for more
than three weeks and fed on bread and
water. She said she sent solid meal
each day to the girls who ran away on
Decoration Day, and were confined for
three weeks
Mr.. Backes called attention to the dis
crepancy between the statement of Miss
Wight, of Tuesday, and that of Miss Van
derveer, relative to the bread and water
| diet, and the Governor directed that the
girls be produced later. When, however,
| Mr. Backes called for the girls after the
noon recess, the Governor announced that
he had changed his mind about calling the
| girls, as he had been informed that If
| called the girls would go back and tell
Of the investigation and an uprising would
| follow. They think we are here in con-
nection with the contract for the new
building" added His Exeellency, with a
broad smile.
Mr.. Backes made an attempt to insist,
| but the Governor was very determined
| that the girls should not be called in,
and without their statements it is impos-
/ sible to ascertain which of the attaches
| wandered from the path of truthfulness.
The examination Of Miss vanderveer
was resumed and when asked concerning
| the longest period of time that any girl
had been kept in one of the dungeons,
| she said that the punishment book would
show that
Mr. Eyler is now looking up that very
matter for me-" said Mrs. Enley. AL
most before she had finished speaking,
| Mr.. Eyler handed in the punishment book
and conveyed to Mrs. Emley the informa-
| tion that the longest term served in a
| dungeon was served by Lucinda Williams.
| This girl was kept in the dungeon three
| days for being disofderly in the dining
room and the school room. The book fur
| ther showed that the girl was made to
| wear a straight jacket for two and a
| half days, and that the punishment had
been administered by order of Mrs. Eyler.
AS stated above, later developments re-
vealed the fact that girl had been kept
in dungeon for six days.
Who has charge of this punishment
| book now?H asked Mr.. Backes, address,
| ing Miss vanderveer.
ut is in Mr.. Eyler's possession, was
| the reply.
Have you ever made any entries in
| this book?" was asked
'No, sir; it is not my work. responded
the matron.
Then the party who makes the COM
| plaint does not enter it?"
mo, it is copied from small book by
| the clerk
Mr.. Cook then took the witness and
asked her to produce a letter she had re-
/ ceived the previous day from Kate Bar
| low. The letter was produced and handed
| to Mr.. Backes who began to read it.
81 would have answered your kind and
welcome letter." he was reading, when
| Miss vanderveer broke in with protest
against having the letter made public in
its entirety
"You evidently had written to the
girl?" inquired Mr.. Backes.
Eyes, sir; wrote to her sometime while
! was away on my vacation, because I
| thought she was lonely and sick" said
the matron.
WAS there not some other motive be-
sides kindly disposition towards her?"
There was not
s'Did you ask her to write you a letter
| of this character?"
II did not expect letter from her"
| The Governor then took the letter and
| after glancing over it read a portion,
wherein the girl said she hoped God
would bless Miss Vanderveer for her good
/ work
| Miss Margaret Nevins was next called,
! from her standpoint. When asked if she
| and she gave review of the Barlow case
| had ever seen any seen any punishment
was extreme at the school, she replied
| with much emphasis
Il never saw any punishment, what
ever Mrs. Eyler always treated the girls
with the greatest kindness
Don't you think it was rather unkind
to make Katie Barlow walk up and down
| stairs fifty times2' asked Mr.. Baekes
..She did not walk twenty-five times
each way replied the witness; ''she only
| made twenty-five trips altogether
"Then she must have stopped half way
| up the stairs ?" said the lawyer.
'Did you ever see anyone in that room
up stairs?'
1.-THE dunseon?"
/ Eyes. you call 1t dungeon here don't
you?"
Eyes, sir"
| Miss Nevins, however, had never seen
| any one in the room, she said. In answer
| to questioning, she said She was not re-
| lated to any one connected with the
school. She was appointed by Mrs
Evler. whom she met on visit 10 the
town where she (Adiss Nevins) lived
Miss Carrie Fox, who has charge OF the
kitchen. at first stated that she had never
seen any punishment at the school, but
later stated that Matilda Howell had been
nlaced in a dungeon for three days for
stealing a slice Of cake. She also recalled
that Ella Kerr and Ida Nixon were placed
in the dungeons, and had served from
one to three days sentence each.
Mrs. Maria Sickel, teacher denied
that she had given Hannah Clark black
eve. She reported infractions OF the
rules to Mrs Eyler, but did not always
/ make the reports in writing.
Annie q. Chrillman, who has charge OF
fhe cooking. was called but nothing was
developed by her testimony. Miss Walsh
another employe, said she always was
able to quiet the girls by speaking kind
ly to them She had never seen girl
in a straight jacket, but she had seen the
straight Jackets being made
Miss Fogg. who said she came TO the
institution fve months age. only knew
..that Mrs Eyler was very fine lady
and always nice to the girls. !"
Miss Elizabeth B. Roseli who has
charge of the testimony was the star
/ witness of the day. She admitted punish
H. 81 al -ff