Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-11-02
REFORM SCHOOL AGAIN.
Girls Now in Jallto BE Taken Back
to Mttchellville.


Des Moines, Nov. superintendent
Miller, of the Mitehellville reform
school, was in consultation with the
board of control all "Wednesday fore
noon. After the consultation the board
announced that the girls who are now
IN Jail will he returned to Mitchellville
soon, perhaps today, and possibly this
week.
This announcement is interesting, in
view of the situation at the school
Tuesday. When the sheriff arrived
there with six girls the superintendent
announced that his family managers
refused to take the girls back, and they
were brought back to jail. The an
nouncement of the board means. evil
IDENTIFY, that there is a change in the
policy of the management of the
school Evidently the school will re-
3ceive the girls If the board orders them
received. The employment of family
managers is wholly within the control
of the superintendent. The board of
control has nothing to do with the EN-.
ployment of persons connected with
the institutions.
1t is taken for granted that the SUI
perintendent has been directed to take
the girls back; if the managers he has
won't stay if he dies, he will probably
comply with the order OF the board,
even If he has to get new managers.
Chairman Larrabee, of the board.
said yesterday, however, that the rea-
son the six girls We're not received
Tuesday was because the institution
was not ready for them at that time.
Tuesday evening, when the two Des
Moines officers appeared at the school
with the six girls in tow, Superintend-
ent Miller refused to admit them.
None of my managers will take them
back" he said. II have talked with all
OF them. and they refuse absolutely to
receive the girls" AIR Miller did not
give any explanation of this course, ex-
: cept that the women thought the girls
were too tough for their houses. There
are four houses presided over by four
managers, and each house is called a
+ family.
Sheriff Stout did not make any eff
4 fort to convert the managers to his way
of thinking. He considered that ms
duty was done when he had turned the
girls over to the superintendent. deiiN-
cred the goods, SO to speak.
Finally one Of the girls, Ida Wirtzkie,
was taken apart by Mr.. Miller and the
matron. The three had a long talk
and the superintendent announced to
the sheriff that they had decided to
4 take this one back. Sheriff Stout and
MIR. Hardin brought the other five back
to Des Moines and locked them in the
ljall again at 10 O'Clock last night.
The five girls who We're refused adj
mission and brought back are villa
Hill, Fannie Johnson, Bella Eads, Mary
Newport and Ophelia Webster. Ophelia
lis colored. The others are white. They
! said they didn't want to go back as
Hong as the present authorities We're
lin power there. The other four were
were willing to go. Villa Hill and Fan
lnie johnson We're glad to go back t.
lMitchellville. Fannie Johnson CRIED
when they told her she must go back Il
! Jail again. She has served almost o.
jher time at the school and has beer
i counting on going home soon. Hel
father was here from Council Bluffs t
see her Tuesday. They We're glad t,
see each other and exhibited grea
Ideal of affection. The father expressed
:, the hope that his daughter would sool
be at home again.
There was a wild scene In the jail
: when the officers brought the girl
back. The Jail fairly rang with tn
!. shouts and cries of the sixty-one VIII,
had staid in, and gave a great welcome
to the five who had got out Of Jail an
were brought in again. The girls wer
tickied half to death and the scene wa
one of the liveliest that have takel
place, and there have been some ex
ceedingly lively ones in the past week
1t is said that some Of the attaches o
the school made some serious mistake