The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-04
MATRON TELLS OF DUNGEON
DEFENDS USE OF sHACKEES. STRAPS,
sTRAITJACKETS AND CELLS

49, Ey,.r snys Her Methods Are Less Se-
,.r. Than Her PredeceSsor's-Denies
I-nu.ual Cruelty-The Governor Adjourns
,hs Inquiry After Giving Some Testimony
TRENTON. n j.. Aug. 3,-Mrs. Myrtle d.
ryIar the matron OF the Girls Industrial
school took the witness stand to-day and
,.stieed in her own behalf concerning the
oh,rces against her. She was the sole witness
n, the day. and after six hours OF eXamina-
,ton nv Gov Voorhees, and cross examination
hvIayyer John Backes the Governor declared
the investigation adjourned sine die, although
ha wilI receive further dispositions should 1t
~ dasirei to submit them. Mrs. Evler ad-
,,,,,od without hesitation the use OF shackles.
.,.ors s,raitjackets and other forms Of cor
.araI punishment her defence being that they
80 used only where 1t was found absolutely
..oassary to maintain the discipline OF the in
stitution.
Nv the Governor, Trustee Cook and Mrs.
rmhly punishment rooms. in plain language
and called them dungeons The strap as
,rs,ns OF punishment had been handed down
nv her predecessor. Mrs McFaddcn. No one
vas confined in the dungeons except on her
.,dsr She introduced the dungeons with the
,srmission of the trustees. to secure uniformity
=, punishment. Penitence was the inmates
t.vto unlock the dungeon door Water was
mt kent in the dungeons because once an in
nats battered q tin cup handle into
tool nv which the screws In the door
v.rs unscrewed Water could always be
s.cured by knocking on the door to get the
.usntion OF an attendant. Blankets were
.Iv,vs given at night. Mrs. Eyler justified
the making Of the Barlow girl go up and down
s,airs twenty five times. because the girl re-
fus,d TO show penitence by ceasing to shuttle
m -
N two weeks after this discipining. The
matron denied striking the Barlow girl. and
.he denied the assertion Of the school physi-
alan that he was not permitted to visit the sick
In their rooms
She vigorously denied the story that she had
beat.n Theresa TruaX In the face with her
fat but admitted spanking her with a slipper.
She said she had followed the methods OF pun
ishmen, in a modified form used in the Hud-
son Industrial scho9 Sew YORK; h. Which place
not produced by blow. she said, but by fall
while the girl was trying to escape punish
over week. and they had substantial food
The snake found in the Institution Vas only
in Gun t o. thew Mere WORN torn n n from
lucinda Williams. who had vigorously re-
sisted punishment. The. story that SadieWeise;
mann was driven to an insane asylum by cruel
treatment TanT was a 50 denied. Trustee Maddox
who made the charge told the Go Ted his
authority was MdhuEllR lEuSlet Nbph, VINO
was not present. II appears that the girl was
eent 10 her home in Passac and the authori-
ties there aftcrward sent her to an asylum:
She was examined by an alienist at the school
and he said she was UNIT for the school, Mrs.
Fylsr said Sadie had never been punished at
the school,
On examination by Lawyer Backes.
representing the anti-Eylerta faction. Mrs:
Fyler admitted that castor oil and soap and
water were given dominates who were protane
In speech She denied positively that quinine
was given for such offences. She said that,
Judging from diary kept by her predecessor.
methods If correction for refractory pupils
were less severe now than formerly. The
punishment book v was open at all times for
inspection. Once class was sent to the
eleepng rooms because pencil was lost:
Again a pair of scissors was missed
and class was sent to bed without sup
per Lawyer BackeS que STONED Mrs. Eyler on
u suggested falsihcaton Of the punishment
hook records hut she denied anything OF the
kind. and explained discrepancies between the
main record and that given by the teachers.
One girl was kept in her bedroom nineteen
days because she had run away from the
school The matron admitted sending several
classes to bed without their meals Miss Fair
lamb. who made charges Of cruelty. had been
guilty herself of the putting of child violently
from chair Mrs. Ever testified.
Gov. Voorhees, testified that he once saw a
negro girl kept in the dungeon and that the
girl only grinned when the Governor ap:
rared DISPOSITIONS OF former teachers and
officers will be taken.
You may make their depositions as strong
gpossibe. Mr.. Backes." said the Governor.
II will be necessary in order to convince
your Excellency that there is anything wrong. "
That it will" said the Governor. rather