The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-30
SCANDAL IN PENAL SCHOOL.
r,IE or CRUEL and UNUSUAL
SptSKING NEAR TRENTON.

rrr.rov. y ], July 20.-The alleged appli-
,,,t,r n birch switches and pine shingles to
,he norsons OF unruly young women. after the
,,sL ion advocated by the grandmothers Of the
n,osert gen ration. and the calling In Of strong
.ourv men to keep the subjects quiet during
thc ordeal together with sundry other charges
,o moro or less serious character. have re-
on,ted in mn appeal to Gov Voorhees, to order
,r Investigation OF the management Of the
.ir,s, Industrial School. which Is Just outside
- ,hiscity. Certain young women at present
,o,,atss n, the institution allexe that spanking
nth the aforementioned weapons is a favorite
,orr, n, discipline with the principal OF the
school and the matrons under her. They
do not object as whole to this fern OF
punishment when they have committed in
fractions OF tho rules. but certain mature
youre women who are in the institution. not
70 undergo reformation or to become industri-
ous but because there is no room for them in
the State Prison. object to having farmhands
mold them while they nre whacked with the
nine Single or switched with the birch More
remarkable still is the attitude taken by two
NJ the farmhands who have been summoned
from the hayrck and the cornf1eld many times
,orthis duty. With blushing checks ard fall
t.ring tongues they have made a grievance OF
mi. extra task and protested that with their
other ariuous duties 1t is more than even
strong Young man can be expected to stand.
The news OF all that has been going on in
the institution for the past year or so has Just
come to the ears OF the ltrustees. and in con-
siderng what to do that body has been split In
twain with the chances Of harmony prevailing
again very small But in the meantime the
smack of the shinGle and the whistle OF the
switch have ceased
The Girls Industrial School is penal in
IA I...x. +
Bad little girls and bad big girls are sent there
TO be taught to be good. and frequently old
timers who are far beyond the reformation
stage find their way into the institution. Very
little news Of what is going on in the school
aver nnds its way into this city. for those in
charge guard the inmates closely. and they are
not allowed to communicate with anybody out
side Trenton people regarded the place with
Indifference until a few months ago. when
rumors OF cruelty on the part OF the
matron began to drift into town Where the
stories came from nobody seemed to know, but
they we're persistently repeated and finally
came 20 the ears OF the Rev. DR.. George c.
Maddox. chaplain of the State Prison here.
who is also President of the Board OF Trustees
OF tho Industrial School. Now. as Dr. Maddox
aud the other trustees have left the running OF
the institution to T.. Rezean Cook. who is q
aging trustee. they didn t really know whether
there was any truth In the stories or not. How
ever they went out to the school. look ed things
over and then announced that as far as they
could learn the reports Of extreme cruelty
were untouEled.
The stories were revived. however. about two
weeks ago, when Kate Barlow. an inmate ofthe
school was brought into town. and tax ell to the
CITY Hospital. suffering from various disorders
As there is wcIl-equpped hospital at the
Irhoo and woman physician. it was thought
oTH Hn' TIM H Dr. SH %,}e e0esn
the girl. and SAID she appeared TO be suffering
IRON an ov"rdo-eo mercury. Under his treat
inert she improved steadily in health. and sew
era days ago she told a story which has
shocked the good people OF Trenton and caused
CONSERVATION among the trustees.
The girl said that she was in excellent health
was continually disciplined in order to ubdue
after eating her dinner. One Of the teachers
called to h"rto come down and walk up, the
moment she became impudent and refused to
obey, This was about o'clock in the after
the cellar. she said, ana placed in one OF row
Of six dark cells. which the present principal.
Mrs Clarence Eyer. had built when she was
kept IN tins dark cell alone until = o'clock the
next evening. she declared. She never saw a
ray Of light during that time. and she coughed
aimost cont innOus!y on account Of the close
air; Some bread and water were left in the
.sl with her but the foul air nauseated her so
The next day. the girl said. she was taken to
,4e iooi o: ne staircase which she had run up
was then ordered to come down. This was
A-pt up until she had made twenty-five round
,rips' and was 50 exhausted that she a most
a. at The, time, she said. and told the doctors
INA, ,n me Ssvel al of her trouble dated from
with
window nailed fast. When they let her out out
asa.n she w, va SO weak and sick that she was
Dr. Laura Satterthwait. the school physician.
AMI doctor, who was called in gave the
lqsis Mercury was administered. and she was
"tTLr S arr remHyeI t? the Ci,y HOSPITAL
here and demand for an investigation. From
sne s'H9Si came an indignant denial q the
locked n dark cell and being made to walk
~ II ana down the stairs was admitted. Dr.
rumors that had preceded it, to give more per-
fp r.t attrni9n to the school, From the very
N"Nertha"ss he pushed ahead. and Ia said to
nave discovered a state OF affairs that both sur
ptIlseu ana shocked him.
g.. IN the first place he learned that during her
r nsi years Incumhency Of the office OF prnci-
tHted members Of her own family For many
years ths clerk OF the school;had been a Miss
FRANCES Day, who entered the school as a child
SIH grew NJ in it. DR.. Maddox found that
sias gay mad been frozen out. and that the
Icy. Clarence Eyer, the principals hus-
hhhu' Lutheran clergyman. had succeeded
ncI ~, an increase in salary Of S5
4 month. Various female relatives OF Mrs
Li'pr were found occupying places in the
school. Dr, Maddox also learned that O Miss
rranleryrer, relative Of Managing Trustee"
AS; M.ss Amanda NJ; Hamme who had occupied
ane vac" for twelve years. DR., Maddox took
!" t.pE at the cellar cells questioned a number
"t tnt inmates. talked with certain farm hands
Hnwnut me place and then called m Getting OF tho
iiparun trustees at which he demanded that
mtS Eyer T." removed. Trustee Y. G.. Fitz-
eahoHh voted with the President, but Mr.. Cook
Hhl Lewis Parker. Secretary Of the board.
t-V'u against the resolution. while the other
~, lTAStecS decided to hold their votes until
matter further.
l., Vnr thing that DIR. Maddox learned was that
~ haV aot number OF the older girls in the
moo necan" enraged at the way they were
IL ''!S treated and decided to make a break for
n 49, One night after supper they charged
o. Ca" ratrons, but in the light which ensued
Wy WEI" beaten and finally driven back to
in",l rooms DR. Maddox had never before
sy 81 thiS revolt. From time to time. he
IIng,, -, Managing Trustee y CooN reported to
m ' ahl IN" nthcrtrustees that everything was
snnE h!ong nicely, and the first he knew Of a
tryu! ING, uprising in the institution was few