Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-01-17
AWFUL SCANDAL m BALTIMORE.


Inhuman Treatment OF Inmates OF the
House of Refuge sGathias Report Of the
Grand jury. Il. s44Shsyi " & / \
Baltimore, Md, Jan. 1.-THE House
of Refuge, in which there are several
hundred young girls, is declared by the
grand Jury, in its report gu bmitted 70
the court today, to be place of horrors,
and the prosecution of its. woman
Superintendent and the utter abolition
of the institution are recommended.
The jury report has caused sensation.
The Jury made thorough investigation.
The report says:
s'Our investigation developed the
fact that the unfortunate young women
arc not even surrounded by considera-
tiona of common humanity. For trifiing
infractions of discipline they are made
to undergo positive torture. Considered
in connection with the added intelli-
eence and enlightenment of the age
these barbarities are not more repellant
| Id the contemplation, than was the
Iron Maid OF Nuremburg. in the days
| when unfortunatee were condemned to
| its torturing and fatal e,abrace.
| "For such infrsctions as we are all
accustomed to bearing with 10 growing
and spirited youth, the girls in the
| Refuge are Condemned to the straight
! Jacket and the dark cell. Another
favorite measure. is to incase the head
of the offender In a sort of hood or
1 muzzIe, with o gag attachment, and
| then to bind the .sneee and ankles to-
gether. This must be endured for hours,
the offender being speechless and help
less during lis continuance. Ga
Gone particularly brutal case of
physical punishment is worth noting. in
detail For some bIeech of discipline
one OF the inmates was knocked prone
upon tho floor by. an infuriated officer,
dragged by the hair from room to room,
| logged with a carriage whip and after
ward put In u straight jacket and
locked in a dark cell being kept there
for several days on scant diet.
/ "Another girl was logged, drenehed
with icy water in the winter time,
| straight jacketed and hooded, all for
lone offence. At another time she was
struck on the side OF the head with a
bunch of heavy keys, which added
partial deafness to the other misfortunes
from which she was suffering. When,
in her agony, she cried out, she was
put Ia dark closet, in order that the
sound of the screams she could not re-
strain might be deadensd.
II tHeinous as are these corporal pun
!, ishments, they are not more to DO de
plored than is the total absence of al
enobling moral, atmosphere. We hac
before US one witness, not an inmate
who was oncs connected with this in
stitution in professional capacity, ant
who resigned her position because sht
could not oountenapueti the pbysica
= barbarities practiced. This witness
I testified that 9at ths time of their re
ception so per cent of the girls ant
. young women committed to the refug'
are virtuous. In response to a question
! as to the proportion of yirtuous womei
! at the time of release, the witness said
"Thers are practically none. Th
7 Z associations are such that, during de
itention, every moral or virtuous instinc
is destroyed, and the girls GO straigh
from the refuge to lead dissolut
!. lives.' y vi n
=. 1t is recommended that State and cit
2 aid be taken from the, institution, an,
! that the inmates be removed. In tn
|. light of what has been revealed tn
!, jury has presented the Superintendent
\ OF the refuge for criminal punishment
as the one directly responsible for tn
i. alleged enormities. r'~