The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-02
in MISS KEELY'S FAVOR
SEVERAL WITNESSES BEFORE THE
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
They Refute Former Charges of Ex-
cessive Observation-Disclosures
Meeting To-Day.

The investigation Of the Industrial School
for Girls and the Woman's Prison was re-
sumed in room No. 10 at the Statehouse
last night.
\ number of witnesses were called by
Miss Keely and testified 10 the good char
acter of the superintendent. her uniformly
good treatment of the inmates and TO the
generally excellent management Of the
institution. Miss Keely did not testify.
The first witness called was DR.. w. II.
Wishard. He testified that he had known
Miss Keely from her youth up ard, after
stating that he had means of knowing
Miss Keely's reputation, said he had never
known anything derogatory to her reputa-
ton as a good woman. The next witness
was DIR. Sarah Stockton. who was physi-
clan at the Reformatory from 1891 to 1898.
She usually visited the institution three
times a week during the eight years and
on occasions went oftener. The institution.
she said, considering the fact that ii was an
old building, was kept in a very excellent
and Clearly condition. She had known
of patients being kept behind closed doors,
but said she had deemed it necessary in
order to prevent the spread of contagious
Miss keely's demeanor toward
the inmates and the officers of the insti-
tuition, the witness said, had ever been
kind and considerate. and to the best of
her recollection she had never heard Miss
Keely use a discourteous word toward any
of the officers. The witness had on vari-
Gus OCCASIONS seen the girls punished at
the institution, and on each occasion they
had been whipped over their clothing and
usually on the lower extremities. IN no
case was the punishment cruel or inhu-
man.
DIR. Stockton was also acquainted with
the confinement of Mary Springs, whom
a former witness had testified was locke
up in a cell for 24 days. The Springs
woman, the witness said, showed very
marked signs of a foul and loathsome dis
ease and had been kept apart from the
other inmates at the suggestion of the
witness. The witness said she had never
heard of Miss Keely being addicted to
narcotics or intoxicants until after the
beginning OF the investigation. Miss
keely, the witness said, had two very Sc
we're attacks of malarial fever and had
suffered much from rheumatism. and there
had been times when the witness had
given her narcotics in order that she
might sleep.
Cora NJ. Clark, who has had charge of
III girls laundry at the INSTITUTION IOf
the last fifteen months. was the next wit
ness. Her duties were to teach the girls
how TO do plain and fancy laundry work.
She had occasion to note Miss Keely's de-
meanor to the inmates of the institution
and had always found her very kind and
lenient toward them. The witness said she
had seen a number of inmates punished
and had helped TO punish some herself.
The girls were usually whipped while in
a standing position, but one one or two
occasions she had seen girls thrown to
tho fnnr aud hin ~hf IN 30
cumbent position. The witness had not
seen any CT the girls whipped within the
last six months.
The next witness was Miss Emma Hart,
an officer and teacher at the institution.
During the course of her employment she
had come in very close contact with Miss
keely, and had ever found her to be uni
duct towards both the officers and inmates
of the institution. She had seen the in
mates of the institution punished with a
strap, and had administered such punish
ment herself. The girls had frequently
cried after they had been whipped. but the
witness had never heard one of them moan.
The institution, the witness said, was kept
in an exceptionally neat and orderly man.
ner. The witness described the punishment
room about which so much has been said
as being a reimbursement room which was
kept as clean and orderly and provided
with just as gooC and clean bedding as
any other room in the institution.
Timothy Nicholson, a member of the
OldNc DOdIO VI (udIlllSS, NdS the HcAl Will
ness. He said there had been frequent re-
ports made to the State Board of Charities
of punishment at the various state institu-
tions, which were always investigated, but
he had never heard of any improper or
immoderate punishment at the reforma-
tory.
Kate Girdner, who has charge of the
.dressmaking department at the Institution.
testified that. she had assisted in whipping
some of the girls at the institution. but
none had ever been whipped immoderately.
The witness had seen Miss Keely slap
girls in the face. but had not seen any
thing of the kind within the last six
months. The conduct of the girls at the
institution, the witness said, had grown
uniformly better. The last witness was
Mrs. Margaret Yule, a prison hospital nurse
at the institution. The hospital was we'll
equipped. she said, for taking care of the
sick, and there was also an ample upply
OF medicine always kept on hand. Miss
Keely's demeanor toward the officers and
inmates of the institution, the witness said,
was kind and courteous. She had never
seen Miss Keely under the influence of mar
coticS.
The meeting was adjourned until $3.50 this
morning.