Sunday Washington globe., 1902-03-02

In the i'll compiled Congressional Direc-
tory the District of Columbia's Reform
School for boys, as we'll as the Emergency
Hospital and other District institutions, are
omitted, hence, as a work Of reference, so
far as the District is concerned, it is utterly
useless. II is true the Commissioners
names and residences are given, together
with all the clerks and officials Of the Dis.
trict Building but we looked in vain for the
name Of the Superintendent Of the Boys
Reform School, or any mention that there
is such an institution in the District.
We have ascertaiued, however, that the
gentleman's name is Shelleuberger, (he will
excuse us if it is not spelled correctly and
that he is superintendent at a nice salary,
perquisites, etc.
Who the trustees are, or under whose
supervision Superintendent Shellenberger
is we are in ignorance, but that the home
needs supervision the case in point we pre-
sent this morning amply demonstrates.
A little bit of a mite named Willie Wright
was recently logged so severely with a
leather strap that for a time there were
serious doubts Of his recovery. The big
penitentiaries of the Northern States have
abolished corporal punishment for hardened
convicts on the demonstrated theory that
such punishment brutalized the officials
who inflicted it and did not reform the
criminal. The so-called reformatories and
boys and girls reform schools still CON
tinues the brutal practice, thus raising
material to supply the demand Of our penal
institutions
In me case Of the little tot Willie Wright,
it is stated that graduate Of the institution,
who is employed as an attendant, stripped
he fall reaH araA L..
nude person a big lsattiar straD Egtil tke
child was black and blue all over his little
body. So severely was he beaten that he
had to remain on his cot and was unable to
appear for roll call The attendant became
alarmed at the effects of the brutal whipping
he administered and for a time, as stated
the chances were even that little Willie had
received his final beating on earth
If the facts which have been brought to
this Office by a responsible citizen are true
in this case, the GLOBE demands an inves-
ligatiou of the same, and if the attendant is
proven guilty that he be not only dismissed
but prosecuted for the brutal assault In
this advanced era of humane treatment for
hardened criminals, it is not demanding too
much to require that the little wards of the
District be raised without the brutal use Of
~~N~@+NA
institutions of this character is 70 leave too
much to the humanity of the superinten-
dent aud attendants By the board of visitors
or trustees. The same principle has worked
incalculable evil in the Soldiers and Sailors
Orphans Home at Xenia, Ohio, a chapter
on which we propose publishing in the near
future. The press of Ohio is in entire ig-
norance Of the inside management of the
Xenfa iusfitutiOu and the NEGLECT with
which the children are treated by the home
officials. And yet this Xenia institution is
held up as a model Soldiers and Sailors
Orphans Home for the entire country,
which only goes to show that the best and
most humane intentions of legislatures and
philanthropists may be neutralized by the
perfunctory performance of the duties iu-
posed upon boards of visitors and trustees.
We hope that the District home for boys
will be looked into and the case OF Willie
Wright thoroughly investigated.