The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-01-17
WORK OF POLITICAL GHOUCS
To Blacken the Name
Of a Good Man.

LaSG Frlday kilograms were recelV-
ed in this city briefly stating that
charges Of grave immortality had been
preferred against Ex superintendent
w. 81. Tompkins, by the inmates
of the State Reform scnool at Plank
inton; that those charges were the
result Of ';long and careful in
yestigation of affairs on the part of
the state board of charities and cor
rections. The Sioux City papers ar
irving Saturday morning contained
details Of the alleged investigation
and the story Of the alleged scandal.
Mr.. Tompkins was on the.road at the
time, and arrived at his homein this
city Sunday morning. He prepared
the statement which follows:
"The charges against me are ab-
solutely false, and the ones against
my officers and employees are, | am
quite sure, also false. They arise
from encouraging and allowing girls
who are unfortunate sexual perverts
to indulge in creating sensation
or scandal. Itsis great amusement
for them. but ought not to be per-
mitted in an institution OF that kind.
tt is usually this very trouble-creat-
ing disposition that they were sent
to the school to have corrected,
their conduct in these matters
making them so troublesome
in their respective communities that
they were regarded as incorrigible,
immoral and dangerous. Such
charges as these and even much
worse ones we're made by the girls
soon after I took charge, with regard
TO the former superintendent and
officers, and notwithstanding The
bitterFfght that was being made on
the board and myself ut That time
by him, on consultation with the
board it was decided, on the account
Of the unreliable character Of the
evidence, and the permanent injury
Tit would be to'the discipline of the in
stitution, not to countenance or en-
courage such nsationalism from
the inmates. AS, to the above facts
I invite enquiry of the then members
OF the board of charities and cor
rections. Regarding the letter re-.
ported to have been written to a
girl inmate Of the school I would say
that such statement is absolutely
false, as / wrote no such letter. I
did have some corresp spondence with
q lady officer Of the school with re-
gard to finding employment for her..
This young lady I regarded as a de-.
serving young woman, and as she
was entire friendlesssI was anxious
to assist her in securing employ
menu, as she by letter requested me
to do. u expect to continue this
scorresp pondence and find her a place
if possible. Ny correspondence
with her was Of purely friend ly:and.
business character and can be pro-
5duced for any interested party, but
Iadmit / committed the unpardon-
able error Of advising her that,
sswhile you will not like Mrs. Young,
the work is light, the pay good, and
you stay there as long as you can &
Its 9 difficult to interpose a de-
fence after q man has been tried,
convicted and sentenced, his char
actef assassiiisateed and his family in-
jured, without having had notice Of
his accusation or given an opportu-
nifty TO be heard, and though claim.
led to have been going on for two.
months it was done SO quietly that
one member Of the board Of charities
and corrections did not know q word
Of II itttll I'm I'll { be was teiephoned to re-
garding itby the Sioux City Jour
nal the same afternoon that is was