The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-22
CHARGES WILL FAIL
BOARD OF CONTROL LIKELY TO
INDICATE sUPT. BROWN,
OF RED WING
EVIDENCE WAS NOT RELIABLE
Report on the Investigation Will he
Published in a Few Days
Supt. Brown Confers
With Board.

j. W. Brown, superintendent of the
Red Wing training school, was in ST.
Paul yesterday in conference with
Messrs. Leavitt and Gould, of the state
board of control, in regard to the long
pending investigation of charges pre-
terred by inmates of the school against
the officials. A decision in the case has
long been expected, and while the con-
terence yesterday was secret, there is
every reason to believe that the board as
sured Supt. Brown that within few
days decision would be announced ex-
onerating him.
The board of control took up the
charges against the officials of the Red
Wing school, which had long been hand
ed back and forth in the press and on
the streets. While great nof5e had
been made previous to the hearing. the
hearing was considerable of a disap-
polntment In the way of evidence. For
two weeks the board received all those
who thought they had anything to say
on the subject. Very little reliable evil
dence was adduced Most of it was only
hearsay evidence and when the witness
happened to be an inmate who claimed
to have been maltreated, his evidence
was so conflicting, and in most cases so
prejudiced and 50 Vindictiye as to nullify
its value. Several inmates told harrow
ing. stories Of alleged maltreatment, but
there was practically nothing to corrob-
crate such stories. In two instances wit
nesses let the cat out of the bag" by
first asking whether or not they could be
punished if they were caught telling an
untruth
1t is not claimed all the stories told
are wholly false without any foundatio
Of fact The members Of the board be-
lieve that in many cases the bays were
perhaps treated somewhat roughly, but
they have grossly exaggerated the stories
in the telling, and have been overeager
to create the impression that the officials
of the school are all inhuman and brutal,
which Is not borne out by any of the
real facts obtanable
Shortly after the hearing one of the
members of the board of control admit
ted that practically no evidence of worth
had been adduced, and further declared
that in a reformatory institution, where
many Of the boys were rough and hard
to manage, severe discipline was often
times necessary, and that it was hard
to draw the line and to determine
whether the treatment accorded in
specified case was warranted by the at
tending circumstances.
He said chat the inmates would natu-
rally be disposed to resent any discipline
whatever, and that most of them would,
if asked, declare that they were not
justly treated. All such evidence, the
members said, was sure to be prejudiced
and one-sided, and unless corroborated
by ascertainable facts it should not be
taken by itself as reliable
The board VIII make a complete report
on the case, giving summary of the
charges and the evidence. There seems
to be little doubt that Supt. Brown will
be indicated by this report. 1t is gen
orally conceded that if the report does
not dispose of all the charges as I'M
worthy of acceptance, the most 1t will
do will be to place the blame for certain
specific acts on employees of the institu-
ton.
There are several applications for the
superintendency in the event of Supt-
Brown being dismissed but the board
has given, every indication that there
will be no vacancy as a result of the
Investigation.