The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-02-13
OPEN LETTER FROM FoRMER RE.
FORM SCHOOL TRUSTEE.
THE GIRL FROM HAMILTON
John Block Was Punished for AS
sauIting and Fighting One
of the Guards.

A short time ago charges CT cruelty
to inmates of the reform school were
made by a young man who had been
an inmate of the school. In reply to
these charges ]. B. Hawkins, who
was a member of the board and at the
same time superintendent, of the agri-
cultural department of the school, has
prepared a statement for the informa-
ton of the general public, in which
the facts of the incident related in
the charges are set forth.
Mr.. Hawkins says: In the inter-
view with Charles Powers, a former
inmate of the Montana state reform
school, there are so many misrepre-
sensations which are calculated to
prejudice the public mind that l feel,
as one interested in the school, that
they should not go unnoticed. Nearly
all of the statements made there are
%falsehoods land Powers knows them
to be false. : "Y
In speaking of Born, Powers says
he was one of the new guards during
the time Mr.. Dickinson was director.
The tact is that Born was night watch
man under MI. White, and was dis
charged by Mr.. White before Mr..
Dickinson ever became director.
In regard to John Block, his of
Tense was a serious one, assaulting
and fighting the guards. He was Sc
verely punished, but upon careful in
vestigation of the matter the board
of trustees decided that the punish
ment was more severe than ought to
have been administered. AS to his
wearing handouts for a week, there is
not one word of truth in this.
AS to the whipping of girls, let me
say that there has not been a girl
whipped in the reform school since
August, 1901, and mo- man but the SUI
perintendent has ever administered
any punishment to any of the girls.
In speaking of the girl that came
to the school from Hamilton, Powers
says that one of the officers is respon-
sible for her condition. The fact is
that the girl came into the institution
on the 22d day of November, 1902.
After she had been there a few days
she made a statement to the matroa
which caused her to be taken to DR..
Grey, the physician who was attending
the inmates at hat time. She was
made it impossible for her to remain
in the reform school. DR.. Grey found
that she was advanced at least three
months in pregnancy, and will certify
to this fact at any time. He so stat
ed the fact at the time he made the
examination. She was sent home on
the Sd OF January of the present year.,
after she had been in the institution
about two months. She was returned
to her home as soon as possible after
her father sent transportation for her.
The statement of Powers that any Of
icer of the institution was RESPONSE
BILE for her condition is as false as
anything in the world can be. No
official of the reform school ever knew
the girl before she came here and
none oil the me- employed here, ex-
cept the superintendent, saw her
while she was here-not a single man.
Such statements sent broadcast to
the public are very greatly calculated
to do harm, and it is to be regretted
that they should be made without
any investigation except the bare
statement of one who has been an in
mate of the reform school.
AS to the statement that the men,
bers of the board of trustees. did not
know what was going on in the school,
| will say that l was a member OF the
board during all the time Mr.. Dickln-
son was director of the institution.
was at the reform school from May,
i 1900, until March, 1901, and again
from March, 1902, until November,
1902. There was no time when the
inmates of the school could not talk
to me, and they always felt perfectly
free to do so, and did do so. /.
AS to the watch spoken of, it is
wholly untrue that Mr.. Dickinson ever
wore this watch. The watch was
found in a last in a desk in the Of