The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-03-09

clusion which the investigators ar
rived at.
From the start the methods of the in
curry were different from those fol-
lowed Saturday. While Judge H. p.
Henderson. as counsel for the institu-
ton. largely directed its general scope,
as well as the detail OF examination
Of witnesses. the individual members
of the committee were made to feel at
/ liberty to assert themselves and ask
/ questions. The result was that what
| the inmates called the other side" of
\ the issue was heard. and IL proved a
! revelation.
| The chief horror Of the whole stu
| alton was developed when the commit
l tee visited the basement cell room,
I where the male inmates spend most
| Of their time during the day A ce-
ment-foored stone-walled. fOrbidding
room. about the size of a large double
/ parlor, with low ceiling and high.
I barred windows, it was found to exer-
else a depressing influence upon the
casual visitor. The effect upon it's
hfty-three clOse-cropped, uniformed in
mates was agreed TO be suppressive Of
the best instincts and demoralizing IN
the extreme. The division between the
elder more hardened inmates and the
youths of tender years was noted to
be chalk mark on the floor.
Shaving Inmates Heads.
The practice Of shaving the heads Of
the inmates shocked the investigators,
who were disinclined to agree with the
notion that the benefits so far as clean
illness was concerned Overbalanced the
degrading effect upon the individual
In the taking Of testimony many con-
tradictions were developed, but the evil
dence uniformly tended 20 establish
the following
That Superintendent W. b. Allison,
ST., uniformly exercised a patient and
fatherly kindness towards the inmates;
that i'm time of illness he was at the
sick bedside night and day. that he
busted himself constantly i'm attending
TO individual and general needs: that
/ he frequently made trips down town
during the night TO obtain medicine,
that he knew little or nothing of the
methods of modern philanthropic Grim
inOlogy and that he Is growing cold"
That Mrs Allison has won the af-
lection Of the female inmates: that she
has devoted herself to them earnestly
and cOnscientioJsly. and that she Is
as ignorant of modern methods of deal
ing with criminals as is her husband.
Wallace's Erratic Temper.
That J. b. Wallace is an excellent
teacher, but that ne has an erratic and
violent temper; that he has won the
bitter hatred of practically all his pu-
pills; that he has punished them fire.
quently without bringing them 20 a re-
alizatiou of what he was furnishing
them for; that he has habitually. fire.
Quently and peTsiStenly diSObeyed the
trustees rule that no corporal punish
ment be inflicted save i'm the presence
of the superintendent that he struck"
and 'choked" one of the girl inmates.
and that he is regarded by all the pu-
pills as an instructor who can make
things wonderfully plain TO them but
who is to be feared because of his vio-
lent outbreaks.
That all the other employees of the
institution are In good favor among
the inmates.
That the ten employees of the insti-
tuition are numerically unable 10 give
the inmates the advantages of indi-
vidual attention and an edUcatiye de-
gree Of restricted liberty.
Water Supply Bad.
That the water supply of the insti-
tuition is vile and inadequate, resulting
in lack Of bathing facilities as well as
disease.
That the sewerage system is equally
defective.
That the diet is not conducive to the
best of health.
That some Of the inmates are girls
and youths of so unutterably depraved
a character that their influence upon
their associates is demOraliZirg in the
extreme, and that the officers Of the in
stitutiOn are uncquipped either by edu-
cation or facilities TO deal with such
degenerate characters.
That the degenerate characters not
only are not improved by their terms
in the institution, but that they drag
down the other inmates.
That scores ana scores Of more tract
able inmates have been tremendously
benefited by the regime of the institu-
ton. Some Of them are living useful
lives outside and others are remaining
i'm the institution with great profit to
their moral character and physical
well-being.
That many Of the stories Of cruelty
and ill-treatment, as told by inmates to
the legislators a week or two ago, were
absolutely without foundation while
other stories were true.
That many Of the inmates released
upon parole come back Of their own
accord to live at the institution desir-
ing TO escape temptation.
Breaks Drink and Cigarette Habit.
That the institution has broken up
the drink. drug and cigarette habits in
scores Of instances.
That the opportunities for learning
trades are absolutely lacking, save as
to shOemaking and horseshOeing in
limited sense.
Every line Of the testimony taken
yesterday throbbed with human inter
est. Some of it was dramatic. The
tales told the legislators and verified,
of life inside and outside the institu-
ton, We're listened 10 intently. The
hearts of the Investigators were
touched by their contact with the un-
f0rtunatcs whom bad Inheritance and
evil surroundings had brought to such
an uncOngenial home
one fact which developed proved of
great interest 20 the Investigators. 1t
was that thirty-seven of the ifty-three
male inmates penned a letter heartily
ind0rsing the management OF the in
stitution, while the remaining sixteen,
together with many, if not all Of the
writer's OF The original letter repudiated
the first communication and wrote an
other criticising the management Boys
Of the minority" as well as OF the