The daily sentinel., 1903-07-29
BREEN DIS
MISSED.
Former Mesa County Man
Has Some Charges Proven
Against Him. Drunken
ness But Not immortality.

Thomas II. Breen, who has been
in charge of the Fort Lewis school
and from which position he has been
removed. formerly resided in this city
and county. He has host of good
friends here, who still believe in him,
though the many charges that have
been brought against him, have we'll
nigh brokon their faith. They will.
however. be interested in reading
that a portion of the grave charges of
immortality lodged against him were
untrue, therefor below is give the
rpeort of the special agent in relation
to same.
Superintendent Breen was removed
several days ago. announcement of
same being made at that time.
The commissioner of Indian affairs
today made public brief of findings
of Special Agent McNichols, who was
sent to the Fort Lewis Indian school
to investigate charges which had been
preferred against Superintendent
Thomas H. Breen. These charges
were.
Drunkenness and inefficiency,
drunkenness ON the part of certain en-
Dloyes. immoral conduct ON the part
of Superintendent Breen, not only
with Indian pupils, but with teachers.
and debauching Indian girls.
The special agent finds that the
charges of drunkenness against Super
nj ,s I,t
charges of gross immortality he cannot
substantiate. Superintendent Breen,
as the result of Agent McNichols find
ings, has been summarily removed and
William r. Peterson, assistant of the
Chilocco Indian school. in Oklahoma.
appointed to succeed to the superin
tendency of the school at Fort Lewis.
The action of Commissioner Jones
in removing Superintendent Breen is
based upon their recommendation that
Breden should be dismissed for
drunkenness; for putting government
property in jeopardy while drunk
for disgraceful actions at school while
under the influence of liquor; for in
tirmities of temper. resulting from be-
ing drunk; for being no longer phys
ically able or mentally capable of con-
Quoting the school with credit to the
governments wards and employees.
But in view of the fact,'' CON
tinues Agent McNichols. that Super
intendent Breen and the Fort Lewis
Indian school have been the victims
of grossly concatiopal and axarraratad
newspaper attack, his dismissal should
be accompanied by public statement
giving the basis for his removal, ac
companied by denial of gross and
untruthful statements made in Dem
yer by John R. Hughes and others.
that not single instance except as to
drunkenness narrated by him is true. /
The stories of girls being debauUhed
there or that male employees ever had
them in their rooms is false 1t is
also proven that there were no drunk
en- orgies on the part of the employees
and no pictures were taken of nude
girls, either in. public or private
There is not the slightest EVIDENCE
outside of Hughes disproved state
ment that Superintendent Breen ever
had illicit relations with either pupil
or employe of the Fort Lewis school,"
On July 13 Special Agent McNichols
sent to Superintendent Breen com
notifying him of the rec
in his case and finding
on charges made, and giving him
three days to answer the same. Up
to the present date mol reply has been
received from Superintendent Breen
to the charges preferred by Special
Agent McNichols, and his dicsharga
and appointment of his successor took
place today. William r. Peterson,
the new superintendent. is now en-
route to take the place.