The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-09
ABOUT Ill. j. ALLEN.
Official Statement of State Board OF
Charities.

The following statement concerning
the charges against H. j. Allen, a
synopsis of which appeared in Mon
days State Journal, has been issued by
the state board of charities:
Our attention has been called to sew
eral distorted stories concerning the
BelOit institution and the system of
parole which has been in vogue there
for a number of years. Mr.. H. I.
Allen, the president of the state board
of charities, has been charged with
taking twogirls from the institution and
using them as poems or servants IN
his own home, contrary to law, and
without the payment Of any wages. We
understand of course, that these stories
are published more for the purpose of
injuring Mr.. Allen. who happens to be
a candidate for congress, than for the
purpose of misrepresenting the school.
statement of the true facts in the
case is due to all parties concerned.
I'VE have at BelOit a parole system,
which provides that any girl who by
her conduct in the institution has
earned a certain number of credits, and
has taken certain amount of training
in the various departments of the
superintendent. be paroled to good
homes. Every person accepting one of
these girls is obliged to sign con-
tract with the superintendent of the
school which shall guarantee to the girl
a good home, kind treatment, and a
stated weekly wage. to be paid to the
girl It is also provided that a monthly
report shall be made to the institution
by the girl herself
This system has been in vogue for q
number of years, both at the Industrial
School for Boys at Topeka and the IN
dustrial School for Girls at Beloit. It
has worked with better success at the
boys school than at the girls school
because good homes have hesitated to
take reform school girls. Mr.. Allen has
been a strong advocate of the theory
that a girl, after she has earned her
credits, is better off in a good home
earning wages, than she is at the Beloit
institution. He has done all in his pow
err to build up this system. In an ad-
dress to the Women's Federation of
Clubs two years ago, he urged the mem
bers of the clubs of the state to take an
interest in this feature of the Beloit
work in the hope Of opening more good
homes to Beloit girls. He also stated
that he would himself take one of these
girls into his own home and would do
what he could to get girls into other
homes.
There are now a large number of
girls out on parole, earning wages and
doing well. All of the experiments have
not been successful. Mabel Sawtell the
first girl who entered Mr.. Aliens home
was enticed away by a sister who lives
in Kansas City. She Immediately re-
turned to Mr.. Aliens home and remain
ed a few weeks longer While Mrs
mer, she was associated with another
parole girl and both of them formed
plan to run away and go to Kansas
City. They were apprehended at Hol-
ton and returned to the school.
"a few weeks after this, Clara Skin
ner, upon her own application, was
paroled to Mr.. Allen. Previous to this
time, this girls mother had made ap-
plication that the girl be sent to her
att lola. The board of charities sent
its agent to lola to investigate the sort
of home surroundings the girl would
have if returned to her mother. 1t
was found that Mrs. Skinner was
cook in a hotel and could provide no
home life for the girl. The board there
fore refused to send her to her mother
After she had been in Mr.. Aliens home
a few weeks. Mrs. Skinner married and
renewed her application for the girl.
Mr.. Allen asked her to wait two weeks
until he could investigate the sur
roundings which the girl would have
in her mothers new home Without
waiting for this investigation to be
completed, the girls mother persuaded
the girl to run away and go to lola.
She claims that she was acting upon
the advice of her lawyer. The board
took the action usual in such cases. The