Rocky Ford enterprise., 1905-08-25
TROUBLESOME GIRLS
At STATE INDUSTRIAL scHoo.
Management Of Colorado School for
Girls severely Criticised by Com
mittee Of Humane Society.

troubles at the Industrial School for
Girls near this city were the occasion
OF complaints being laid before the
State Humane Society. which ap-
pointed a committee To examine into
conditions at the school. Their report
is u lengthy document and Is severe
In its criticism OF the management Of
the Institution. II is signed by James
II. Pershing. Il. N. Colder and +. X
Whitehead.
The report deals at length with the
general feeling Of disgust and mistrust
which the public in general holds
against the school and contends that
this is one OF the fundamental reasons
why III. school does not prosper. II
holds that save for a half dozen excep.
eions the girls are not bad. but are con-
fined In the school because Of various
reasons. one of which is failure To liz
provided for by parents. The report
also d~eiis at length with outbreaks
which have occurred and states POSI-
lively that the superintendent, had
knowledge OF intended outbreaks. but
look absolutely no precautions To pre-
vent them. In speaking OF one out
break OF which the management had
forcknowiedgo the report rays that
-.-rhc nniy reason the officials can give
for not attempting To prevent the out
break was that they were not sure
who would lead the gang that was TO
run away" The report further states
that some of the Girls are knocked
down and roughly handled and are
beaten over the head with u revolver
by q male guard. and that after tho
outbreak NIL were put In cells. Besides
this they were numerically whipped
and put on short rations. In many
cases their bodies showing black and
blue marks as big ms hand seven
days after punishment had been nd
ministcr.d. Five Girls who ran away
were given aftccn strokes each with
a piece of rubber tubing onc-haif inch
In diameter and with one.qunrtcr.inch
aperture. The tubing was nix fec,
long and doubled twice. so m to
make II hurt WORSE ms the officers
said. The girls who took part In the
strike and ran away were given twcn.
ty.nyc strokes with the same tubing.
This whipping was administered ''just
after prayer" on the night OF August
7th. Two other Girls. who were sick N,
the time. nrc still held In cells and
will bc punished when they get well.
The report finds:
'first-Thnt the whipping was un.
necessarily severe both ns to the In
strumcnt and the punishment inflicted.
"Sccond-Thnt there In no apparent
system or purpose In the methods en-
ploycd except to preserve discipline
by force and fear. that all moral In
fiucncc had been turned Into dcmor'
aiixing Influence.
"Third-That the location OF the
property OF the school In admirable:
that the garden lands and orchards
ought to md would, under proper man
agcmcnt. produce NIL the, vegetables
and fruit the school can consume and
that sales could bc made from the
dairy and farm products. after having
furnished the school with all Its needs.
"Fourth-Thnt hard work. II the
girls were allowed to perform II. would
go n long way toward STRENGTHENING
out the trouble.
"Fifth-That the business manage.
mcnt of the school should be changed
ut once SO rs to prevent the present
deficit Of 5000 month.
"Sixth-That NIL OF the Ill feeling.
lack of sympathy. characterization.
severe punishment. destruction OF
property. runaways. idleness and In.
creasing debts and all other details OF
failure and neglect are. in the opinion
OF your committee. caused by incompe-
tency and mismanagement.
"Seventh-In the opinion OF your
committee, the school almost entirely
fails at the object OF its creation and
rather than continue rs 1t now Is
might better be done away with.
at is the opinion OF your committee
also, that present conditions at the
school undoubtedly come within the
law forbidding injury to children and
that unless other means are taken to
remedy them 1t is both the right and
duty Of your bureau to take whatever
steps are calculated to do So
The committee recommends:
"First-That the school be placed in
charge Of mother or superintendent.
a wise and kindly woman with
mother heart and mother appearance:
that she be told to get helpers of her
own kind for matrons and teachers.
"Second-A capable and energetic
level-headed business manager should
be put in charge of the business af.
fairs OF the place at once.
"Third-Immediate action should be
taken to install the improvements pro-
vided for by the Legislature.
"Fourth-The arrears from the sew.
eral counties should be collected
promptly.
"Fifth-The system of parole should
be changed so that parole and release
from the school should be dependent
upon fitness alone.
"Sixth-Corporal punishment should
be abolished and solitary confinement
rooms, not cells. installed.
acknowledgements. systematic and
various work should be given the girls,
part of this outdoors.
''Eighth-Varied and ample amuse-
ment and recreation should be pro-
vided, so that when they are not busy
at work or in school, they can be
having a good time"
In conclusion, the report makes II
strong appeal to the people of the