The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-19
up ON THE CARPET
E. e. Marshall, Supt. OF Hutch
insOn Ref0rmatOry, the Object.
He Must Answer to Charges of
Cruelty.
TO BE HEARD AUG. 80.
Board Fixes Date for the
Hearing.
OutgrOwth of Old Fight on the
Official.
% BE HEARD AUG. 80.

Hutchinson reformatory, which nave
been made since E. E. Marshall became
superintendent of that institution, are
to be investigated at last.
d. D. Colglazier, of Hutchinson, for
several years a subordinate officer of
the institution, perferred the formal
written charges before the board of
managers last Saturday, and the board
set August 80 as the date for the in
vestigation.
1t is expected that A. G. Gates, ex-
chaplain, who started a fire under Mar
shall some months ago. will be one of
the principal witnesses. Mr.. Gates was
formerly chaplain of the institution and
has declared that he would keep after
Marshall and accomplish his removal
before he let up in his fight. C. ]. Peck,
formerly assistant superintendent, who
was removed by Marshall, will also be
witness against his former chief.
The board offers to hear subordinate
officers Of the institution without the
knowledge of Mr.. Marshall, also to ac-
cept letters, affidavits and depositions,
but it prefers to have the witness
present In person, and frankly says
more Importance would be attached to
the latter evidence than to depositions,
aff1davits, letters and especially anony-
nous or unidentified letters. 1t is man
ifestly the purpose of the board of
managers to find out the truth of the
rumorS that have been flying about al
most from the time Mr. Marshall first
assumed office, and convict or acquit
Mr.. Marshall, and thus, if possible, 81
lence the rumors that have tended to
involve the reformatOry in more or less
scandal for the last two or three years.
In the charges by Mr.. Colslazier. Mr..
Marshall is accused of having a violent
and ungovernable temper, which has
led him to mistreat prisoners. Four
specific instances of alleged cruelty are
cited and as a result of one 1t is charg-
ed that death resulted. The first deals
with an alleged assault on negro, Ell
lis by name, whom Marshall is charged
with attacking with a leather billy load
ed with shot. while in control of two
other officers. In regard to this the
superintendent says that it is only the
magnifying of an effort to subdue an
ungovernable inmate, whose bad con-
was an inmate for more than seven
years, and after parole had to be re-
taken and finally sent to the peniten-
tiary. The other inmates the superin-
tendent is charged with mistreating
were two named Murray and Bowen,
and a third named James Ward. The
latter died while an inmate of the in
stitution, and as a result of his mis-
treatment. is the inference drawn from
Colglaziers allegation. Marshall says
he died of typhoid fever and that the
disease had no connection whatever
with the punishment he had received.
Two of the prisoners are said to have
been kept on bread and water for a
continuous period of 21 days and the
third for a period or 70 Gays. Inc sup
erintendent does not deny that the in
mates were placed on bread and water
and says that the records of the insti- |
tuition will show the period during
which they were so treated, but he says
they might have ended such punish |
ment at any time by submission to au-
thority. Marshall further says that |
this is no unusual method of punish |
ment, but is pursued in every institu- |
tion of this character in the country, !
and frequently for longer periods than |
ever imposed here.
The second charge against the su-
perintendent is a general failure to |
observe the spirit of the reformatory |
law, it being alleged that the insti- |
tuition is managed more in the man
ner of a penitentiary, and that the |
prisoners are accorded worse treat |
ment than in many penitentiaries.
The third charge accuses the super
intendent of a violation of the old |
soldiers preference law and is based |
chiefly on the retirement of S. J. Haw-
ley. of this city, from the institution,
his Office of master mechanic having |
been left off the salary list of the in
stitution. 1t is said in reply to this
board of managers acted in harmony
in not asking the legislature to make
an appropriation for this position
which happened to be filled at this
time by Mr.. Hawley, the board taking
the position that there was no longer
need of that office.
One of the managers of the institu-
ton said that superintendent Mar
shall has in his possession two let
ters of commentator written by Mr..
one congratulating him
upon his reappointment as superin-
by Governor Hoch, and one
written later after Mr.. Colglazier had
been an officer of the institution and /
had voluntarily resigned, in both of
which the superintendent is highly
for his management of
the reformatory and thanked for his
courteous treatment of the writer.
Mr.. Colglazier says concerning his
charges: 'I want it understood that
I am not taking this action through
any spirit of animosity for Mr.. Mar
shall. but only for the good of the in
stitution 1 don't think Mr.. Marshall
has the right idea about the manage
ment of such an institution. I think
he ought to be dismissed and a man
put in his place who will run it more
like reformatory and less like a
penitentiary."
superintendent Marshall said, when
asked about the investigation: "It is
4 duty that devolveS upon the board
since the filing of the charges and 1
am content to abide by the decision
Of the board and the governor after
all the evidence is in. In regard to
the truth of the charges, I desire only
to say that some of them are wholly
untrue and others are gross exaggera-
tons 1t is true that putting prison
srs on bread and water is a form or
punishment praeticed at this instftu-
ton and 1T has been followed ever
since the establishment of the REFORM
atory under all the various manag-
ars. and is practiced by similar instf-
tutions in other states. 1t should be
however that after two