Perth Amboy evening news., 1908-11-30
INVESTIGATE
THE GRIMES
Commission Sitting at Tren-
ton Today Hears of State
Home for Girls.
THE MEDITATION" ROOM
Superintendent eIlsAboutthe
Treatment of the Girls
Under Her Charge,
THE MEDITATION" ROOM

Trenton, Nov. 30:-The commission
which is investigating dependency and
crime throughout the state is in session
in this city today looking into the
management of the state institutions
here. One of the most interesting wit
nesses was Mrs. Elizabeth V. II. Man
sell, the superintendent Of the State
Home for Girls. Mrs Mansell has been
in charge since the retirement of Mrs.
Myrtle B. Eyler who got out after the
investigation conducted by legislative
committee few years ago which Great
ed such a sensation.
The Meditation Room
Members of the commission visited
the home last Monday, and among
other things were shown the "medita-
tion room," besides being informed of
the occasional use of corporal punish
ment in maintaining order and observ-
ance of important rules formulated for
the good conduct and welfare of those
committed to the care of the institu-
ton. In addition to viewing the "med-
itation room' the commissioners were
also given a glimpse of the notorious
dark room,' or dungeon, of which so
much was published during the inves-
tigation of the Eyler administration.
These two rooms adioin each other in
the attic of the main building, but only
the meditation room'' is put to use
nowadays. The "dark roomv has for
long time been tabooed by Mrs. Man
sell In her disciplinary methods. 1t
exists only as a gloomy reminder of the
days when Mrs. Eyler thought its use
necessary to control the girls who were
noT1 rrlrv lxI Ill
says that so far as she is concerned it
may be dismantled any time.
Is Humane and Necessary.
In discussing the meditation room -
yesterday, Mrs. Mansell insisted that
its use was humane and necessary to
maintain discipline in the institution
She said, however, that it was not nee
essary to make frequent use of the
room. There have been periods of four
weeks in succession when not single
girl was sent to the room, and it is Of
ten week and ten days at time
when the room is not used.
1.-THE meditation room is never re-
sorted to except in cases where we have
exhausted every other means of dis
cipline, said Mrs. Mansell. at must
be remembered that we have 207 girls
here, all committed by order of the
courts because they could not be con
trolled in their own homes, and it is
inevitable that once ina while we find
one in which the incorrigible strain is
strongly developed. Experience proves
that we can conquer a girl by sending
her to the meditation room,' where
every other means have failed. When
send a girl there tell her it is be-
cause / want her to be alone with her
God, so that she can think about her
wrongdoing"
Corporal Punishment.
Corporal punishment is used in the
home in limited way Mrs Mansell
does not attempt to evade this fact.
81 am perfectly satisfied to have my
acts thoroughly investigated, she said.
81 know that what 1 have done meets
with the approval of our board of man
ayers, and they know everything. Not
one of our girls has ever been injured,
or ever will be, by any act of mine.
my discipline is not harsh. 1t would
be impossible, 1 believe, to run this in
stitution without little corporal pun
ishment. Why, there is talk of restor-
ing corporal punishment in public
schools. If it is needed in the schools
you can imagine out situation here. If
a child gets too bad in school he is sent
home. But, you know, we can t send
our girls home. They have to stay here,
and we simply have got to make them
mind.