Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-29

After holding the report of the board
of charities and corrections since
Saturday, Superintendent of Pub
lie Schools E. c. Moore, who was
chairman of the inquiry session at the
state school at Whittier, last night
gave out the findings.
For three days telegraphic messages
have been exchanged between Los An
geles and Sacramento before the text
of the document reached the press.
Trustee C. C. Desmonds friends de-
clare the report is whitewash for
Superintendent j. p. Greeley, but gen.
eral and sweeping condemnation of the
school organization, discipline, system,
training and supervision.
Not word is said about
Assistant superintendent w. ".
Coffin, who is also physician
at the school, except in the rec
ommendation that there should be i'm
provements in the hospital service,
where a good nurse should at all times
be in charge and none but physicians
should prescribe" DIR. Coffin had ad-
mitted that several captains had by
his authority given quinine, salts and
similar remedies without consulting
him.
Censure Trustee Desmond
For Trustee c. c. Desmond, who laid
the revolving condition of affairs at the
institution before the public and the
governor. there is only censure because
of "his inability to distinguish fact
from fancy and idle rumor from estab-
lishe4 truth"
The trustees as a whole are blamed
for several faults found in the man
agement of the school.
The findings have already been fore
casted in The Herald. They are in
line with the declared intention of in
f1uential administration officials to keep
down the inquiry because the cam
paign Is SO near.
1t has been freely remarked that
Governor Gillett will. after the election,
announce that Trustee Desmond will
not be reappointed.
Wiseacres had predicted that the
state board would in its report advo-
cate increasing the board of trustees
from three to five, but this has not
been done, possibly because a legis-
lative enactment will first be needed.
Result of Nine Sessions
The report in detail follows:
your committee duly appointed at
a meeting of the board called for the
purpose, and directed to investigate
certain charges preferred against the
officers and the administration of the
Whittier state school, as requested in
a letter from his excello-c cy, the gov
ernor, directed to this board, and dated
July 8, 1908, beg leave to report as
follows: =
"That we repaired to the Whittier
state school and commenced work on
Friday, July II, at 1890 a.. m. That
we organized by electing E. C. Moore
chairman and w. A. Gates secretary
That we then proceeded to the taking
of testimony and procured the attend
ance Of all witnesses who promised to
throw any light upon the matter being
considered, or who were desired by
any of the parties interested. That we
held in all nine sessions, covering in
all period of twenty-eight and a half
hours, and took the testimony of fifty
two witnesses. The testimony was all
taken under oath and duly noted by
a court reporter whose notes will be
preserved for future use If desired.
after due consideration of all the
testimony presented your committee
finds and reports as follows:
immortality "Not Proven"
"There were in all twenty charges
preferred by Trustee c. c. Desmond
against Superintendent J. p. Greeley
and eight charges against other officers
of the school, but all charges of Inn
morality were thrown out during the
progress of the investigation, because
they were without foundation, nor were
the charges or cruelty toward inmates
proved against the superintendent
Acts of cruelty were proved against
some officers who were discharged be-
forS~the investigation began.
1.-THE charges that one of the trus-
tees had presented bill for expenses
to which he was not entitled and had
profited by the labor of pupils without
due compensation therefor, were shown
to be groundless
"While believing Trustee Desmond to
have been actuated by well intentioned
motives we feel that his inability In
IContinued on Pare Twol