Evening journal., 1909-09-11

work in the heids. The shackling made
sores on his legs. and when he -compiained
to Boyer that the shaclles were too tight
around his ankles and thereby made his
ankles sore. he was refused relief and to d
that the shackles were not tight enough.
This system Of punishment was inflicted
because the boy had made an escape from
the school.
II also call specific attention TO the case
Of Samuel l.. r. Bayley. Bayley was dis
missed from yorr school July o5. 1909 He
Is now Of age. lie escaped from the school
IN May. 1907 served as an enlisted man in
the United states Navy. from which he
was discharged on account OF in health in
September 1905. In March. 1909 he was re-
captured and returned TO the Ferris In
dustrial School. His legs were chained to-
gether so he could step only nine inches
and were kept chained together for some
three months, both night and day In tbs
shackled condition he was made TO follow
cultivator, driving horses all day long
His work with the cultivator IN the shack
led condition lasted for a month or more
"On one Sunday in June OF this year
Bayley while stin shackled. was made
10 work IN the asparagus field an after
noon one Of your attendants named Don
Robinson accused Bayey Of impudence
on this occasion. Bayley had no hearing by
the superintendent, although he denied the
truth OF the charge. An employe named
Charles Boyer was sent to whip him I
call attention TO the fact. that this was
the beating not Of a boy, but OF a man
within less than two months Of his ma
iorlty. In administering the beating. Boyer
used cothesllne doubled and a strap 50
that each blow inflicted three strokes
Bailey was ordered to stoop down and
touch his hands on the ground In this
position he received fite blows He was
made to stoop down for five more blows,
but upon being struck twice he arose.
Then he was tied TO table and ten more
blows inhicted whereupoA he pulled over
the table. lie claims thai the whipping
was exceedingly brutal and cruel.
Alleges Boys Beaten.
II have been Informed that two Of the
inmates Of the Ferris Industrial School
on one Sunday IN June 1909. we're beaten
with eighty strokes apiece.
"They were coiored boys named Cam
non and Foots. They were beaten with a
trace strap such as is used IN work har-
ness. ] submit that when It comes to in
hicting as many as eighty blows with
harness trace the matter ceases to be one
OF discipline and becomes a thing Of in
eXcusable ferocity.
MY information is that beating Of the
Inmates Of the Ferris Industrial School
is comon Thing. and that the boys live
in constant terror OF such punishment.
am told. however, that beating the boys is
avoided for the week Immediately preced-
ing visiting days. so that the bruises,
marks and scars OF the punishment IN
nicted may fade away before relatives and
friends have a chance to see their bruised
hodies.
leo9. one Of the inmates Of the school by
the name Of Phener was running away.
He was overtaken and surrounded by your
employees ON a farm adjoining your prop
erty. one OF your officers seized a broken
fence rail and beat the boy with all his
might lie first knocked the hoy down
with the fence rail and then struck him
blow after blow with all his force after he
was on the ground. witness Of the per-
formance states that It was the most in
/ human treatment one person could innlct
on another. The boy was down on the
ground moaning piteousy And your officer
was heating him with fence rail so that
the witness was at first under the impress
sion that he was killing a snake.
DEPRIVED OF wATERi
Il call your attention now to a matter
Of cruelty for which there seems to be
absolutely no cause or excuse. My infor-
nation is that Il is rule Of the school
strictly enforced that no boy shall be al
lowed to have a drink Of water during
working hours. This means that from z
o'clock in the morning until dinner tine
boys working gout in the hot sun OF sum-
mer arc under no circumstances permit
ted to quench their thirst The same re-
striction Is enforced from 1 o'clock in the
afternoon until the days work is done
No man who understands anything about
children and has a spark OF human kind
ness in his breast would prescribe and en-
force such rule as this. I need not en-
large upon the torture Of thirst when
water cannot be had. I should think such
a rule cruel even II enforced in the work
house on grown men.
my interest IN the subject Of this let
ter Is neither more nor less than that OF
every other citizen OF the state. I do not
desire TO be drawn into a controversy
about II, but I can assure you that evi-
dence is obtalnabie to support the state
ments here made. AS this is a matter Of
some public interest. I shall take the
liberty Of making this an open letter
''With great respect. I remain.
'Yours sincerely
Levin Irving Handy"