The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-06-30
TESTIMONY N Y
AT SCHOOL
ALL In
ATTORNEYS MAKE THEIR CLOS
ING ARGUMENTS.
Evidence Taken During State Indus
trial School investigation Is in
Hands of Committee.

| inc 1nveStigatloD 1ntO InS diicSSo
mismanagement of the state Industrial
school by Superintendent II. II
Thomas came to an end yesterday af
ternoon, after about three hours had
been occupied by the attorneys fol
Mr. Thomas and for the citizens com
mittec In summing up the evidence
which mad been submitted.
Attorneys Valentine Gideon, 7. r.
Johnson and A. w. Agee spoke during
the afternoon, the first to take the
floor being Mr.. Gideon. who went
through short summary of the evil
dence submitted. He said that he was
glad to note so much interest had been
| taken in the management Of the school
| by the people of tho state. In a gen.
eral way, he said. the testimony that
| Thomas was incompetent to manage
such an institution as the industrial
school, that he had no experience, no
policy and no outline of study; that
he thought the superintendent of an
industrial school SHOULD be more com.
petent than Mr.. Thomas had been
shown to be, from evidence introduced
during the investigation. He said that
the board Of. trustees had early recog.
niZed Thomas incompetency, mas
much as they had taken the authority
to punish inmates of the school out
of his hands and required him to sub
nit the case 10 them and receive In
structions from that body as to what
punishment to inflict: said that
Thomas had usurped this authority in
the punishment Of boys by whipping
and confinement in cells for the use of
tobacco, when employees and guards at
the school were habitual users of to-
bacco themselves. In regard to the
questions alleged to have been asked
girl inmates of the school by Thomas,
Gideon said the evidence showed plain
ly that such questions had been asked.
because while several witnesses cor
roborated the Testimony of Mrs Hal
sted, no one except Thomas himself
had denied that they had been asked
Attorney Gideon described the whip
ping Of the seven BOYS in the class
room as an "orgy." and characterized
IL as a "cowardly crime on the part
of Thomas
Attorney t. E. Johnson, who has
represented Thomas during the inves-
tigatfon. then took the floor and
up the evidence In behalf of |
his client. He said that a great deal |
depends upon the teachers and EN-.
ployes of an industrial SCHOOL because
the superintendent of such an insti-
tuition has other duties to perform OF
a more general nature, such as look
ing after improvements, buildings,
ETC.. and that matrons, cooks, teachers
and other employees should have the
direct supervision of the inmates.
He said that Superintendent Thomas
deserved the hearty support of all cit
zenS of the state for the work he had
lone at the institution.
Regarding the food served at the
school. Johnson said that evidence
proved the inmates were given the
anne as was served on the superin-
table.
Continuing, he said that none of the
harges brought against Thomas were
worthy of consideration: that they
we're brought by incompetent persons
Tho were too willing TO condemn but
ad no remedy to offer. He said that
homaS reputation. the reputation Of
is wife and of the state of Utah de.
ends upon the result OF the commit
res fnding. The investigation. he
aid, was begun primarily through A }
oman hailinG from Salt Lake, who
'hispered Ito a woman in Ogden that
the Ogden woman would get a big I.
rowd together she would come uD
ere and tell what she knew about {
le reform school, The meeting was
allied, and discharged employees of the
cnool were given an opportunity to
vent their spleen" He rldiculed the q
narges OF graft, saying that the only
'undation for such charges was the
lct that Thomas, acting on authority
ON the board OF trustees. had allowed v
Tree men and few BOYS to work on II
is residence, for which he paid them
III OF his own pocket. He said the
tizens' committee should have gone r
the board OF trustees and found out y
'out the matter before bringing such
sly charges against the superintend- {
IL He deplored what he called net u
complaints against the manage e
ent, and cited the instance of Mrs o
L. lracys s evidence concerning yer. y
In In the beds in the girls cottage ~
the School, saying that Mrs Tracy Is
,d been at the school three years and u
nall and yet mad TO walt until she g
as deposed before mentioning the !.
ct. '"' T
He also deplored the mention made a
Attorney Gideon of the punishment p
the seven boys. These bows he D.
Id. were 'burly brutes who had ont. &c
ged smaller boys while OH camn- r
6 trip, that they were men in ev. ~
ything but years. and that whining l
as too small punishment for them /" W
said that before punishment was W
rlicted on them tho board of trustees te
ID been consulted by Thomas and u,
at the board in turn had consulted th
10