The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-26
THOMAS NICE MAN,
SAYS HIS WITNESSES
Continued from Pare One.

spring wagon used to send the girl to
the hospital aggravated her condition
He declared, however, that such cases
should be conveyed to the hospital in
patient made as comfortable on the
journey as possible. The physician said
he was not responsible for the method
of transportation I'm tins case. The food
at the school for the sick was always
as he ordered it, but as to that given
TO the others he had no knowledge.
| Lorenzo Farley, paroled inmate of
the school, was called Just before the
morning session adjourned. Attorney
Gideon arose and explained that he
didn u object TO boys paroled from the
school testifying, and even the present
inmates. but asked for information re-
garding the method of examining them.
| The attorney thought the paroled boys
and inmates who were called should be
examined by the committee privately,
to obviatc the necessity of ''raking up
| their pasts.' as Chairman Joseph put
it. Judge Agee said he thought that
these witnesses should not be placed
under any restraint, md their state
mcnts should be made without fear and
representing Superintendent Thomas,
declared his intention of bringing both
inmates and paroled boys to testify, and
that as the prosecution had "raked up
all they could against Thomas he
thought he was entitled to bring what
ever witness he could find to refute the
statements made, The Investigating
committee here went into executive ses-
sion. resulting in a decision being
reached by which such witnesses will
be examined secretly. Tho boy was eX-
amined in this manner after all had
been excused from the room.
From Former Inmate.
Joseph Burdotte, the parole officer of
the state industrial school, was the
first witness called at the afternoon
session The witness explained the
methods used in procuring statements
from paroled inmates of the school. The
questions asked each, he said. were
asked in the presence of the parole
board in Salt Lake, the witness, Mr..
Cram and Assistant Superintendent
William Kncass being present. The wit
ness identified an affidavit from Ada
Swenson. now n married woman living
at Bingham canyon. In her affidavit
the Swenson girl declares that the
statements made by Mrs. Lille V. Hal
sted before the committee last week re-
garding certain improper questions be-
ing asked her by Superintendent Thorn
as arc untrue. The affidavit declares
that she has reformed, and the teach
ing she received at the school has proven
Anderson, former teacher IN the school,
which was voluntarily offered. accord
ing 10 Chairman Joseph, was offered III
evidence Miss Anderson in n general
way says in her affidavit that condi
tions at The school during her employ.
ment were good, Attorney Gideon then
offered the affidavits of Brown, for
mer cook, and Bowen, a former guard,
at the institution, describing the whip.
pings administered to several of the
boys.
w. Fl. Ackaret, who has been work
ing at the school for four years until
June l, then discharged by order of
Superintendent Thomas and President
Harry Joseph of the board of trustees,
and then reinstated by the same order.
June 10, all Of which mysterious action
he said he was unable TO explain, was
the next witness. Ackaret said he had
charge of the farm detail, and worked
from four to six boys, He said he as
sisted in the whipping of the seven
boys who committed offenses while on
their camping trip last summer,
Whipping of Boys.
The witness said he whipped Edwin
Wells and another boy, whose name he
could not remember. and that the others
The band was playing all the time dur
ing the whipping. Hughes the only
boy the witness saw after the whipping,
had his skin broken little on one of
his arms, He didn't remember seeing
the other boys, and could not tell how
severely they were whipped Asked If
he whipped the two boys hard, the wit.
ness said he "didn t spare them very
much. - He described how the boys
ran around in circle while the lash
was being applied. Some begged for
mercy and others did not. The whip
ping ceased only when Thomas directed
that it should. One boy, Rasmussen,
dropped down after the lash had been
applied, but the witness believed that
the whipping room, nevertheless, by one
of the officers.
One boy, named Hudson, that was
whipped. thanked the superintendent
for the punishment he had received, ac.
cording to the witness. and declared
that he had gotten what he deserved,
The witness was asked by. Trustee
Walsh if he used tobacco, profanity and
liquor The witness claimed an ac-
quaintancc with all three habits. He
admitted that he had used tobacco and
profanity Ill the presence OF the boys
on occasions, and that he had cursed
them when they made him angry. Not
withstanding this, the witness said he
had talked to the boys of the evils of
BOYS who had been caught chewing to-
bucco and who had been heard using
profanity by the witness. These boys
he reported were punished by dement's,
declared the witness.
Story of Mrs. Ives.
Mrs. y. J. Ives of Salt Lake City
said that she had boy at the school
during the winter Of 1907. He was Ill
of scarlet fever and she went there to
assist in nursing him. She said that
she found that the sick boys at the
school were treated well, and the food
furnished the inmates was good at all
times while she was there. The wit
ness said that, in her opinion, "Thomas
is thorough Christian man. and that
her boy, who is now on parole from the
institution, chad improved 80 per cent
as the result of his experience in the
reformatory.'
Mrs. II. II. Thomas. wife of Super
intendent Thomas, was the next wit
ness She said she has been matron
Of the school since November |, 1905.
Her work is chiefly in the boys depart.
ment, but she has supervision of all
housework, the cook roo, food supply