The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-11-25
RiUTALITY IN
Boys SCHOOL
Superintendent Charged With
InhuInan Conduct.
BEATEN UNTIL BLOOD FLOWS

Lads Were Stripped and Whipped
Win a Cane or a Large Piece OF
Leather Until Their Backs Were
Covered With 6rulses-The matron
Also Accused.
New York. Nov. 22-The state board
of charities. which investigated 'he
Brooklyn Disciplinary Training schoo'
for Rows al the request Of Governor
Hughes. reported to the governor thaI
lanes p. Farrell. the superintendent
Of the school. has been for lons time
guilty OF brutality and inhuman con
luct toward his charges.
Superintendent Farrell adopted a
system of punishment which he cai'ed
the star spanglod banner Tne IN
vestigators found that It consisted IN
taking boys to the armory. stripping
them and beating them on the bare
hack with a stick or large piece oil
leather. The effect OF such punish
ment was described by one Of the Wit
ncsses.
"On golns up to my bed" he said
II heard the boy moan and cry. ana ne
said. Look al my body where MT fer'
reu heat me- examined his body
There were bruises inflicted all over
hts bodv. He could not lie on his back.
The hoy was about thirteen years OF
age"
ON another occasion. the inyestiga'
tors learned. Superintendent Farreil
attacked a boy in the Office OF the
school and beat the child so terribly
that blood ran from his forehead on 10
the floor. Dr. Smith. Of the investigat'
ing committee. examined the scar on
the boy's forehead A boy OF twelve OF
thirteen was struck with a machine
strap The blow marked his race ID
two places. He had been guilty ol
cutting up in bed" It was learned
that Farrell made a practice Of beat
ing bovs over the head with his cane
pun,shing them for slight oifenses.
a System OF lerroTlsW'
"We fad from the evidence, =, the
state board reported to the governor
that there was a system OF terrorism
existing in the institution. all the EN-
ploves and all the inmates being ter
rorized by the superintendent. that
he used his cane In beating boys over
the head for very slight ofenses and
on all occasions when his mood seem
cd TO indicate that some punishment
was necessary. We find that the super
intendent used. on many occasions. IN
sulting language to the employees oi
the institution and that he mortified
them by disrespectful and vile IAN
guage in the presence OF the boys. we
find that on many occasions he was
drink. and frequently returned to the
institution in a drunken condition.
The committee reported that Farrel
frequently absented himself from the
school with Miss Anna J. Hutchinson
the bouse-mother. leaving the institu
ton without any responsible head. and
24O boys exposed in an old building tc
the danger Of fre. The doors were
locked and the windows barred. Con
co-ainy Miss Hutchinson It was testi
fed:
she stood in with the superintend
ent and would tell him things. and
then we boys would get the stars OF
anything she wanted us TO get.
The "house-mother" deprived the
BOYS Of milk. saying they didn't Ike II
I'VE consider such evidence as alb
surd." the committee Informed Gov
ernor Hughes. "She has never, so faI
az we can learn from the evidence
given any mother attention to these
little boys. She has utterly ignored
their religious and spiritual training
and has never given that motherly
counsel and advice that the name OF
her office of house mother implies"