St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-06-26
shaRliR Rsia Caassle Il an nIsFvlsW CsR.
esFnind Whipping Of oaa oi ,hs egphans.
AANAfEMENT'S REPLY
But 4 Fiery Haak Ons.-Rsld Chargsa mat
Whipped Bsy Can't Rsaa, notwithstanding
HsHas Been II 0rphsaags Thrss Tsars.

brutal whipping Of an orphan in tbs
Lake Charles Baptist 0rphanage, and
the recent caustic interview Will
Sheriff Reid, it appears to an out.
slider that the e~xoneration Of the
perpetrators Of the outrage vas :
piece Of whitewashing pure and sim
pie.
The management is out in a labor
ed answer to Sheriff Reid, which
amounts more to a series Of counter
charges than q defense Of the whip
ping Of the boy Monroe Kelley.
Sheriff Reds interview in the Item
follows:
What do / think about itF ex-
claimed Sheriff Raid this nenine
well / think II is an outrage against
those poor little defenseless and I'M
protected children, to permit such
cruelty to 60 UNPUBLISHED. For cru
city il was, as anyone who has seen
the boys back will testify. For the
board to have exonerated those re-
sponsible is all wrong. There are
those poor little children with no one
to look after their welfare, and yet
when one Of them Is whipped until
his back is bruised and welted, the
board then exonerates those respon-
sible. I say it is wrong. We all
feel the deepest interest in the in
stitution, and / have always assisted
it in every way in my power, / am
still interested and it is that very i'm
terest and The desire TO see The IN
stitution fulfill its mission that
prompts me to take the stand | do
in regard to this affair. / do not
blame the Baptist congregation, nor
do | think any one else does, but !
do blame those in immediate charge
and think they should be removed.
Why, ! was greatly surprised and
grieved when the other day, Mrs.
Reid handed . paper to Monroe and
asked him to read an article. and the
boy declared: Why, Mrs. Reid, /
can not read What? / asked, You
can not read. and have been at the
orphanage three years? Have you
not been taught to read? No SIR
he replied, boys Of my age have to
work and ] have been on the night
shift in the bakery, and Of course
they Let me sleep in daytime, 50 I
have not had any chance to go to
school, Now, the idea Of a boy in
the institution for three years and
not having been permitted . chance
to secure some education.
Monroe was out this evening, and
when he returned he told me that he
had met some Of the boys Of the Or
phanage and they stated, that pre-
vious to the visit Of the board the
early part Of the week, they were
called into the chapel, and told Of
the impending visit, and warned not
to go into the chapel during the stay
Of the board. But, one Of the little
is reported to have said, i
have something / want to say TO che
men, Well, you'd better keep out
Of here is reputed to have been the
warning given the child. and he
dared not disobey.
IF the children were NOT permit
ted to state their grievances, no
the board rendered The find
ing it did. As for Monroe's yeracity,
which they attempted to impugn. the
superintendent Of the Sunday school
has informed me that The boys CON
duct was always commendable.
This was one Of the greatest
wrongs that could be heaped upon q
helpless orphan, and I think that
those guilty should be punished
For False Pretenses.