The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-06-19
Joseph ACTING
AS IF ON TRIAL

f.,f nrogr5ss was made yesterday in
..- iry-=tfgation into the conditions at
.,- Stale industrial school The investi-
Enc committee held three long ses-
and then took an adjournment I'M
IN Nlondav at 9 o'clock. With strong
IA talent arrayed on opposite sides
49, was danger that the investigation
r-T7 he lost I'm a maze OF TECHNICAL
rs hut il was officially announced that
,ra rrobing was to take the widest pos
-fbrs range so that strict court rules VIII
4srrv s Joseph, who is president Of
.re hoard OF trustees. and who is also
,.-frr as president Of the investigating
.,r,mittee speaks and acts as though he
-5-a ON trial himself instead of Super
srfardeut H. IT. Thomas He shows MS
bi1s I'm everything he says or does and
seems 10 take particular pleasure in con-
fTsfnc and embarrassing the witnesses.
Hs 7rts as though a reflection on Thorn
se is a reflection on him. This has
caused remark upon the part of many
aupndiug the investigation.
-Four witnesses were on the stand to-
5sr all eX-emplOyes of the school It
+, explained by the citizens committee
-Hz- iu the very nature of things praC-
frarIv all their testimony must come
.f-0m this source. as those now in the
sruT0v Of the school are not free TO
talk and persons not connected with the
school know little about conditions there.
Practically the entire morning session
was taken up in an examination of L.
m0ni Holmes. man VINO was employed
~ the school from Aug. j, 1913, TO May
a. 1903 Previous TO his going on the
stand ir was announced that Valentine
Gideon and a. W. Agee would appear
a- attorneys FOR the citizens committee
and T. u. johnson and c. K. HollngS-
worth for Superintendent II. H. Thorn
as Al the first session Mr.. Holdings
worth had been appointed reading clerk
f7r the entire committee. lie was evi-
IDENTIFY released from this position in or
der that ne misht defend Thomas.
The value of Lamont Holmes Uesti-
uouy was destroyed by his open admis-
SION that he had perjUred himself and
sworn falsely IN an affidavit made June
Holmes made a sorry figure under ex-
animation. He admitted that he per
fIryd himself i'm his affidavit because
Ha was sore ON Thomas, but still re-
uaTated most of his story.
John Berger. an cmplONe from Sep
tambsr. 1905 tn MAY 1893. was on
rne witness stand when the noon
recess was taken He told about
the boys being in tie cells for three
weeks at time on bread and water
diet that the cells were dirty. the Stops
mot being removed for two days at
time. and of being ordered to hit the
boys as hard as he could when he pun
'shed them with tine strap. He admit
when they we're dirty and ill-cared for
and that he was discharged for taking
boy downtown ard permitting him to
escape. He put him ON the street car
and told him TO so to the school, and
he skipped out
The aftcI noon session opened with John
Berger stiIl ON the stand. He was sub
lacted to a close questioning by the op-
posing attorneys and by members Of the
.lmmitree concerning the whipping of
boys their confinement iu cells i'm the
basement and their food Of bread and
wafer Tie told a straight story and
was not shaken ign the least. He
gave minute details OF the whip
ping Of Percy Bacon with a heavy
leather paddle. This paddle was demand
ej by members OF the committee. and
after a prolonged search it was dug up
Berger told also of seeing and feeling
heavy Welts ON the arm Of the Petit boy
caused by whipping He told of the whip
ming of two other boys. Cox and Ray
Ray was padded again for turning ont
rho light i'm the play room Berger said
Hr never had instructions as to keeping
Cabs clean. he was left to his own dis
rr.tiou- He never attended any meetine
off teachers and officers. he had asked
FOR q rule book. but got none. although
r- was I'm thc school seven months
THE main witness of the afternoon. the
hest witness nut forward thus far. The