The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1910-06-17
LYMAN SCHOOL
HEAD ON STAND
Declares That Young Newman
Was Not Beaten to Death
ADMITS MARKS ON HIS FACE
Says Boy Hanged Himself, Though
Knees Almost Touched FIoor-Boys
Backs Striped Like Flags as Result
of Whlppings-Ridged Hose, That
Cut the Flesh, Was Used-StartIino
Testimony Is Submitted

Cut the Flesh, Was Understanding
Testimony Is Submitted
Boston, June Histories OF
cruelty at the Lyman state school al
Westboro were told before the legis-
lauVe committee at state house. The
committee is investigating the institu-
ton as a result of the death of John
Newman, the 13-year- old Cambridge
boy who, his parents believe, was
beaten to death.
Edgar L. Coffeen, superintendent OF
the school, was called to the witness
stand. He declared that Newman
committed suicide and that he was not
beaten to death
Cofeen testified that he had made
an investigation of the treatment
Newman received when he was found
last Monday night, after having run
away, and found that no violence had
been offered him. He described how
the boy appeared as he hung from the
neck in the detention room and ex-
planned that there were sheets in the
room at the time because it had been
used by another boy who was i'll. He
admitted that there were marks on
the boys face and that he got from
fifteen to fifty letters a week COM
planning of the treatment the boys re-
,ceived.
,Cofeen admitted also that the body
OF the boy hung in such a manner that
his feet could easily reach the floor,
his knees being only about an inch
above the floor. He was asked if he
did not think this was an extraordi-
nary position for the boy to be in and
he said it was.
Thomas McNulty, a night watch. |
man, testified that the boys backs |
were striped like flags as a result OF
the whippings they received. He
caught sight Of the bare bodies of the
victims when they were In bathing.
Thomas Costello told about a boy
named Haggerty who was taken out
and whipped one night in his night
clothing and when he returned the
gown was covered with blood. The
boy went insane inside of a week, the
witness said.
Costello said that he was whipped
once a week on an average. A large,
Tidged hose was used, he said, that
cut into the flesh. Once he was taken
before Superintendent Chaplin with
his eyes BACKED by one of the at
tendants and he said Chaplin ordered
him TO be taken out again and
whipped.
Joseph Gaffney, aged II, told about
a whipping he received in the school,
he leaning over a desk while it was
delivered. He said he got twenty five
lashes and then, because he raised up
before it was over, he got thirty five
more. II took two or three weeks
for the wounds to heal, he said. Gaff-
ney testified that he saw Mr.. Mason
with a shovel and he saw officials hit
boys with their fists.
Ralph L. Hill, who had been in the
school, was asked if he had ever seen
a sheet in the detention room, and
Hill said he had not. Newman
was said to have hanged himself with
a sheet while he was in the detention
room.
Miss Alice G.. Sweeney testified:
81 had a brother at the Lyman
school and he has been gone since
last August from that institution.
They have never located him yet and
the authorities of the school did not
notify us of his disappearance until
about six months after he disappeared
from the institution"