The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-08-22
Stung at First Until Writhed
Then Flesh Became Mass of Rruis-
es and Numb to Pain.'
MAKES A SWORN STATEMENT
Appears Before Notary Public in
Crookston and Tells Tale of Hor- =
rible Abuses.

Il
for the Great Northern railroad COM
pany, and who was committed to the
state training school for boys at Red
Wing because he played "hookey'
from school, talks of that institution,
the alleged facts being sworn to be-
fore Crookston notary public.
With two of his front teeth miss
ing to bear out his statement that
they had been kicked out while an
inmate at the Red Wing training
school, and fund Of information
which was given in answer to ques-
tioning, and the whole story told in
a frank, straightforward manner,
Shears, gives some chilling side-lights
on life at Red Wing during two
years stay there.
during a two years stay there
Sent From Cass Lake.
Shears was sent to Red Wing from
Cass Lake Sept. 20, 1908, and his
badges for good behavior entitled
him to parole SO that he was released
Jan. IL last, but he will still be nm
der parole for several years. He is
a clean looking and aight-forward
talking lad, who looks you straight in
the eye and tells his story without
any vindictiveness. He said in part:
The boys who enter the training
school at Red Wing have to shift for
themselves. No one greets you or
seems to care a rap for you. My
mother never knew what kind of an
institution it was She thought it
was sort of farm where l would
get good treatment and come out
with some good training and useful
experience.
Abuse All the Time.
1T was a case of abuse to some of
us all the time. | was there about
nine months before l was given the
root cellar, then better known as the
'paintshop' degree. Seven or eight Of
us had planned on making our es-
cape. The managers or guards got
wise to the plan and about O'Clock
in the morning they came into Co.
AS dormintory and started beating
us all up. Whittier, Kinney, Crosby,
Peterson, Ecklund and Meatzold were
there and perhaps others, cannot re-
member all, and with sings they
knocked us right and left. The gull
ty were punished with the innocent
William or Arthur Lind was pounded
and stamped on, l saw it with my
own eyes, till he yelled with torture
and abuse, and he was not in the
plan to escape at all and knew moth
ing about it.
1--WE were then lined up and sent
to the 'paintshop,' some of the boys
being in line from a. m. till after
8 a. m. till all had received their
beating separately.
How it Feels to Get $50 Blows.
when my turn came / was asked
if l had any objection to the punish
ment and replied mo- Then pile on
the table and take down your jeans,
said Kinney.
"They used a sort of a dog chain
to tie my wrists together and then
placing a wet towel over my bare
skin two men held me while a third
laid on the lashes with a leather
thong set in a wooden handle.
81 squirmed around and they fin
ally chained my hands behind my
back and in that position, helpless,
was struck in the face and the lash
ing was resumed. l must have re-
ceived about $50. The first fifteen or
so stung terribly, but after that my
body got sort of numb. The lashing
stopped occasionally and Kinney
would ask me if Lind was in the
deal.
Il kept denying it because it was
the Gods truth that he was not, and
the beating would start again. When
they stopped the towel was all COW
cred with blood. l don't believe I
yelled very much. It hurts SO you
can't yell. You can just writhe with
the pain and groan.
His Teeth Kicked Out.
"The next morning. was when my
IContinled on Iasf naRa