The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-03-04
Testimony of Alleged Torture and
Abuses Of Boy Inmates of Train
ing School Astounding.
BELTRAM1 COUNTY BOY TALKED
Bill Providing that all Non-Residents
of State Pay Fish License Passes
House.
(By T. Il. WilSon)
s.u3dii Pioneer Legislative Bureau

(By T. n. "00O0)
Be.ntdji Pioneer Legislative Bureau
St. Paul, March 4.-Renewed and
if anything, more astounding testi'
mony of alleged torture and abuses
of boy inmates at the Red Wing
Training School developed at the
second hearing of the senate inves-
tigating committee, Thursday night
Chairman Rockne presiding. The
chamber and rear gallery were filled
with Interested and at times indig-
nant spectators.
Former Senator A. D. Stephens OF
Crookston, whose charges of abuse
brought about the present inquisition
was present He had expected to re-
turn to Crookston on the night train
and had a taxicab waiting at the
capitol door but the testimony be-
came so sensational that he forgot the
taxi cab and the train and did not re-
turn home until last night. He will
come back to St. Paul to be present
at the third hearing Monday evening.
Two witnesses testified that an Of
ficer at the training school had
knocked a tooth out of a boys mouth
and this lad was identified as boy
by the name of Shore committed from
Bemidji or Beltrami county One
boy, former inmate, swore that his
hands had been chained above his
head to a steam pipe and that he had
been left in this position for twenty.
four hours, taken down, his back
barred and a hundred blows admins.
tered after which, he said, he was
dragged into a bedless room where
he slept on the floor with only two
blankets for covering. During this
period of torture he was fed on bread
and water. This boys name is
Loren Van Busker, committed from
Minneapolis.
Mrs. George P. Mills, a middle aged
neatly attired mother of boy sent
to the school, testified that she saw
Assistant superintendent Scott strike
a small boy in the face 'because the
lad didn't drill to suit him. and that
when another boy did not get into
line he was struck with a clinche6
fist. Mrs. Lynch, the mother of an
other inmate, told of hearing boys
who were being whipped, groan an(
scream and that her own son wa!
struck until scars were left on hi!
eye, forehead and ear Her boy
Raymond Lynch, is at present an in
mate of the school and he had beer
brought from Red Wing to testify a
the hearing by superintendent Whit
tier, without the mothers knowledge
Raymond followed his mother OF
the stand and was the first witness
so far as inmates are concerned. t,
bring direct information from tn
school to the Investigators and al
thouge he is a sullen youth and de
spite the presence of Superintendent
Whittier, head of the Red Wing insti
tuition, he talked freely to the com
mittee.
Il got beat once every two month
on my hands when l first went Their
for taking or using tobacco. The
licked me with a strap two feet Ion
and gave me from Is to 80 blow!
When | first tried to run away the
licked me with a little thin straI
about SO blows After that when
tried to get away, they put me owe
a chair and whipped me with a big
ger strap
lis that still the SYSTEM" inquire
Senator Sullivan.
"Well, they beat boy about thre
weeks ago until he was black an
blue" said the lad from Red Wing.
Fred Holzer, 16 years old, anothe
boy brought from the school to tie:
tify told of being whipped on tn
hands and later, when he tried to ru
away, of being stripped and beate
with what he described as "a leathe