Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-03-20
GIRLS REkSSERT
Geneva CHARGES
Minnie Hobert and Emma Pet
erson Stand by Sworn
Statements.
FORMER BROKEN IN SPIRIT
According to Testimony of Her Father
Investigators Seek to In
VolVe Attorney.

II is probable that before the invest
cruelties inflicted upon girls in the
Geneva Training School for Girls has
been concluded that there will be fur
Their search for evidence in this city.
Charles Virden and Thomas O'COnnor,
state agents. after hearing testimony
during the larger part of Saturday, left
a. night for Springfield. where they
Will submit the data which they have
secured to members of the state board
OF administration. Other state agents
who conducted an investigation at
Geneva Saturday will submit facts
which they secured there. If il is found
that the evidence secured does not
clear the matter up entirely and prove
conclusiveIy that either the stories Of
the Hobert and Peterson girls are
largely false or that such conditions as
they swear TO do exist there, the inves-
tigation will be carried further
Minnie Hobert, Emma Peterson. Mrs.
Elizabeth Mcbride a sister Of the Pc
terson girl; John Hobert, father of the
Hobert girl. Miss Dina Ramser and
Attorney Phil II. Wells were examined
a. the New Harper Saturday. The two
girls told Of the treatment which they
received "a the school. their stories be
ing practically the same as in their
afidavits Mrs Mcbride told of th5
facts which led TO sending her sister
10 the school John Hobert told OF
conditions which led him TO consent 70
having his daughter committed 10 the
home and of her story OF the treatment
which she claimed to have received
there.
INJURED RATHER THAN HELPED.
He said that his daughter had LOST
all OF her former spirit and was hardly
able to help her mother in her house
work. He said that evidently the train
ing had harmed her rather than aided
her Miss Ramser, who WAS instru-
mental il taking the girl to the school,.
told of the circumstances which led
her. as police matrOn, TO do so. Attor-
ney Wells was also called on to submit
the facts which he had gathered in tn
case. Among the questions put to him
by the investigators was one asking
him to explain why he had not submit
ted his data to the state board of ad-
miuistration rather than to send ii TO
Lee O'Neu Browne, certain newspapers
and others opposed to the Deneen ad-
ministratiOn. hir. Wells stated that
his idea was TO secure an immediate in
vesugation which would not cover up
the real facts. He said that he was
unbiased and unprejudiced in the mat
ter, and first entered IL for the fee and
later because OF his interest in human
ity. He said that he had done all he
could to furnish information and that
his duty ended when he submitted the
facts to the newspapers. The investi-
gators were OF the opinion that II was
his duty as a citizen OF the state. and
as an attorney, to not only submit the
facts, but to prefer charges against
those who were accused of brutal acts
mentioned in the afidavits. They said
that the state agents were not employ
ed 10 run down all charges III the news
papers
DID NOT WRITE LETTER
A letter was submitted as evidence
Saturday which was signed with the
name OF John HCbert Il was learned