Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-11-24

records, thu. evidence becomes veil.
nigh conclusive I that the, charges OF
cruelty land abuse contained IN the
complaint are not true. " .,.sss: IYc.1 4
:. SINGLE BRUTAL OFFENsE. 5 lis
'So>far as punishment Is concerned;
in only one instance does the testi-
mony disclose any permanent injury
resulting to an inmate from the treat
mont received at the school. This 10
the case Of the boy Shores, - who the
evidence tends to show, lost tooth as
the result of q blow inflicted upon him
by an Officer In this case all the evil
dence is to the effect that respondent
knew nothing Of the Occurrences until
after the officer: in question had left
the school, Under the circumstances
he could not in fairness be- held re-
sponsible for the officers unauthorized
act.
I'm all other cases no lasting or SER
ious injury was inflicted, amos no. &.
cess is established, atbatr would hiring
the. punishment.withina the prohibition
of the law. On the contrary, the great
weight Of the evidence shows that the
punishment inflicted by order of the
superintendent were inflicted with the
belief that they would be fer the good of
pupils punished and IN the interest of
discipline. :x,4. J.. ~t.,.....
SPANKING MACHINE.
The Instruments used IN admin
istering tho more severe forms Of cor
poral punishment were evidently de-
signeu and constructed with the pur-
pose of making them entirely safe to
use as instruments of reasonable pun
ishment. The so-caAed machine was a
frame built with the purpose not only
of securing the cnlprits in such a way
as to guard against injury to him by
struggling with thnse charged with
bis discipline, but. also to obvlate the
danger of a misplaced blow and to in
sure that the punishment would be
susceptible to injury.
This fact is established not only by
the testimony Of the officers and inmates
OF the school, out by the description OF
the frame given by all the witnesses
VINO testified with regard to it, which
shows that It was calculated to remove
all reasonable danger or injury. The
same may be said of the paddle. Its
size, shape, material and construction,
all 60 to substantiate this view. II
as short and broad, the shape least
calculated to produce severe c0ntu'
si0ns, and the corners ana edges were
rounded of to reduce the danger to q
minimum.
PROJECTED BY WEI TOWEL.
IAN instrument such as is described
in the testimony on this point lwOulC
seem far less likely to produce; injury
than would whip. rod, or ruler 'sqct
as are commonly used for this purpose
in ordinary public schools In addition
to this the BODY. OF the culprit: was
protected by a towel. both from possible
cuts and decorations that mig ut other
wise have resulted, and from infection.
This towel was put; on wet to make
sure that it would not slip oft while
punishment was being administered:
It seems to this board that if corporal
punishment is necessary, it could not
be effectively inflicted with instruments
of less force or with greater care fol
the safety of offenders. S.:
LAS to the need of corporal punish:
ment we have only this to: say ,. IF III
is justifiabIe anywhere. it is here. The
inmates of this institution are not the
ordinary youths who attend the public
schools. They are theexceptiona]f ones
with, whom other schools. their parents
or guardians, the courts, and proba'
ton officers. have had trial and
failed. When all other means fail, they
are sent here. Furthermore, the con-
ditions of attendance are different.
Other schools can suspend or expel
their unruly pupils. This school can
not. Its pupils come to thunder com
mitment from the courts. with the
com mand that they be kept until they
have been sufficiently trained in the
rules of right living to make it reason
ably sure, that when released they will
not become menace to the persons
and property of law abiding citizens.
RESPONSIBILITY OF STATE.
The state has them on its hands.
They must be dealt with at this
school. They are in its charge for that
purpose during the entire twenty. four
hours of every day in the year. This
school cannot. except in extreme cases,
shift the burden to other shoulders,
and then only by the action of the
board. While it is true that the great
majority of the institutions in the
United States similar to the Red Wing
Training school. uses corporal punish;
ment as a means of discipline, includ.
ing the states which are generally con.
sidered IN the forefront in correctional
matters, nevertheless the tendency OF
the times is undoubtedly toward the
gradual elm ination of this form oi
punishment and We strongly sym