The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-07-13
INVESTIGATION IS
BIG BOOMERANG To
THE |NST|GAT0RS
Probe Of Home and Industrial
School for Girls Is Prac-
tically Over
CONDITIONS THERE
PRONOUNCED GOOD
Negro "Overseer" Proves to Be
Good Laborer in Fields and
Dependable Guard for
Matron.

With most Of the testimony In ana
the investigation practically finished.
the Virginia Home and Industrial
School for Girls, at Bon Air, proved
Its right to exist before the State
board of charities and corrections, or
dered by Governor Mann to probe in
to the institution. The allegations
charging that a negro overseer had
charge of the girls, that he arrogated
to himself the right to carry pis-
toll, that the girls were hardly taxed
by field labor, that they were incor-
rigible and beyond control, that they
were subject to outside influences and
that the home was improperly man
aged were disproved by the witnesses
who were expected to uphold the
charges--the girls themselves-and
flung back into the teeth of those,
who had instigated the investigation,
as without foundation.
In short, members Of the board %
directors Of the home and even men.
bers of the State board of charities
and corrections expressed themselves
as believing that the probe had re-
suited benef1cially to the institution
and that 1t would prove to the public
more than thousand published
pamphlets or a hundred platform
pleas the great need of the institution
In Virginia and the good II Is accom-
plishing in fighting a problem the
most difficult society and government
have to combat
Boomerang IN Tnstigators
The investigation proved something
OF boomerang to those who had
desired the investigation and appear
ed as witnesses against the instftu-
ton. Grave charges were made by
NJ OF m on.
Ger George farrell and against A. B.
Lewis, a carpenter who had been en-
pioyed to do some work on the
| grounds. One girl testified that Jar
rell had promised TO see that she was
returned to her father IL she would
agree to everything he said. and that
she lied when informally examined
by Squire L. W. Cheatham. after be-
/ ing arrested as a runaway. Another
girl testified that Lewis niadA adj
vances to her.
| Beverly Banks. the negro againEt
whom complaint had been made, tee-
| tified that he had repeatedly rebuned
the efforts of man employed TO
work on the water tank to gain en-
trance TO the grounds at night. and
! that he had heard this man say to q
| girl, IF I give you something to kill
that Niger and that woman up there.
will you do il ?" And the girl re-
piled. the Lord will show mama (the
matronl that you gave me this pistol.
and I will not do this thing" And
/ Banks heard the man reply "that'e
a lie" Banks also found a bottle Of
oxalio acid hidden in the fence and
! bits OF pencil and paper.
| Negro Uses Gun.
| He admitted that he had gone
armed for some time. and before the
negro went on the stand g. p. W4d-
! dill. a member Of the governing
board. testified that after he had
heard Of repeated efforts being made
to get into the grounds he had not
only ordered Banks to arm himself,
but had sent him pistol with IN
structions to use 1t IL need be. And
Banks did use IT, He nred one night
| at a white man who tried to climb
over the fence after nightfall. ana
/ drove him away cursing. He carried
| the weapon only once during the
| day.
! After hearing part Of the evidence
| In the pavilion at Bon Air. the tr-
| auisitorial body moved out to the
| home, where they heard evidence
| first hand from several OF the girls
With one voice they said that they
were not worked too hard, that they
wanted to work and were actually
! fond OF blowing. They declared that
| they loved Mama" and with 2
| catch In her voice one little girl said
| of her that she was "the best wo-
man who ever stepped IN shoe leath-
/ err" All their testimony was in favor
of Beverly Banks. They declared
/ that he exercised no authority over
them. that. instead. he worked in the
Aeld and showed them how to hoe
and weed and plow when they wanted
| to. that he never raised his voice
against them and that when the sun
was too hot he made them stop work
and go back to the matron. They
said that they liked him. sssass
| Negro Has No Authority.
| Mrs. NJ NJ Light declared on the
stand that the negro had absolutely
no authority over the girls, that ne
received all his Instructions directly
from her and that II the girls were
at all unruiy in the field the order
was for him to come and tell her.
She said that he rarely made COM
plant Not an inimical witness ccuid
bring aught against the negro's char
aetar-and all-Who knew him -taati=
fed that he was beyond reproach
and that he did more than any white
man would be asked to do In fact.
some of the witnesses testified that
, he was more to be depended on In t4es
peculiar position he held than white
man would be, and In every instance
in which trouble from the out1de
has come into the home whtte mens
have been involved.
Finally A. G. Fetch. . Northern uaA
by birth, and q member OF the 81. 49,
r.. who was one OF those who tnetl~s
gated the investigation. admitted thu
1.-THE only complaint to be made againe9
1.-THE home was that q negro Wckk44a
ALONGSIDE the field girls In the 6oI(S
land that he, admittedly. : man MM9