The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-12-24
REPORT OF THE JACKSON
COUNTY GRAND JURY

jackson county grand jury on the
burning of the buildings of the re-
form school at Mariana, in which
eight boys and man lost their lives:
"It has been our duty to investigate
one of the most awful affairs which
has occurred in this part of Florida
within a great number of years; that
is, the burning of building No. 1 of
the Florida State Industrial School
for Boys, which building was oc-
cupied by the white boys confined
there and the employees having sup
ervision of the boys.
"From our investigation we do not
believe there is even ground for sus-
picion that this fire was of an incen-
diary origin, but it was the result of
gross carelessness, negligence and
Encouragement, which reaches from
the people of the state, through their
from the board of managers to the
superintendent and from the superin-
tendent to each employe of that insti-
tuition, whose duty REQUIRES him to
have charge, custody or control in any
wise of the boys confined at building
No. l.
"In this building the white juve~,,e
delinquents and violators of the law
are housed. They are deprived of
their freedom, presumably for the
purpose not of punishment, bat of
effecting their reformation. The con-
finement is no mistake. Children of
this class should be segregated from
Iaw-abiding and well-behaved child
rem and they should have a chance to
reform, but we find that the legisla-
ture has been scanty in its provision
for the welfare and maintenance Of
these children
eve find that they have not been
provided with adequate clothing to
make them comfortable. We find that
punishment which has been allowed to
be inflicted and which has been in
fiicted has gone to the extent of be-
ing inhumane.
ers has accepted such position under
the law requiring them to meet at the
school at stated periods. We believe
that this board of managers is COM
posed of good men but they have neg
lected their duty to these boys, some
of whom are now past the possibility
Of helr.
"The main criticism that we make
of the board of managers is that it
did not take the time and use the dill
igence necessary to know how and in
what manner the school was being
conducted.
"Wc also find that the employees
were men who were not settled in
ing boys of their own or anybody
else's and who know nothing about
the science of bringing up children in
the way they should go.
eve find that young men having
direct supervision of the boys were
immoral and not proper persons to
lead hayward boys toward reforma-
ton.
"We think that every man who was
employed at building No. 1 when the
same was burned should be suppressed
ed by men who have had sufficient
experience to know something about
the methods which should be used in
bringing up boys; men who have
reached the age where it is not nee
essary for them to wander over the
country at night when they should be
at their post of duty; men who are
no longer attracted by the red light
districts and such other places, as we
have found upon investigation the
employees now there are prone to be.
eve find that this fire started
somewhere about midnight, probabl!
from a stove which had been put VI
on the afternoon preceding the firt
and which the evidence shows t.
have been in a broken and dilapidat
ed condition and which was put VI
on three legs and two bricks over tn,
naked floor, and which had a fir
burning III II dI IIS IdoC CIiilC II oP
pears to have been seen by anyon
that night.
"Probably it caught from an OF
lamp carelessly left burning some
where near the eastern stairway
at is possible that it caught from
spontaneous combustion Of litter, oil
paint, disinfectant and trash, which i
shown to have been reposed in a lock