The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-05-24
COMMITTEES REPORT
ON INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL
FOR BOYS AT Mariana
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ed from all the boys that did escape
that all the doors were locked
Some of the boys say that the keys
were hanging on the outside of the
door. The fire escape was also lock-
ed. Just where the fire started prob.
ably will never be known. 1T seems
that a lamp was burning on the
stairway, or close to the stair, prob
ably fastened to the wall as one
would go upstairs. Or it might
have exploded. The walls and all
of the woodwork inside of the dor.
mitory had been freshly painted.
also learned that the paints, oils, a
lot of old greasy rags, and some
dynamite was in little closet un-
der the staircase, which might have
being combustible material, caused
the fire. don't think from the best
Information | could gather that the
building was set on fire. 1t might
be that the cause was from smoking
cigarettes, but all the boys that
questioned say that they were alseep.
Eight little boys were burned like
rats behind iron bars at the win
dows. This was more of Jail than
a dormitory Most all of the boys
tell about the same story Anyway,
Mr. Speaker, it was an awful thing
! for those little boys on the outside
to look up at the windows behind
those iron bars and see them burn
up like rats. More probably would
have been saved, but they were
asleep and when they did awake the
heat and smoke was too much for
them. | think if the right kind of
men had been on the job at the time
the fire would not have happened.
1t seems that bank robber from
Pensacola was in charge at this
school when the fire occurred, and
that he was not at the dormitOry
until late that night. Mr.. Speaker,
is it not enough to melt the heart of
Russian Car or the heart of a Ger
man Kaiser if they could see how
things have been run at this Reform
school. l should say penitentiary,
for as best I could find out at that
time 1t was more of penitentiary
than Reform School. Under the
present management things are
quite different and cannot be i'm
proved much at this time under the
present circumstances. Sixty-odd
boys sleep upstairs in the house
where the superintendent lives.
They are badly cramped for room.
| would recommend that something
be done now as soon as possible for
these unfortunate boys. These white
boys work some in the garden. They
60 to school, some of them in the
morning, others in the afternoon.
If this institution is to be rebuilt
and remain at Mariana, ! think it
a good idea to buy canning plant
where they can can up tomatoes and
other vegetables. This would go a
long way in helping the institution
to be self-sustaining. / would also
recommend they buy several incu.
bators and learn the boys to raise
chickens. Plenty of corn is raised
on the farm at the school to make
this paying industry. Something
like novelty works or some ma
chinery for making chairs would b,
a paying proposition, as these boy
should be at work and learn some
thing, so when they are parolet
they could go out in the world ant
make an honorable living.
AS the Negro school, or Numbe
2, | found things in fairly goo,
shape. Everything is very sanitary
: I found that they have good shove
baths and swimming pool, goo
clean beds and linen. These neer
D boys look well. This school is YER
6 healthy, and about four have die
in this school in the last year, an
| there is something like two hundre
: Or more negro boys in this chool.
, would recommend that something @
an industrial nature be placed a
= this school. These boys work on tn
farm, but their services are not re
E Quired all the time on the farm.
4 find brick yard on the farm Thes
a boys work at the brick yard, an
6 plenty of brick can be made 70
, erecting all the buildings necessar
at this school. would also recon
mend that electric lights be put i
, at both schools and two guards a
. each school be on duty all night, an
p that all iron beds be removed fror
the windows of the dormitories an
, that the boys be not locked in, an
9 that the fire escapes all be unlocked
If this is done think it will be per
: fectly safe from fire at all times.
noticed that the horses and mule
are in good condition. | find tn
, cattle looking fairly well.
9 | would also recommend that if
6 good, responsible man be put i
|, charge of this institution and pal