Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-20
GLEN MILLS OFFICIALS
MAY THROW PUBLICITY
LIGHT ON INSTITUTION
Death of Boy Couses Treas
urer of Institution to Say
That He Will Recon-
mend Abrogation of Pol
icy of Secrecy.

James a. Hayes, treasurer of the Glen
Mills School, announced today that at
the next meeting OF the Board of Direc-
tors of that institution. which will take
place May "a. he would make request
that thorough investigation be made
of the death of Thomas Joseph Long,
l6 years old, of 333 Poplar street, an
inmate Of the school. who died last Sun
day evening after fist fight with an
other inmate. Mr. Hayes will also in
sist that In the future no secrecy should
be preserved In the institution relating
to inmates confined there. Mr.. Hayes
said that newspapers should be given In
formation by the men In charge OF the
institution. The news of Longs death
was kept from the newspapers until Mon
day afternoon
Reports were current today that cer-
tain changes may take place in the Glen
Mills Schools One of the reports was
that +. II. Nlbecker, superintendent OF
the institution. will be replaced shortly
by a man who for years has had wide
experience in dealing with Juvenile de-
liquency. Mr. Nlbecker was not at the
Glen Mills School yesterday. He is in
Baltimore attending n convention. The
duties of experimenting the work of tho
institution during Mr.. Nlbecker's ab-
sence are being performed by X. W.
Jebb.
Mr.. Jebb insisted today that Long died
as a result of heart failure He was pre-
pared to 20 into details concerning the
boys DEATH but positively refused to re-
veal the name OF the other boy in the
case.
REFUSES TO GIVE NAME.
IL won't tell you the name of the boy
with whoin Long had a fight" said Mr.,
Jehb. "If you are anxious TO get his
name go and ask the authorities, The
dead boy for n long while had weak
heart. There is nothing strange about
his death | assure you that there Is
no mystery attached to his death. His
death occurred after he had reached his
dormitory. He had some words with an
other inmate, who later struck him
blow in the stomach. However. the blow
which was struck had nothing to do with
his death"
why don't you give the name of
the boy who struck the blow?'
Because | don't believe this is the
proper time to do So
when, in your opinion. will the proper
time be to make public the name of the
boy who struck Long?"
81 don't know. | won't give his name,
because | don't think it would be fair
to the boys parents"
Mr.. Jebb was asked concerning the
reports that discipline did not exist at
the Glen Mills School. Mr., Jebb denied
the report. He said that everything
among the inmates and officers was
harmonious
The usual secrecy for which the Glen
Mills. School is famous when it comes to
discussing certain cases in the news
papers was not visible today when a re-
porter of the EVENING LEDGER inter-
viewed Mr. Hayes. Mr.. Hayes said that
he believed in publicity. He also said
that at the next meeting he would urge
that newspapers in Philadelphia be given
information when they apply for it.
DIED AFTER BLOW.
According to Mr.. Hayes. Long died last
Sunday night. The report as sent In by
MIR. Jebb shows that the boy had a quar-
rel with William Kirchman 10 years old.
whose parents reside in Reading The
Kirchman boy according to the report
submitted by the acting superintendent
shows that he struck Long, who later
fell to the floor and died a few minutes
later.
tailed to the Glen Mills School. was sum
moned He said the boy had died almost
instantly. The autopsy was performed by
the Coroner's physician, Dr. H. f. Taylor,
of Ridley Park. Doctor Taylor today
made the following statement:
"The boys death was caused through
a weak heart. The boy at one time had
also been a user of cocaine. He was
struck a blow in the abdomen. The blow
struck was n sort of solar plexus blow,
the kind which Bob Fitzsimons, many
years ago, dealt to Jim Corbett when he
was champion of the world. I don't be-
lieve the blow had anything to do with
the boys death"
The Kirchman boy at the present time
Is under observation. District Attorney
John b. Hanum, Jr., of Delaware County,
who made an investigation of the case,
said today that he did not expect to place
the Kirchman boy under arrest. He said
that his investigation convinced him that
the boys death was natural one.