The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-07
Superintendent BeIoit School
VIII Be ExOnerated.
At Least on Most Serious
Points, Says Governor.
GIRLS HEADS WERE SHAVED
And Straightjacket Was Used,
Too, Committee Believes.
But This Wasn't Sufficiently
Wrong for Her Removal.

Informal statements from members
of the committee appointed by Gov
ernor Capper to investigate the state
Industrial school for girls at Beloit
indicate that the committee will not
ask for the removal or Miss frankie
Wilson, superintendent. While some
of the charges against Miss Wilson
were esta blished in the investigation of
the committee, an generation is to be
made as to the more serious COM
plants.
Governor Capper stated today that
he had talked with all of the mem
bers of the committee. While no
written report has been filed, the gov
ernor asserted that Miss Wilson would
be exonerated by the committee on
the more serious points in the COM
plant. Certain serious charges, the
committee members told the GOVERNOR
were not SubStantiated.
Investigation of the state industrial
school for girls was begun a month
ago when charges against Miss Will
son were filed by DR.. Eva Harding of
Topeka and residents of Beloit Dur
ing the investigation, the committee
visited the school and took the testi-
mony of a number of employees and
persons interested in the school. The
exact nature of this testimony may not
be made public until the formal re-
port is filed.
Straight-Jacl1et Used
Unofficial reports Of the investiga-
ton are to the effect that committee
substantiated the charges concerning
the use of the straight-jacket. The
committee also found that heads or
inmates had been shaved during Miss
Wilson's administration. Some of
these policies it is asserted, were COM
mon during former administrations
All of them were condemned by mem
bers of the committee, but not re-
garded as sufficient to urge the su-
perintendent's removal.
A number of conditions at the Be
lott school, during Miss Wilson's ad-
ministration, have been subject to
criticism, Governor Capper said, al
though the situation is but little diff
ferent from the showing of other in
stitutions The report in the main, it
was asserted, would be an exoneration
of Miss Wilson's work.
'"rhe committee appointed to in
vestigate the Girls Industrial school at
Beloit has not filed a written report"
said Governor Capper, but I have
talked with the three members of the
committee since their visit to the Be.
lott institution In an informal way
they report to me that the serious
charges against the superintendent,
Miss Wilson, were not substantiated.
The committee examined a number of
employees OF the INSTITUTION ana also
called in a number of citizens of Be
lott.
Much Like Others.
There are things at any institution
that are subject to criticism. The Be-
lott school is no different from all
others in this respect. The finding of
the committee, though, results in an
generation SO far as the most serious
charges against Miss Wilson are con-
cerned."
Miss Wilson was appointed superin-
tendent of the girls industrial school
in 1913, following the resignation of
Mrs. Perry. The appointment was
made by the board of control, when
the school was under the jurisdiction
of that body. The school is now under
the supervision of the state board of
corrections. Miss Wilson is a Demo-
crat.
Members of the committee which
investigated conditions at the school
were: Miss Lillian Scott, Baldwin !.
Mrs. C. B. Hoffman, Enterprise; and
Mrs. Lillian Mitchner Topeka. The
formal written report of the committee
will be DreparRd later if WAS stated