The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1919-09-25
BRUTE STRENCI
NOT TOLERATED

strength will not be tolerated at the
North Dakota State Industrial school
said Supt. Joseph M. Devine this aft.
ernoon when announcing the discharge
Of George Lamb, a family manager
and instructor who was added to the
reform school force on September l..
Since Devine accepted the position as
superintendent of the state reform
school some four years ago, he has es-
! tablished system perhaps not dupli-
Gated in the United States. Honor
system and the conduct Of the school
as though all inmates were members
Of big family, have been the rule,
and Re has had wonderful success
through the application of humane
tartan principles. One OF the rules
Of the institution has been that each
boy may feel free at any time to enter
the Office Of the superintendent and lay
a just complaint.
On Sept. /, George Lamb was added
to the staff Of officers and became fam
lily manager Of the main dormitory
building. He, formerly had been EN-
ployed at an eastern reformatory, and
came to the state school at Mandan
with excellent recommendations as q
trainer of boys. However, whippings
which were rare exceptions, became
the rule with him. Complaints made
by boys to their parents visiting the
schools and complaints made to Supt.
Define by inmates caused an investi-
cation by thegation by the attorney
generals office and by Supt. Devine,
with the result that it was disclosed
that Lamb had exerted undue au-
thority, and that he had administer
ed brutal beatings without justifiable
cause, and that he had threatened still
further beating on at least one occa-
ion in case his victim advised Supt.
Devine of the affair.
Examinations of the boys conducted
by Assistant Attorney General E. B.
Cox in behalf of Attorney General
LANCER, and by Supt. Devine, dis
closed the fact that Lamb had adj
ministered beatings upon the least ex-
cuse.
One boy, Joe Geravino, sent up from
Valley City for burglary, was ten
days ago slashed about the back,
hands and neck with a willow switch
with such force that the skin was
broken. This boy on Thursday of this
week was beaten again with leather
cat O. nine tails for observing to an
other boy that Lamb and a couple OF
other officers were breaking Supt.
Devine's orders about leaving the din
ing room immediately fter eating. 1t
was Geravine's duty to wait .on the
officers table and clean up dishes.
Apother boy, Jerry Mcbride, was
beaten across the buttocks until they
were black and blue, for having had
some tobacco and fifty cent piece in
his possession.
swell, i had. that beating coming,
be cause it's against the rules to have
tobacco" he said at the hearing.
However, two days after this beat
ING he was again chastised with rub
Der hose, over the already black and
blue confused flesh for saying "Oh,
Bunk!" when a garrulous chap in a
cot next to his in the dormitory insist
ed on talking. Talking in whispers
after hours is prohibited.
3saI can hardly conceive of any man
having the heart to apply the strap
to that boys bottom, when he could see
the horrible black and blue marks
leu DyS Guc HIcN1OUo NOScsoAiAS, Ss>A>N'
Assistant Attorney General Cox.
Lamb is about 26 years OF age,
heavily built. That he has an unus-
ual strength was mutely testified to
by the welts raised on the bodies OF
the boys, seven Of whom were examin-
ed by the Investigators from Attorney
r-:--.: Genera, I:.rger's office as well as
Supt. Devine.
The report Of Assistant Attorney
General Edward B. Cox exonerates
Supt. Deyine from blame for condi-
tions, as Lamb had been connected
with the institution for such a short
space Of time and had so intimidated
the boys that the superintendent had
not had time to learn Of the actual
conditions until very recently.
When questioned this evening, At
torney General William LANCER de-
clared that he had not as yet deter
mined whether or not the facts
brought about up to this time would
justify criminal prosecution OF
George Lamb. "
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