Omaha daily bee., 1919-03-22
WHIPPING
IN PUBLIC
FOR GIRLS
AT GENEVA
Superintendent McAuIey Re-
Iates to Committee How
Inmates and Employees
Witnessed Punishment.
From a Staff Correspondent.

Lincoln, March 2l.-Convicts, at
the penitentiary are treated better
than the inmates of the Girls Indus
trial school at Geneva, was the sub
stance of the testimony brought out
in the board of control hearing by
the legislative investigating COM
mittee today.
Girls were punished for infrac-
tons of the rules by being slapped
by Superintendent Paul S. McAuley
and employees of the institution.
They were also punished by conhne-
ment in~closets, also in a lookup"
specially built fer the, purpose, ana
by being put on a bread and water
diet for several days. At one time
all of class B, consisting 'of Is or
more girls, were punished by being
given one meal of bread and water a
day for 10 days because the men,
bers did not inform On some inmate
who had put soap in the food.
McAuley on Stand.
Superintendent McAuley describ-
ed the strappings he gave the girls,
some of them nearly l8 years old,
with two-inch strap made of heavy
harness leather. He compelled the
girl who was up for punishment to
take off her ordinary garmens and
don anight gown made of unbleach-
ed muslin, some of the robes being
so thin that the form of the girl
would show through, and compel
the victim to bend across straight
back chair while he administered a
strapping until she called out for
mercy.
Two public whippings occurred
in the auditorium of the institution.
The first of these occurred in June,
when two girls, Dollie Chase and
Opal Redinger, were punished in the
presence of employees and inmates
of the school. The employees were
advised that the affair was to come
off and were made to feel that their
presence would not be unWelcome.
The victims had run, away from the
school, and as deterrent and exam
pie to the other inmates, all of the
older girls of the school were
brought down from their dormitory
to witness the spectacle.
Victims Disrobe.
A screen had ben placed on the
stage of the auditorium and the two
victims were compelled to go be-
hind this and disrobe. They then
donned thin nightgowns and were
spanked with the strap until they
cried out. Superintendent McAuley
testified that Mrs. Clark had justi-
fed this method of punishment.
The second affair took place in
September, and there were three
victims. Catherine Eschelman and
Opal Redinger were two of the girls.
The affair took place on the night of
Labor day, whicl. was made a Ro-
man holiday for five or sig guests
of the superintendent, who had
come from Omaha. They were CIV
en- royal time, being permitted to
indulge in girl hunt with automo-
biles as vehicles of the chase, and
when the runaways had been cap
tured of seeing them duly punished
that evening.
On this occasion only the employ
es a-d the invited guests were per-
mitted to be present. There may
have been one or more men present,
the superintendent admitted. The
three girls were compelled to go be-
hind the screen on the stage and
don their thin cotton nighties, bend
over the back of chair an submit
10 a beating by the superintendent.
All of the Omaha guests. with the
exception of daughter of Mrs.
Continued on Page Five, Column Six.)