The New York herald., 1921-10-16
CAPTAIN Is SACCUSED
OF NUMBERING BOY
Il. g. Twyman Charged With
Killing Dell Thames at
Training School.
CHOKED ON DRILL GROUND
Texas Authorities Investigate
Alleged Ill Treatment at
the Institution.

Special Despatch to THE NEW Yonx HmALD.
0ATEsvILL1, Tex. Oct l5.-Following
tho death of Dell Thames. i5-year-old
boy. at the Texas Training School for
Boys. for whose death Capt. H. g. ivy
man. IS. is being held without bond on
he charge Of murder. tho State Board OF
Control Is conducting q searching In
vestigation here to determine to what ex-
tent other boys In the institution have
been mistreated, az alleged by witnesses.
The Thames boy had been at the sccool
only two days. It IL charged. when the
ordeal began which resulted in his death,
and which consisted of repeated whip
pings with q three inch strap. denial Of
meals, standing at rigid attention for a
half hour. blows with the fist and lastly
choking He was choked on the drill
grounds in the presence Of Joe Thomas
and Ed Stokes. inmates. and J. j. Thomas
johnson. q guard. according to the tes-
examining trial. Thames. the boys said.
either could not or would not execute
the drills properly.
The Thames boy died on the ground az
Twyman, johnson and the two other
boys stood above him looking on. It 10
said. and afterward his body was carried
to the school hospital and turned over to
the nurse, Mrs. Rose A. Grady. who testi-
fed that although Twyman came to the
hospital few minutes later he did not
inform her what caused the boys death.
and that when she examined the body
she found bruises over tho face. finger
prints on both sides Of the neck and
black and blue marks on the back and
hips. Three physicians. an undertaken.
Sheriff Hollingsworth and County Attor-
ney Robinson. who saw the body. cor
roborated evidence given by the nurse.
Dell died two weeks ago on Sunday
morning about or 8 80. but Superinten-
dent King testified he did not learn
what caused the boys death until about
8 o'clock that afternoon, although he
had talked with Twyman and Johnson.
Twyman, said King. told him that he
did not know how Dell had died.
Superintendent Makes Charge.
about o'clock that morning" testi-
fled King, II met Twyman and asked
him what caused the death Of Dell
Thames. But he only said that two
other boys had brought Dell to him and
matter Dell dropped dead. No other ex-
PLANTATION was given me. I saw ethe
marks on the neck. however, and ques-
toned the Thomas and Stokes boys.
after which I personally made q charge
Of murder against Twyman. and he was
arrested"
Later Sheriff Hollingsworth signed the
charge Of murder.
T. M. Thames of Beaumont. father Of
Dell Thames. said that when he came
to Gatesville he was Informed that
Twyman had been arrested, but that
King gave him to understand. more or
less, that the death could not be helped
and that It was more accidental than
otherwise He did not see the body
until he returned to Beaumont. where
physicianss examined II and informed
him that his son was beaten and choked
to death. It was then that Thames
went to Austin. conferred with Cover
nor Neff and the latter ordered an in
quiry into the whole system at Gates
Vile. He appointed Judge H. e. Bell
Of Gatesville to head the inquiry and
Bell is cooperating with the State Board.
The are $50 boys at the institution.
which has been held UP as a model
school Boys there average to Is
years old, but a few are older than that.
The institution is crowded and the little
fellows In several instances must sleep
two In a bed. The boys arise at s 80
and retire at 8 o'clock. and the day IL
filled with work. study and drills. The
buildings are kept Immediately clean
and the grounds are well kept King
10 held in high regard by the people OF
Gatesville. If he has been at fault. 1t
10 said. It was because he trusted too
much to subordinates.
Not . Penal Institute.
The boys are not sent to the school
Tor punishment but for training that
they may become good citizens. and not
all Of them are sent there as bad boys.
Many of them have been sent there
because they were alone an the world
Adolph Fischer. q veteran Of the world
war and who was with the Ninetieth
Division. has succeeded Twyman. He
has lived in Gatesville for twenty-five
years.
Thames Is in the creamery business at
Beaumont and has seven other children.
He Is member Of the Rotary Club and
Business Mems League. He denied that
his son was ever arrested or even
charged with crime, and declares that
he sent Dell to Gatesville voluntarily be-
cause the school had been recommended
to him, and admits that Dell was unruly
at times but afraid Of nothing. seldom
fought and had helped the police at
Beaumont in catching a negro murderer
I recently. Officials at the school de-
clared the boy was the hardest to man.
age they ever received. However, he
was there only four days until he was
killed.
The first day he merely arrived, the
second he was classified and the third
day, Friday. he was sent out into the
field to drill when the alleged mistreat-
ment began.
Capt. Twyman had been commandant
at the school for eighteen months and
holds q commission In the United States
Reserve Corps. His parents. brothers
and sisters reside at Waverly. Ohio. and
for a time he was commandant at the
Boys Industrial School at Lancaster,
Ohio. He was In the army four and
half years and spent one year in the
service In the Philippines. His army
experience was as enlisted man chiefly,
but he said that during the war ne was
commissioned as o first lieutenant He
y tall and OF athletic build and has
made no statement whatever concerning
the charges against him.
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