Evening star., 1932-01-20
RECESS IS TAKEN
IN RILEY INQUIRY
Woman Worker Leaves Stand
in Tears-Changes Urged
in Juvenile Law.

Adjourned yesterday after a woman
worker in the Board Of Public Welfare
ended her testimony in tears, the
special subcommittee cf the House Dis
trict Committee investigating the We'll
fare Boards handling of the Riley case
marked time today, awaiting the call
of its chairman, Representative Vincent
L. Palmisano of Maryland.
Although George S. Wilson, welfare
director, admitted under questioning
that the board "can make a mistake
several OF them over period of years."
his superintendent of child welfare,
Miss Patricia Morss, refused to concede
the board erred In failing to take the
case to court, despite the fact it had
evidence as far back as 1925 that Edith
Riley was mistreated. She left the wit
ness stand in tears.
Under questioning by Representative
Frank L. Bowman of West Virginia,
whose resolution authorized the inquiry,
Miss Morss steadfastly maintained "the
Board of Public Welfare had great in
terest in the matter and did not show
any indifference in its handling"
Sufficient Evidence Denied.
do you mean to state that the board
did not find anything wrong in the
Riley home, even though that little child
was incarcerated in a closet for four
years?" Bowman asked.
THE boards investigators could not
obtain sufficient evidence to take the
case In court" the witness replied.
"The board certainly had knowledge
of the condition of this poor little girl,
isn't that SOP"
"I don't think so. We have no evil
dence the child was incarcerated for
four years"
But the board, nevertheless, took no
action despite having received reports
the child was mistreated," Bowman re-
torted. "Do you mean to sit there and
defend the boards action?
isn't 1t true that for years the board
has been receiving report after report
on conditions that would not be tol-
Grated in any civilized community and
nothing was done about it?" Bowman
shouted the question angrily.
Welcomes Investigation.
Miss Morss replied that field workers
assigned to the case had been unable
to build up a case that would stand up
in the courts and enable the board to
obtain custody Of the three Riley chill
dren, Francis, Louise and Edith, whose
SGCplllUGliCl d4lo 4AtIASA @AN oSA 'A.c
year penitentiary terms for locking
Edith in closet.
Eyes," said Bowman, sit remained
for some one outside of the board to
disclose that the child had been in
carcerated for four years" Edith was
taken from her father and stepmother
as a result of a complaint made to
newspaper reporter.
Wilson, in his opening statement to
the subcommittee, declared the board
welcomes an investigation" adding,
however, that postponement OF from
so to 80 days would better suit the
board due to the fact 1.-The service Is
not adequate at the present time to
handle the burdens thrust upon US
and an investigation now will seriously
hamper our work"
Changes in Law Urged.
The subcommittee did not consider
his suggestion and the inquiry pro-
ceeded
wilson recommended a moderniza-
tfon of the Juvenile Court law for the
District of Columbia, declaring the
present law regards children taken into
Juvenile Court as criminals, whereas
the present-day tendency is to. regard
them as wards of the State" instead.
He SAID lllOIIldS w. walsh, eooAoeoAAe
corporation counsel, assigned to the
Juvenile Court, was in position to
outline specific changes believed neces-
sary in the law.
Bowman, who led in the questioning,
engaged Wilson in verbal tilt when
the latter quoted the law in answer to
questions by the West Virginia Repre-
sentative. :,
II know what the law Is" shouted
Bowman angri1y. IF you don't know
| what your board does in handling
cases, kindly say So"
Bowman had asked whether a child
without a home, but not incorrigible,
would be committed to a reformatory,
and Wilson had said an agent OF the
board would be assigned to investigate
| the case and to make recommendations.
Other witnesses Called.
Three other witnesses were called by
the committee-Sergt. Rhoda Milliken
| of the Womens Bureau, Miss Mary
Bayles of the Department of Inquiry,
Juvenile Court, and Miss Jeanette
Ezekials, chief probation officer OF the
court
Sergt. Milliken told of the Women's
| Bureaus connection with the case;
how q policewoman was sent to the
Riley home, lilo Rhode Island avenue,
Tin December, 1926. with two Welfare
Board case workers. The case then