Evening star., 1939-06-02
C|ubwonlan
Defends
Dr.. Smith
Tells of Interest
Of Mrs. Roosevelt
And 'DuuntIess Three

Nll0 S0uItISSS ] utSS
Hearings on reasons for the sum-
mary dismissal of DR.. Carrie Wea-
yer Smith as head of the National
Training School for Girls, in Octo-
ber, 1887. were adjourned late yes
terday by the District Commission
ers until next Monday morning, but
not until after the names of Mrs.
Roosevelt, Judge Ben Lindsay and
the "Dauntless Three" were involved
In the record of the case
The "Dauntless Three" the Com
missioners were told, were three
Washington clubwomen having a
difinite interest in social problems,
who took steps to advance the meth
ods of care of girls committed to the
institution.
The "Dauntless Three" were de-
scribed as being Mrs. Richard w.
Hogue, former president of the
Washington branch of the American
Association of University Women;
Mrs. William Kittle, leader in the
Voteless League of Women Voters,
now chairman of the District Mini
mum Wage Board and Mrs. Louis
Gutenberg a past president of the
Voteless League of Women Voters.
Tells of Probation Work.
Mrs. Hogue gave the description
Of the work of the "Dauntless
Three" She said, under Dr. Smith S
questions to prove her qualifications
as an expert witness, she had served
as chief probation officer in Judge
Lindsay's Court. Judge Lindsay, she
said, has fame known the world
over" and that he never allowed
himself. or any of his staff, whenever
he could prevent it, to approach a
juvenile delinquency problem with
out considering first the question of
"faith" on the child
Mrs. Hogue, whose husband, Rich
ard w. Hogue. was sitting at the
other end of the counsel table, as
personal adviser to Dr. Smith. stout
lv defended the policies and prac-
tices of Dr. Smith. She said she had
known the training school as dark
blot on the Districts landscape"
before DR.. Smiths regime.
Mrs. Roosevelt's interest in the
welfare of the institution she said
she thought was spontaneous" but
added that the "Dauntless Three"
had gone to Senator King, chairman
of the Senate District Committee,
and to the late Senator Copeland,
Democrat, of New York, for help.
She said the result was an addi-
tional appropriation of 100000
When they heard rumors this fund
was to be used for a large institu-
tion type of building, she said the
"Dauntless Three" took it upon
themselves to see that the money
was spent "in the most modern
way" and that the final result was
that two cottages were built in
stead of one large building.
Clashes With Gasch.
Mrs Hogue clashed repeatedly
with Assistant Corporation Counsel
Oliver Gasch He maintained long
verbal battle when DR.. Smith, on
direct examination, prepared to
challenge testimony given last week
by DR.. Majorie Stuart. medical Of
ficer of the training school, that DR..
Smith had failed" to cooperate
with her.
The Commissioners finally per-
mitted Mrs. Hogue to answer DR..
Smiths questions, to the point that
lon riY ~
''rumors" that DR.. Smith had failed
to give full cooperation on medical
measures, had called DR.. Stuart into
a private conference and that DR..
Stuart had agreed that DR.. Smith
was giving "co-operation."
DR.. Stuart is to be recalled to the
stand in view of Mrs. Hogue's state
had told the Commissioners Dr.
Smith had failed to cooperate with
her medical program.
Conduct Records Produced.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Smith had
demanded and obtained the con
duct" records of inmates as pre-
pared by members of the staff dur
ing her administration. During Mrs.
Hogue's testimony, she asserted that
these records were at variance with
testimony given by members of the
Training School staff, called by Mr..
Gasch. He replied
"Dr. Smith, I will assume that
these staff members wouldn't lie
simply because they are on the pay
roll any more than I would assume
that you would lie simply because
you are off the pay roll"
DR.. Smith suddenly demanded
production of the conduct records
while she had on the stand Edward
j. Newcombe. member of the Board
of Public Welfare from 1925 to 1928.
He described the girl inmates as a
Every unstable group
DR.. Smith also led him to say
that he had not been reappointed be-
cause. he said, one of the District
Commissioners, later identified as
Sidney F. Taliaferro, gave indica-
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