Evening star., 1939-05-23
Lax Morality
Charge Aired at
Smith Hearing
Girls Made Overnight
Trips From School,
Witness Declares

VIC NdIloildl 1IdlIllIlB school 1Or
Girls, failed to take steps to sup
press immortality and disobedience
among girl inmates at the institu-
ton were outlined today before the
Commissioners in public hearing
on the custer of the official a year
and half ago.
Bluntly calling "a spade a spade"
officials of the institution testified
that DR.. Smith had failed to give
them support in attempts to COM
pei the girls to submit to treat
ment for venereal diseases, that she
had permitted girls, when infected
with disease, to make overnight
visits away from the institution and
had compelled colored staff en-
ployes to eat the same food and to
use the same dishes as those pro-
vided for the inmates.
The hearing was granted, rather
unwillingly, by the Commissioners
at the written request of DR.. Smith
after she had appealed to the House
District Committee and obtained
from that body statement that it
was their belief that the Commits
sioners should either prefer specific
charges against Dr. Smith or grant
her a hearing within 80 days. 1t
had been reported that the House
Committee took up the case after
receiving a communication from
Mrs. Roosevelt.
Medical Officer Is Witness.
Oliver Gasch. an assistant corpora
ton counsel. who was assigned to
conduct the prosecution side of the
case, called as his first witnesses DR.
Marjorie Shaw Stuart, medical
officer who served at the institution
during DR.. Smiths regime, and Mrs.
Eta c. Walker, who was assigned
in a teaching capacity at the in
stitution.
DR.. Stuart said she got no back
ing" from DR.. Smith as to efforts t.
discipline the girls when they re-
fused to obey orders. and she added:
II reported, and reported, and re-
ported"
She said it was her principal duty
to give venereal disease treatments
to the girls. but that she could get
them to take the treatments only
when they felt like it." She added
that about 30 per cent of the girls
suffered from gonorrhea and that
about 25 per cent or more had
syphilis.
She said that when she protested
to Dr. Smith about immoral prac-
tices among the girls. DR. Smith had
said to her that the girls were not
leading normal lives and that i'm
morality was to be expected.
Says Conditions Now Better.
She then said that since DR.. Smith
had been supplanted at the institu.
ton there were many fewer cases of
immortality and that now girls are
more willing to take their treat
ments.
DR.. Stuart told the Commissioners
that during her service at the in
stitution II babies had been born
to the inmates and that all of these
had become pregnant either while
on escape" or on visits they had
been permitted to make away from
the institution.
Dr. Smith, who acted as her own
counsel, denied a charge by DR..
Stuart that she had "bribed" any
girl inmate to take her medical
treatments with promise of a
night away from the institution and
sought to blame unauthorized trips
away from the institution on the
"carelessness' in the handling of the
keys to the institution.
DR.. Smith clashed. with Mr.. Gasch
over his alleged use of "heresay"
evidence, and he protested that in
stead of ss-examining his wit
nesses she was indulging in "arg!
mentation."
At one point DR.. Smith asked DR..
Stuart if the girls had ever seen gin
in DR.. Smiths possession, and to
this DR.. Stuart replied, Absolutely
not"
Late Hours Held General.
Mrs. Walker said it was nothing
uncommon" for girls to play cards
until II or IL o'clock at night and
then to insist they were too tired
to get up in time .or breakfasC
Later, she said, DR.. Smith told the
staff they should serve hot chocolate
to the inmates in their bedrooms
in the morning. She also testified
the girls made practice of raiding
the refrigerator after hours for
meals, that food was extravagantly
wasted, that the girls cut up their
sheets and clothing and that DR.
Smith had sent a note to the staff
that the girls no longer were to be
requested to say their prayers at
night because that made the place
too much like an institution
At the request of DR.. Smith, the
Commissioners have asked a number
of persons to appear as DR.. Smiths
witnesses. Among these are Miss
Katharine Lenroot. chief of the
United States Childrens Bureau;
Mrs. William Kittle, clubwoman and
chairman of the District Minimum
Wage Board, and Capt. Rhoda Milli-
ken, chief of the Woman's Bureau
of the Police Department.
The next witness gave her name
as Mrs. Marie Gilbert, who said she
had been a nurse at the training
school from 1884 to the spring OF
1887. Mrs. Gilbert testified that
there was quite a bit of immortality"
at the school during the period OF
DR.. Smiths superintendency. Asked
by Mr.. Gasch if she had witnessed
any specific instance of immortality,
however, she said no. Also ques-
toned by Mr.. Gasch relative to
fights among the inmates, Mrs. Gill
bert told the Commissioners she
had treated girls for razor blade cuts
and in some instances had found
other girls initials carved on some
of the girls.
Testimony Called vague"