Evening star., 1946-03-23
Gill 5 Lawyer Charges
Huff Dumped Young
'DeIinquents in Jail

u
Ray L. Huff, welfare director
dumped incorrigibles from the
Receiving Home into the District
Jail and thereby created condition,
for which Howard B. Gill, suspended
penal superintendent is blamed
John ]. Wilson. attorney for Mr.
Gill, charged today.
His statement was stricken from
the record by an inquiry board hear.
ing charges filed against Mr.. Gill by
the Board Of Public Welfare. The
board ruled that the juvenile popu-
lation at the Jail was significant but
said 1t was not interested in who
sent juveniles there.
II think this goes to the heart OF
the bona fideness of the charges,
Mr.. Wilson insisted. IT have q
right to prove that the Welfare
Board or its representatives brought
about the result Of which they are
now complaining"
Fighting for reinstatement, Mr..
Gill declared that "the Jail guards
knew nothing about handling
juveniles. I didn't expect them to-
Juveniles Serious Problem.
The juveniles became a serious
disciplinary problem after the num-
ber held at the Jail increased from
four to Is and after a jail guard
hit juvenile with a bunch of keys,
inflicting wound that required five
stitches, Mr.. Gill said.
The witness said he was so con-
cerned" that he asked the Board of
Public Welfare's Institutions Com
mittee for an explanation. The COM
mittee, referred him to the Juvenile
Court.
Before Mr.. Gill's service at the
jail, juveniles were housed in cell
blocks and mingled with the worst
type of felons," he testified. That
information, he reported, came from
Claude o. Botkin, resident super
intendent of the District Jail.
Ruling on an objection by As
sistant Corporation Counsel Chester
H. Gray, the inquiry board admitted
the statement as explanation for
Mr.. Gill's own policies but not as
proof that such conditions actually
existed.
Calls Action Illegal.
Housing of juveniles in cell blocks
is absolutely illegal and contrary
to Juvenile Court procedure" the
witness declared. To conform with
statute requiring that juveniles
be housed in room or ward"
separate from adults, Mr.. Gill placed
them in a dormitory, he explained
After he was suspended by the We'll
fare Board on December 6, the juve-
niles were again placed in cell blocks,
but in section separate from adults,
earlier witnesses have testified.
The reason for a secret session
held by the inquiry board yesterday
at the request of Mr.. Gray came out
in ruling that, hereafter, testimony
on how prisoners can escape from
the jail will be taken in private
in the interest of public safety"
Cites Guards Attitude.
Modern theories of discipline ap-
peared completely novel to Jail
guards when Mr.. Gill discussed them
at a conference in August, he said
The men, however, appeared to ac-
cept his theory that there is some
thing mentally wrong with a pris-
oner who presumes to fight the
authorities of prison, he added
The guards have testified before
the inquiry board that they dis
agree with Mr.. Gill's disciplinary
methods.
To explain the attitude of certain
Mr.. Gill quoted Q statement
by John liner, custodian officer, on
how he maintained discipline.
He said he had a l5-year -old
daughter he had told to be home at
pm. The second time she was
late I took this whip from my belt
and I lashed her" Mr.. Gill quoted
Mr.. liner as saying. Mr.. Gill added:
Il thought his statement was very
revealing"
The hearing was adjourned until
$50 am. Friday. Walter M. Bas-
tian, chairman of the inquiry board,
explained that he must be in Chicago
during the first four days of the
week.