Evening star., 1947-07-18
Reporters View
Bad Conditions
Al CheIten1anl
Inspection Tour
Confirms Findings
Of Schools Board
By a s.aff cor..pond.nt Of III. stor

vi SCnOOl 5 DO0T0
BY Sfoff Correspondent Of The Stor
CHELTENHAM, Md, July 49,
Reports of bad conditions at the
Cheltenham School for Boys were
confirmed by a press tour of the
institution yesterday, although in
dications were that improvements
have been made since a surprise
inspection by the Board of Man
ayers last Saturday night.
The board announced it found
"inexcusably filthy conditions ut
the institution for the States de-
linquent colored youths; that it had
found evidence to support charges
of unauthorized whippings and
other indications of mismanage-
ment there.
Tight Restrictions Imposed.
Yesterdays visit by the press was
made under tight restrictions,
although officials stated there was
no attempt to cover up their earlier
findings.
Thomas B. Sprague, president OF
the board, told reporters to obtain
all information from Wallace Reidt,
newly appointed executive secretary
of the board. The. writer's were not
to quote anything they heard from
the staff or have any conversation
with the youths because this is a
State institution"
The dozen newspaper men and
women visited four of the six dormi-
tories which are from 40 to 81 years
old. Basement floors were still wet
and gave the appearance of recent
washing down.
The visitors we're shown no "ex-
cusably filthy" conditions in any OF
the rooms.
Fallen Plaster Found.
Among faults seen was loose and
fallen plaster from some walls and
ceilings; the spacing of iron cots
as close as Is inches instead of the
prescribed 80; poor electric lighting
facilities until the $50 pm. black
out and some of the toilets out OF
order.
A serious fault, however, was the
failure of the fountain-type wash
basins to function. Only one in the
four buildings visited was found to
be in working order. Showers were
being used elsewhere for face and
hand washing.
One dormitory, designated the
security cottage" for youths con-
fined for infraction of the rules, was
said to be the scene of the reported
corporal punishment.
In the first floor Office of the cot
tage master, Mr.. Reidt pointed to a
desk where he said a leather whip
had been found. Eleven inmates
told investigators last Saturday
they had been f1ogged. There is an
order that none is to be whipped
without the knowledge and in the
presence of the acting superin-
tendent, H. r. Harris.
With members of the board pres
ent, Mr.. Harris later told reporters
that to his knowledge there had
been no wnippings at the institution
since the order was issued in June,
1946. The cottage master is under
suspension pending action by the
board, Mr.. Sprague said.
Dungeon" Inspected.
In the basement of the same
building is a darkroom known as
"the dungeon" where, it was said,
last weeks official inspection dis
closed a BOBBY trap consisting OF a
door balanced on a support so as to
fall on any one cropping his way
into the darkness.
In q boiler room next to the
dungeon investigators said they
found evidence of kangaroo
court" in which confined prisoners
passed judgment and inflicted pun
ishment on other inmates.
Both the dungeon and the court
room had been cleaned up before
the visit, however.
The infirmary is modern and ap-
peared to be adequate except for
provision for emergency treatment.
A resident physician and nurse are
available "a hours a day and a
dentist from Annapolis visits the
dental clinic each Monday. A sta
ton wagon is the only means Of
transporting emergency cases to
Freedman's Hospital in Washington
or Provident Hospital, Baltimore.
The 2O7 inmates of the 1,100-acre
reservation are taught farming,
baking, shoe making and woodwork
ing in addition to academic subjects.
The school now operates on a
budget of about $500, 900 a year dur
ing this and next year under an
appropriation of the General
Assembly