Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, March 4, 1911, Page 1

THE BEMIDJI1 e — " &H!STORICAL : SOCIETY. VOLUME 9. NO. 311. RENEW RED WING INVESTIGATION i Testimony of Alleged Torture and Abuses of Boy Inmates of Train- | ing School Astounding. i i BELTRAMI COUNTY BOY TALKED | Bill Providing that all Non-Residents | of State Pay Fish License Passes House. { | | | i (BY P. A. Wilson) Bemidji Pioneer Legislative Burean St. Paul, March 4.—Renewed and, ! | if anything, more astounding testi-, 1his case before the lexist at the school and to lead the| { committee into the belief that a cor- thing something like a ladle or pad- dle.” He also owned up to having stole some butter for which he was again whipped but assured the com- mittee that he suffered no serious ef- fects. Because he appeared to give Superintendent Whittier a shock when he said that Officer Olson “hit me over the head for having tobacco.” | He added that his request to placei superintendent | had been denied. | Superintendent Whittier's idea of bringing the boys to testify appar- | ently was to convince the committee | that no effort was being made to| cover conditions as they actually poral punishment is administered in | only the most aggravated cases. Mr. ‘Whittier took pains to ask the boys| if they had been aproached with | threats or in any way regarding their testimony and each boy declared he{‘ HEAVY SNOWFALL mony of alleged torture and abuses! felt free to talk and the damaging| of boy inmates at the Red Wing|things they said of the institution | Training School develgped at the!DProved the truth of their assertion. | second hearing of the senate inves- Senator Sullivan’s line of question- | tigating committee, Thursday night,|ing seemed to hinge largely on the BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA, SATURDAY EVENING, EARCH_ 4, 1911. DURING FEBRUARY Over Seventeen Inches Fell—Precipi- tation Greatest Since Eighteen Hundred and Ninety-seven. THE DULUTH BUREAU RECORDS More Than Ten Inches of Snow On | the Ground At Close of the [ Month. | N There was a snowfall last month of 17.5 inches and the total precipi-! tation was 1.89 inches, the greatest ! precipation for February since 1907, { and well above the normal precipi- tation for the month, which is .99 inch, as determined by the records of | Chairman Rockne presiding. The | chamber and rear gallery were filled with Interested and at times indig- nant spectators. | Former Senator A. D. Stephens of | Crookston, whose charges of brought about the present inguisition | was present. He had expected to re- turn to Crookston on the night train and had a taxicab waiting at the; capitol door but the testimony be-| abuse | came so sensational that he forgot the taxi cab and the train and did not re-! turn home until last night. He will| come back to St. Paul to be present at the third hearing Monday e\'ening.‘ Two witnesses testified that an of- ficer at the training nad| knocked a tooth out of a boy’s mouth and this lad was identified as a boy | by the name of Shore committed from Bemidji or Beltrami county. Onej boy, a former inmate, swore that his school hands had been chained above his head to a steam pipe and that he had! been left in this position for twenty- back bared and a hundred blows adminis- tered after which, he said, he was dragged into a bedless room where he ‘slept on the floor with only two During this period of torture he was fed on bread | four hours, taken down, his blankets for covering. and water. This boy's name is| Loren Van Busker, committed from | Minneapolis. Mrs. George P. Mills, a middle aged | neatly attired mother of a boy sent to the school, testified that she saw Assistant Superintendent Scott strike a small boy in the face “because the lad didn’t drill to suit him,” and that when another boy did not get into line he was struck with a clinched fist. Mrs. Lynch, the mother of an- other inmate, told of hearing boys who were being whipped, groan and scream and that her own son was| struck until scars were left on his| eve, forechead and ear. Her boy, Raymond Lynch, is at present an in- mate of the school and he had been brought from Red Wing to testify at the hearing by Superintendent Whit- tier, without the mother’s knowledge. | Raymond followed his mother on| the stand and was the first witness, so far as inmates are concerned, to; bring direct information from school to the investigators and al- i thouge he is a sullen youth and de-| spite the presence of Superintendent | Pension of the rules. | proposition as to whether whipping{‘tbe weather bureau for forty one is a general practice or merely a) necessary check to exceedingly vici-| ous inmates. While some of the boys admitted that they guessed the punishments were deserved, there seemed to be an abundance of testi- mony to the effect that whippings are not the exception and that a var- iety of offenses call for corporal pun-| ishment, especially if the officers| “happen to be feeling that way.” } Mrs. Halliday, for four years a teacher at the school, was probably the most convincing witness yet be-} fore the committee. She gave the| general conduct of the institutiom! so far as the men employes are con-| cerned, a severe grilling and was es-| pecially frank regarding her opinlon‘ of Superintendent Whittier. | Mrs. Haliday told of in her charge being beaten pupils| until | their hands and face were as red as| they could be. She was vehement in ! her disgust over whippings for the use of tobacco, because, she said “I| know of scarcely an officer who does not smoke and chew himself, and I| have smelt intoxicating liquors on; their breaths. Onme officer staggered | before the girls in an intoxicated| condition, using the vilest of lan-| guage.” | * ¥k x 1t looks as if the recent lively con-| test for the position of boiler in- spector in the Bemidji district was more or less a waste of time, as the position of boiler inspector may be done away with. Representative Burnquist has a bill in providing for a reorganization of the state boiler inspection. It provides, instead of! 50 or more inspectors, who now give part of their time to the work on a fee basis, one chief inspector and nine| deputies, one for each congressional | district, to work on a salary basis| and to devote all their time to the work. called attention to the fact that this bill would put out of office the re-| cently appointed inspectors but he| was told that the employes would | have to stand for it. X and to the point speech, succeeded in having H. F. 445 passed under sus- This measure Whittier, head of tne Red Wing insti-| 2Pblies only to the City of Thief tution, he talked freely to the com- | River Falls, legalizing her $25,000 mittee. “1 got beat once every two months on my hands when I first went there the bill, compelling non-residents to| They | Obtain a license at the cost of a dol- | for taking or using tobacco. licked me with a strap two feet long and gave me from 15 to 30 blows. When I first tried to run away they O'Neill. “Bemidji as a summer re- licked me with a little thin strap, about 50 blows. tried to get away, they put me over a chair and whipped me with a big- ger strap.” . “Is that still the system?” inquired Senator Sullivan. “Well, they beat a boy about three weeks ago until he was black and blue,” said the lad from Red Wing. Fred Holzer, 16 years old, another boy brought from the school to tes- tify told of being whipped on the hands and later, when he tried to run away, of being stripped and beaten with what he described as “a leather After that when I | auditorium and armory bond issues. Incidently, Mr. O'Neill voted against lar before fishing in this state. *I {had Bemidji in mind,” sort probably does not want to tax her visitors from Dakota and other places when they come to fish.” The bill was passed by the house. 1 * K ¥ For the first time during the pres- ent session, the house is holding a Saturday meeting. This program, however, was too strenuous for the senate which adjourned not to meet again until Monday morning. Mz. Blood of Fergus Falle, who is connected with the Blood-Broom manufacturing Co., spent yesterday in Bemidji. |any twenty-four hours was .81 inch, Representative C. W. Bouck| years. The greatest precipitation in! on Feb. 13 and 14, and the snow on the ground at the énd of the month Nearly all the snow during the month fell on measured 10.4 inches. Feb. 1 and 14, 7.2 inches falling on | Feb. 1 and-7.4 inches on Feb. 14. No temperature records were brok-| en last month, the mean temperature | being 17 deg., while the normal for the month for forty one years is 13.6 deg. Last year the mean temperature was 8 deg. The highest temperature was 43 deg., Feb. 23, and the lowest 13 deg. below zero, Feb. 4. The mer- cury has reached 58 deg. for the max- imum and 36 deg. below zero for a minimum in the history of the Duluth weather bureau. The greatest daily range last month was 35 deg., Feb.| 28, and the least daily ramge was 3 deg., Feb. 15. The prevailing direction of the wind last month was northeast and| the total movement was 10,577 miles, | an average hourly velocity of 15.7 The maximum velocity was fifty-six miles an hour, Feb. 22. miles. There were only seven clear days, twelve partly cloudy and nine cloudy. On six days .01 inch or more of pre- occurred cipitation fell. Auroras Feb. 21 and 22. A TOUR THROUGH NORWAY Is Title of Lecture to Be Given Here Tuesday By Jansen-Fuhr. J. Jansen-Fuhr of Christiana, Nor- way, will give an illustrated lecture | been having electric lights in its re; |JOHN | Former Bemidji Man Dies In Bassano, JOHN BULL'S TREASURE SHIP. —Bradley in Chicage News. M. D. STONER IN BEMIDJI Has Completed Cuyuna Range Elec- tric Light System. | . —=— SO M. D. Stoner, tlie Bemidji engineer, is here today, from Deerwood where he has just completed the electric| light system on the Cuyuna range. The Brainerd Dispatch has the fol- lowing to say concerning Mr. Stoner: “The entire Cuyuna range cities of Deerwood, Cuyuna and Crosby are now illuminated by the Cuyuna Range Light and Power Co. Last night the street lights were turned | on in Deerwood. The village has| dences the past week and when the first were turned last Wednesday the:j Deerwood concert band serenaded M. | D. Stoner, the popular promoter and‘ manager of the plant. On Monday night the current illuminated Cros-| HENNESSY DEAD Canada. | {in Norwegian Lutheran In the house, yesterday afternoon,| E& the | D- P. O'Neill, after a short but sharp| § said Mr. | | met and married Miss Pauline Kune- mann who with three daughters and | two sons survive him. On the 27th (of January 1910 he wigh his family | emigrated to Alberta locating on land north of Bassano. Previous to com- ing to Alberta he lived in Minnesota There will be life moving pictures|©F 11 Years coming here from Be- | midji, same state. Besides the by Mr. Jansen-Fubr in his native lan- ‘ family he lenyes une brother and;two guage. The pictures will be sceneslsisters who reside in Illinois and an- | from the most noted parts of Norway, | °tBeT brother living near Bassano. Mr. Hennessey was well known in Bemidji and Beltrami county was at one time a constable here. J. JA.\'SENvFL’HI{ Who Will | Lecture Here Tuesday. |on “A Tour Through Norway™ in the {eity hall Mareh 7 at 8 Tuesday, | oclock. shown and these will be explained |which as a whole, is noted for its | beautiful scenery all over the world. The lecture will be a treat to those! interested in “Gamlelandet,” and the“ nominal admission fee, adults 35 ¢, and | Swedish Lutheran. Sunday school at 9:30. Merning services at 10:30. Evening services at 7:45, Methodist. Services in the Masonic Temple. Preaching at 10:45. Rev. A. H. McKee of Fergus Falls, district superintendent, wiil preach. Evening service at 7:30. Pastor will preach. The Male Quartet will sing at both these services. Sunday school at 12. Epworth League at 6;30. Topic, “Methoaisim’s Modern Prophet.” Miss Graling will lead. Prayer meeting Thursday evening at 8 o’clock at the home of Mrs, Brannon 520 Beltrami avenue. Everybody invited. Charles H. Flesher, pastor. Episcopal. Communion seruice at 10 o’clock church. Bishop Morrison will conduct: the service. Cerman Lutheran. Service Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock in the Baptist church, Sub- ject; “The Temptation of Christ,” Matth. 4: 1-11. Carl A. Gieseler. ; Presbyterian. In the February 24 issue of the| Bassano, Alta., News, that paper has ‘the following to say concerning the death of John Hennessey, formerly of Bemidji: “After an illness lasting about ten | days Mr. John Hennessey succumbed to a severe attack of pneumonia at | his home last Monday evening. De- ceased has been a resident of Alberta since January 27, 1910. He was | born 4t St. Joseph, Mo., September 22, 1866. His parents dying while | quite young. He moved to Wiscon- sin while yet a young man, where he Morning worship at 11; subject “The Abiding Character of Christ’s Word.” S.S.at1l. Y.P.S.C. E. prayer-meeting at 7. Gospel service at 8. Mid-Week Prayer meeting on Thursday eve. at 7.30. Meeting especially for men, on Monday eve. at'8. Rev. J. T. Henderson will give an address onthe Men’s Brother- hood. The men are especially 1n- vited to this service. Baptist. Men’s Bible class 10. Morning Ser- vice 11. Subject—"Believers Eternal Security.” Solo—Mrs. H. L. Bowers “He will hold me fast.” Sunday school 12:15. B.Y. P. U. 7. Topic —"Lessons from great lives” leader, Lillian Booth. Evening Service 8. Subject—"'How can man be just | with God?” Remembering the | Lord’s death, The Pastor would be glad to see all the members in their place at this our last Commurion | service as Pastorand people. Doings in Municipal Court. Frank Carlton and Natt Bottom were arraigned before Judge Pender- gast in municipal court this morn- ing on charges of drunkenness. The Mrs. B W. Lakin is spending the week visiting relatives/ and friends at Little Falls, & children 20c, will make it possible for everyone to.attend. case agaimsé Bottom was suspended while Carlton was fined $5 and costs. NEWS ITEMS OF REMER Correspondent Tells of Doings in PLANS COMPLETE FOR BIG INSTALLATION Everything in Readiness for Institu- tion of Knights of Columbus Council Tomorrow. DISTINGUISHED KNIGHTS COMING Brainerd Lodge Will Send Delegation of Fifty Knights to Take Part { % In Ceremony. | o | Everything is in readiness for the big Knights of Columbus Insallation | which is to take place in this city to- mOorrow. ! As stated in the Pioneer last eve- ning the ceremony tomorrow will be- gin at 8:30 with mass and will con- tinue throughout the day, coming to |a close at 9 o'clock 1n the evening with a social session. The Brainerd degree team will give the first two degrees while a combined team make up of Knights from Duluth, St. Paul and Minne- apolis will give the third and last degree. The various large cities will send delegations as follows: St. Paul and Minneapolis delega- tion, 30 knights. Brainerd delegation, 50 knights. Duluth delegation, 25 knights. International Falls delegation, 20 knights. Crookston delegation, 25 knights. The prominent khights who will attend the installation are in the 800 Line Town. Y most par. as follows: Henry Bergstrom réeturned Friday to his home at Trade Lake, Wis., after a short visit with his brother Gust. E. F. Shook went to Bemidji Fri- day, returning Saturday with his wife and little son. Al Cline has been spending the week in Superior. F. L. Foote of Boy River was a Remer visitor between trains Tues- day. C. M. Erskine of Grand Rapids was here on business the fore part of the week. L. J. MacDonald left Wednesday for Duluth where he wili consult a physician. Soo Tie Inspector Berger has been here this week on his regular inspec- tion tour. W. H. Green returned from Du- luth Wednesday to resume his duties for the Duluth Log Company. Miss Helen Ingman left Wednesday for her home in Duluth. Dr. L. B. Galbraith of Cass Lake spent Thursday and Friday in Remer. H. N. Harding, J. Neils and J. P. Foote came down from Cass Lake ‘Thursday on business connected with the First State Bank and the Remer Lumber Company. Abe Palson of Swan River was a business visitor in Remer Monday. R. F. Ross, County Superintendent of schools was a business visitor here Friday. Ira P. Batchelder has been in Remer this week attending to his many business interests. Two sleigh loads of young people from Remer went to a basket social at Snowball Saturday night. The third load started and after wander- ing around all night managed to get back where they started from with- out having seen anything of a basket social. We are at a loss to know where they were or how they man- aged to get back at all. Perhaps it was fortunate that they did not get to Snowball for if their treats were carried out some of the baskets would have brought small fortunes. As it was one was paid $10.25 for. The money will be used to buy a bell for the sehool house. All' members of the Eastern Star who will attend the sleighing party Tuesesy evening, please notify Mrs. G. E Carson, W. M. - Dr. E. W. Fahey, of Duluth, Grand Kuight, -~ e = =i Leo A. Bale, of Duluth, District Deputy. John E. Barry, of St. Paul, State Deputy. ‘W. H. Cleary, of Brainerd, Grand Knight. T. F. Monahan, of Duluth, Secre- tary. F. S. Kelly, of Duluth, Treasurer. On the morning train from the Twin Cities will be two special cars from Brainerd and one from St. Paul and Minneapolis. A choir comprising twelve trained voices will accompany the Brainerd delegation. The special for International Falls will eave early Monday morning, and it is expected that most of the out of town delegations will attend the in- stitution of the new council there Monday. ATHLETES LEAVE BEMIDJI Basketball Five Goes to Cass Lake and Hockey Team to “Falls.” This noon the high school basket~ ball five left for Cass Lake where they will meet the quint of that city this evening. The Bemidji boys will enter the game this evening with a determina- tion to win, as they feel that the result of the game will have much to do with the fight for the cham- pionship of northern Minnesota for which they .have a chance of win- ning, if they should defeat Bagley here next week. Bagley has met and defeated every team of any im- portance in this section of the state, they defeated Crookston last Satur- day 35 to 4, with one second team man in their line-up. The Given Hardware hockey seven will leave tonight for International Falls and Fort Francis where they will play the teams of that city Sun- day and Monday. Funeral of Mrs. Wright Yesterday. Yesterday afternoon at Maltby the funeral of Mrs. Wright was held. Mrs. Wright was 77 years old, and tad made her home during the past few years with her two sons at Malt- by- Reverend McKee, of this eity, conducted “the- services. : % | |