THE INQUIRY AT THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.

Evening Star, Issue 4289, 24 November 1876, Page 4

THE INQUIRY AT THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.

The following is- the , report of the Commissioners appointee! to inquire into the case of the girl Mary Doig ... Dunedin, November 23* 1876. Sir, —We hive the holder to inform you that, in compliance witSfyour request, we yesterday held in inquiry at the Industrial School as to the alleged ill-treatment of the girl Mary D6ig, an of the sarnie, committed for larceny. There is no jn. the. evidence which is pf the slightest importance, if we except the different account given by the girl to her father (according to his* statement) that the handcuffs had produced the sore upon her leg, frdhrthat given by her to us, which last-we have no doubt...is the truth, as it fs borne out by the other evidence—namely, the sore on her. leg was caused by a cut from.tjie glass as she' was escaping through the'broken window of the bath-rdom. We find, then, the essential facts to be fewi and as follows :—■ That the girl is ten years of age, and of a very exceptionable temper and character. That ahe was received into the school on the 25th October last. That without cause she absconded on the 28th ofthe same month, and was returned to the school by her father the-following day, when he asked the master not to punish on that occasion, but to do so if she ran away again. - That without cause she again absconded on the 31st of the same month, at seven o’clock in the, morning, and was found next day by the school attendant, Bussell, at her lather’s • house, and brought back to the school. That for her insubordinate conduct, she was, on her . return, chas-' tisedwith six strokes with a light willow rod or stick, and sent to bed. That on ’ the following morning the master took her into the bath room, intending to confine her there if he could not persuade her to promise not to run away again. That she would hot so promise. That after reasoning with her for some time without effect, he put a pair of ordinary small handcuffs upon her legs to prevent her escaping, whilst he went for tools to mend.a hole in the partition through which she might otherwise get put when locked up. lhat in his absence the girl broke the window, and, manacled as she was, escaped. That in getting through the broken window she cut her left ankle with the glass That the cut became a sore, nearly an inch long and, half an inch wide. That very soon after she was missed, and search made until ahe was found hiding id some tussocks about 300 yards fr. m the road. That from this, the Ist, to. the 19th inst. (when she last absconded), she was fastened every night by her ankle m the manner following; A short length of chain—about lOin long—had at each end locked to it one of the cuffs of two pair of ordinary handcuffs. One of the other two cuffs was fastened to her right ankle, the other to her neighbor’s bedstead, which was moved alongside for the purpose. The whole weight of the chain was thus supported by the two beds, none ,of, it depending or causing any weight tlppn the girl whilst in bed during which time only the fastening was applied. , .That no other ill-treatment has been complained of. That tbe treatment of the girl has been otherwise gentle apd kind and that her physical appearance confirms the same. That there is no day nor' night cell for refractory patients in the building, "VVe are erf opinion that by chastising the gill with .the rod the master was not guilty of any indiscretion or harshness. Also, that if gtilty of harshness in fastening the girl at night in the maimer above described, it is only in thoughtlessly continuing for nineteen days an improvised fastening, which might be justifiable on an emergency ; but we cannot acquit him of great indiscretion in continuing to use means and instruments, however cautiously an£' humanely applied] calculated to excite public sensation, and cause this, otherwise unnecessary inquiry Also, that the slight injury the girl has sus! tained is due directly and primarily to her own violence and and only secondarily to the;in part unwise treatment of her inthe continued use of the handcuffs. Before We conclude, we would respectfully draw your attention to the evidence of Mr Hislop and Dr. Burns,, more especially that of the former, to uniform kind and humane treatment of the inmates of the school by Mr Tichener; and also to the desirability of providing a day and a night cell for the proper restraint, When necessary, ’of refractory inmates of the school.

We append the evidence taken.—We have, &c., A. Chetham Strode.. I. Newton Watt,