BURNHAM REFORMATORY.

NZ Truth, Issue 66, 22 September 1906, Page 6

BURNHAM REFORMATORY.

' Painful and Horrible Disclosures. There was a great deal of wearisome reiteration about the evidence given at the inquiry into the conduct of the Burnham Reformatory, but the public gleaned a good deal of information about the place which has turned out so many first-class criminals during the past few years. . The majority of the witnesses who arc employed, or who were employed, at the institution complained of the long hours and the fewness of holidays. It was stated that a couple of the boys were insane, and that they should not bea t the school. Some witnesses swore that these were picked out for punishment, and others said there was no differentiation made at all. Archibald Calkin, who had worked m various depart.'ments, and who ran the band, said "tliat' -/after taking the ..band out to sports meetings he had to start at the same hour next morning, no matter how late he arrived home. He •way a minute and a half laic one and Archey, the manager, "jumped down his throat," an athletic feat worth recording. lie put this outburst down to rjrink, and schoolmaster' Anderson remarked at the time that '/the manager was pretty full."' Calkin vhen made ' grave allegations against Mrs Nicie, wife of the clerk, as to her drinking .one Saturday while her husband was m town. Calkin and his wife went to town, leaving their children m Mrs ..Nicie's charge. 1 He alleged that she' gave his child whisky to make it sleep, and it wasn't right for a week after^ Afterwards Mr Nicie said it; was a mistake; it was a drug left' Jjehind by the doctor and not whisky •that had been given to the youngster. (Frequent .allusion was made .to the hole and corner departmental inquiry made by Dr. Anderson during the investigation, and this witness Calkin said that the questions at that inquiry were put m such a manner that if he said "yes" it meant something else. He tried' to make explanations, but was stopped by Dr. Anderson. He considered that Dr. Anderson wanted to keep something back m consequence. The question of THE SEPARATION OF THE MALE AND FEMALE ATTENDANTS at meal time— an innovation made a while back, and about which complaint was made— came under review more than once. The majority objected to the separation, but storekeeper s Jones, m his evidence, said that on one occasion something was said at the dining table that it wasn't desirable ladies should listen to. He admitted, however, that the occurrence' happened over two years ago. Assistant clerk Robert Turner 'also observed that. the conversation wasn't always refined. The tone was sometimes objectionable, considering • that women were Vpresent. This witness caused soirte when he stated that he only received £68 a year, out of which he had to pay £2 per month for board. Commissioner Bishop" said it was only the screw of a cadet. It was then stated that representations had been made to the miserly Department m regard to the matter. Archey's right hand man at Burnham IS BILLY NICIE, who is styled as clerk-attendant. Disaffected members of the staff seem to think that Billy "peaches", on them to the boss, and he admitted - that he was the man , chiefly aimed at when it was allejged i?hat there was a system of espionage at the school. But there wasn't the slightest justification for the charge. Nicie then made some allegations against Ta/übman (who was conducting, the case of the attendants at the inquiry ) . One boy, he said, had told him that Taubman had knocked him down and kicked him. On another occasion he found the boy standing m tie. dormitory in Ihis shirt at night- The lad stated that Taubman had ordered him to stand - there till the night-watchman came, because Taubman "had a down on him." Nicie told the Commissioner that since the Departmental inquiry Taubman had invited him, m front of the boys, into the. detention .yard to fight. Ex-attendant Paddy Crowley stated thaft he had seen manager Archey "m a lively mood" liquor, but he wasn't drunk. He had nothing against either the manager br matron. Archey had always acted as a nian towards. him._ He had left the school because of the long houirs aM the^nioiribtony of the position. He had inflicted corporal on the boys, he said, and "then he tried to explain away an allegation'that he had thrashed two boys jiplfU THEIR 'PYJAMAS WERE SATURATED WITH BLOOD. "Crowley stated that the punishment was inflicted m the presence of Mr Walker, m the absence of Mr Archey. He didn't thrash the boys unduly, but they had just had a hot bath, land the < supposed their skin was tender. He used a strap. He didn't see j the blood at the time, hut when the [Other attendants spoke about the (blatter he went and complained to [Mr Walker, and said he would be lif able to three months, for that kind ! of thing. Dr. Symes gets £6 8s a I month' for taking a run out to Burn- \ ham once a month ; 'but he is supj. posed to go any time he Is sent for. . He detailed what certain boys were j suffering from and what he had done i fbr them. He had nothing to do with I whether or not the boys (should be ex- \ amined m bed or downstairs. There were many reasons for examining ! them downstairs. He often had to ; strip them, and it was better, for / them to stand m front of the fire than f to be m such a state m a cold, draughty dormitory. Then again there wasn't the same priyacy i* the dormitories, and boys were loth to answer questions freely. A poor excuse this. Sick lads shouldn't be compelled to leave their beds and trot downstairs. And can't a boy be easily examined all over In his bed ? But the doctor says a great many of • the alleged sufferers (?) are malinger- j ers and otheis suffered from. a certain

other cause. The most glaring defect m the medical arrangements, says the doc, is the want of a trained nurse, and the next great want is a hospital ward and facilities for isolation m cases which MIGHT LEAD TO INFECTION. There ought also to be a dispensary. The accommodation at the school Was absolutely inadequate. The •school ought to be on a feri/ile island like Kawau, with a training ship, more especially for incorrigibles. The navy was the only place where perfect order was combined with perfect happiness. / The object of the school should be moral reformation rather than technical training. There were some morally defective inmates who would be better away from the small boys, and some of the boys ought not to be discharged at the age of 21 to prey on society. Thc doc didn't deign to explain what he would do with them, however. He considered the moraltone of the school had improved immensely since Archey had been m charge. The insinuation that Archey was given to drink the doc. characterised .as baseless and wicked. Symes then made the curious statement that the diet at Burnham was excessively- liberal, but if . he dared to suggest an alteration the papers would take it; up. Well, we should think so. Symes lives on a pretty good scale himself, yet he would probably like to put these lads on bread and dripping and porridge without milk, and dam little of it. The doc. said that 10 per cent, of the inmates were defectives, and Burnham wasn't a proper place for them. For some time past there have been rumors that immorality was rife m the school, that, m short, sodomy was practised there, and the Commissioner asked the doctor about the matter/. Symes admitted it was so, but said the staff had done their utmost to keep it m check. Writer is informtd, however, that the staff is too small to 1 do this, and that these bright hopefuls continue to indulge m their .abhorrent practises without very much hindrance. It is a horrible thing to contemplate, but it is. a fact not denied. The bigger boys corrupt the smaller, and no matter how innocent the latter are of Such matters when they enter the school they soon fall into line, and thus does the j institution turn out a race of degenerates. Is it any wonder that many of them find themselves in-gaol later on for serious offences ?