Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 296, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 December 1912 — EVERYTHING POINTS TO NICHOLS’ EFFICIENCY [ARTICLE]

EVERYTHING POINTS TO NICHOLS’ EFFICIENCY

Disgruntled Inmate at County Asylum Starts Trouble Without Sufficient Excuse. Probably few county asylums in Indiana have made a better showing during the past seven years than the Jasper county institution, which has been managed by Jesse Nichols. During two years the receipts exceeded the expenditures and for the entire period he has been the superintendent the receipts have more than equaled the expenses, if the permanent improvements and the incrased valuation of chattels are included. In view of the fact that the county commissioners recently requested Mr. Nichols’ resignation, after listening to complains made by Harry Kelley, who seems to be the chief trquble-maker, and a few others, it may not be amiss to call the attention of the taxpayers, whom the commissioners are hired to serve, to the following figures and facts.

Mr. Nichols and wife took charge of the asylum Sept. 1, 1905. An invoice of the chattels of the institution at that time, showed a valuation of $4,526.47. An inventory taken Dec. 1, 1912, showed a valuation of $6,730, an increase of $2,203.53. The following permanent improvements have been made: New barn sl*7oo Heating plant and repairs. 2,175 New porches 176 Tile on farm 33C Other cement work 142 Tptal .....$4,523 Chattle increase ....... $2,203.53 Total $6,726.53 Total expenses for seven years and three months, including the salary of the superintendent and all persons employed on the farm and all permanent improvements, $25,968.75. Subtracting from this the permanent improvements and increase in chattels, we have $19,242.22. The receipts from the farm during the period have been $19,865.88, which exceeds the expenses $623.66. A mighty good showing and one that is not enjoyed by many counties in Indiana. In fact, in 1907, one of the years that the receipts exceeded the expenses, Jasper county was one of only two counties in the state that made this showing. There have been from a dozen to twenty inmates at the institution all the time, an average of about fourteen. On October Bth, of this year, the county board of charities made the following report to Judge Hanley and the board of county commissioners: “We, the undersigned hoard of county charities,, beg leave to submit the following report; “We report that on this date we visited the county farm and found therein as inmates, 12 males and 2 females. We further found a spirit oi unrest and vindictiveness among three of the males, based upon the following statements, that at times the food Is improperly cooked .by reason of bbing too salty or underdone, and we have concluded that the superintendent and the matron have insufficient help. We recommend that the matron be given another maid to aid her in the Inmates’ building. It was stated to your committee by one of Hie female inmates that improper advances had been made to her by one of the male inmates while she was distributing food to the male inmates confined in their roeffis and we recommend and urge that a man be employed by the superintendent to do the scrubbing of floors, cleaning of sleepihg apartments‘and distributing meals to the male Inmates.

4 ‘lt was reported to us that one of the male inmates without permission frequently leaves the Institution for from a day to a week at a time and returns late at night under the influence of liquor. We recommend that a set of rules be promulgated by the Board of Commissioners for the institution, as the superintendent can not possibly maintain discipline under existing conditions. “We found the building in a sanitary condition, the beds and bedding being clean and the food wholesome and well cooked. We have no hesitancy in recommending the superintendent and matron and believe that they are doing their best, handicapped as they are for help. w Mrs. C. A. ROBERTS, Mrs. P. W. CLARKE, Mrs. J. R. WILCOX. ' EDWARD P. HONAN. County Board of Charities of Jasper County."

The same month the grand Jury made the following report: “In the Master of the County Poor Asylum. - We, the grand jury of Jasper County, In4e pursuant to tbe order of the Jasper Circuit Court, visited and examined the county poor asylum and beg leave to report everything in good sanitary condition and all inmates properly treated and amply provided for, AH farm animals in good condition and farm carefully kept O. K. RAINIER, Foreman Grand Jury.”

Harry Kelley, a character quite well known, has been an inmate of the institution for almost two years, and all the trouble at the farm seems to have been largely aggravated by him. Learning that be had made complaints to the commissioners, Superintendent Nichols went to them and asked that they visit the farm, which Messrs Stackhouse and Hershman did, probably the latter part of August. They

were asked to make their investigation with the inmates, and neither the superintendent nor his wife accompanied them on their rounds. Since then the county board of charities and the grand jury have made reports and both are very favorable to the management of the farm. But the commissioners at their November meeting directed County Attorney Dunlap to ask for the resignation of Mr. Nichols and to inform him that failure to resign would result in his removal at the next regular term.. No charges were preferred and the superintendent was not advised of the basis for the request If was known that Kelley had prevailed on two or three others to make complaint and that he had frequently left the institution for the purpose of seeing the commissioners or others. t Mr. Nichols went before the commissioners at the December meeting and told them that he would not resign. No proceedings have been started so far looking to his removal and it is hoped fhiat the commissioners have decided .to recede from their ill-timed action. The charities board has quite properly expressed an important need in saying that a code of rules should be formulated that would aid the superintendent in securing discipline. Without the co-operation of the commissioners the superintendent is almost powerless to control the inmates. Persons who know Kelley realize that he is a hard proposition so manage and that the superintendent is handicapped if the commissioners do not give him their moral and official support The demand for the superintendent’s resignation without the formality of charges with which he was furnished a copy seems of itself a little irregular and it is probable that the commissioners acted a little hastily in the hope of Installing some anxious democrat in the place. But Mr. Nichols will not resign and will fight any charges that are made with vigor. Kelley has again left the county farm, withdrawing last Monday and his present whereabouts are not known to the superintendent. r