Preston: A Mixed Bag- Good? Bad? How about somewhere in between?!

I wanted to clarify a few things that were stated recently in an article in the Ledger Dispatch that just didn't hold up when examined by the facts. The interview that was published was with the curators of the most recent photograph and media exhibit being held at Preston this summer. I am unsure where the ladies who were interviewed got their research from, but I wanted to clarify a few things here so that the public would know the actual facts in order to clear up any misinformation.

First and foremost, the majority of the boys that were sent to Preston over the years while the school was open, were there because of crimes they had committed, but yes, not all the boys were criminals, especially in its inception.  Many of the boys in the early years were homeless, or their parents were unable to financially support them. Some were considered “incorrigible” but not necessarily worthy of going to jail.

Depending on the time period when the boys were sent to “the Castle,” that depended on the type of experiences one would have there. In the school’s infancy, there were a lot of hiccups you could say, and mistakes made by some of those who were in charge. The school had earned the reputation of the “Preston School of Scandal,” for a reason. There were accusations made that certain Superintendents had abused the boys. One of the more infamous stories was of Superintendent O’Brien who was accused of literally torturing some of the wards, which was published in the newspapers, and he did eventually step down from his position.  

Still, there were plenty of Superintendents that were focused on truly wanting to help the boys learn to become upstanding members of society, so that upon their release they could go out and find work and make a better life for themselves. Please believe that not all the people running Preston were ruling with an iron fist.   

In my books and here on my ongoing blog "Preston Castle History," I like to refer to Preston as a mixed bag of sorts, because along with the bad stories, there were also many good ones. There were a lot of people who worked there, some of them their entire lives, intent on helping the youth do better. There are a lot of stories of the boys who left the school to become successful members of society, too.  

To clarify a few things, the boys at Preston were not all treated as though they had committed crimes, as the staff knew very well which boys were sent there and for what reasons such as the child being an orphan, his parents couldn’t financially afford to support him, or even worse possibly vagrancy. Then there were other boys sent to Preston for continual truancy, incorrigibleness and yes, committing crimes, petty or even some serious ones. To adamantly state that the school operated under that opinion, that they believed they were all guilty, is a disservice and a disrespect to all who worked so tirelessly at that school hoping to help these boys make better lives for themselves. 

Going back to the way the wards were treated. Yes, at times there were boys who were paddled or flogged for disobedience or getting out of line, but you must remember that during that time in history those forms of corporal punishment were considered the norm. I agree at times it got out of hand, especially with Superintendent O'Brien; However, even in some of the later Preston Biennial reports they stated that they only resorted to those methods if all other methods to get through to the wards were exhausted, not that I think that was okay. One of the Superintendents who wrote in one of the the Biennial reports mentioned that he felt corporal punishment was no good and did nothing positive for the wards. So as you can see, not everyone agreed with those methods. Again, it depended on the time period. Eventually corporal punishment* as a whole was stopped.

And yes, it was Corporal Punishment, not Capital Punishment as the article states. There is a HUGE DIFFERENCE! (*There were no executions at Preston!) 

There were two choices at the time, send the boys to Preston or Whittier, another reformatory at the time, or be sent to the Penitentiary such as Folsom or San Quentin, where the hardened criminals were housed. The odds were they would have left institutionalized had they been sent to the latter. So, Preston was the lesser of two evils, no doubt. 

One of the quotes in the article stated: "The injustice is, these boys were put in the middle of nowwhere, locked down in solitary confinement and unable to have freedom of movement, and they were children."

That statement couldn't be further from the truth. For one, there were no fences at Preston when they opened. It was an open campus. People from Ione wandered up there from time to time, and even later, Ione residents were able to come and take trades classes there alongside the wards. Anna Corbin's son, Harold was one of those residents who took classes there. 

Second, they were not all put in solitary confinement. There were some events in the early years noted in record where the boys said to have been kept in the basement -- these were the written experiences of the wards themselves. But as a whole the boys were free to roam the property, work on the farm, in the blacksmith shop, in the print shop, in the bakery, and all the other departments where they were able to work and learn trades. They were able to go swimming on certain days of the week, and they were able to take care of the animals on the farm. They lived in honor cottages and buildings, not the solitary lock up buildings - those were for the boys who were being punished for bad behavior. Also, the fact the boys were doing work at Preston was not for the benefit of Preston itself, although everyone benefited, even the town, but it was to teach the boys life skills so that when they were released they would be able to support themselves out in the world. 

In the article it mentioned “The general population chose to harbor rampant discrimination and extreme exclusion via racism, homophobia, classism and povertyism – operating under the opinion that if these people were innocent, they would not have been arrested.”

I am going to have to disagree on that statement – which by the way is not supported by facts. For one, the Biennial Report for the Preston School of Industry published in 1918, showed that “the occurrence of serious crimes is most frequent among the white American boys and least frequent among the colored Americans.”    

In my research for the many years that I have been doing so, I have found no records to imply that anyone was discriminated against by race at Preston-- at least not during the time periods in which I researched (during the Administration buildings years of being open).  I saw white, black and Hispanic boys alike being treated the same in the stories and records I have recovered. 

The school often based their opinions on the boys by using the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale which measured mental abilities such as judgement, reasoning and comprehension. By 1916, that test was replaced by the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, to determine their cognitive abilities based on fluid reasoning, quantitative reasoning, knowledge, visual-spatial processing and working memory. This was to determine their intellectual weaknesses and strengths. It was not about racism or homophobia, and it certainly wasn’t based on classism. 

In fact, one of the wealthier of the wards, Herman Huber, was sent to Preston not having committed any crime at all, but more than likely because he was disobeying his grandfather or family members. The Preston admission ledger only had the word "Delinquent" next to Herman's name. His experience there was not a good one, and he never left Preston -- alive anyway. Herman was shot and killed by a guard during a botched escape attempt, and an eye-witness reported the incident to the Governor after his release from the school.  

Yes, Preston had records where they kept track of demographics such as where the boys came from, their backgrounds, their crimes and yes, their race. However, the records show that the boys who were made to do the most “disagreeable work,” such as hard labor, were doing so for acting out and not going along with the program, not because of the color of their skin. Remember this was a reform school to teach discipline, education and a trade. The school had rules to abide by, similar to the military. From the moment you stepped foot on the grounds you were expected to follow the rules. The boys were assigned to a company, not unlike in the military. You were expected to respect and follow the rules – and if you fell short, the entire company would be punished (not physically – but privileges taken away), just like in the military. 

During the time period where they had implemented a form of self-government, the boys had a choice – act right, do what was expected of you and you would move up, if you chose to disobey and cause problems you would be demoted.  Segregation, if any, wasn’t classified by race or ethnicity, but based on their age groups and what they were sent to Preston for, as the administration learned a hard lesson when during the earlier years of the school’s operations the new boys  were “indiscriminately mixed with the older institution types, feeble-minded with normal boys, moral degenerates with innocent first offenders or dependents.”  That was a recipe for disaster.

As the years went on the more problematic boys were often sent to solitary confinement for a period of time, until they were willing to cooperate. The wards who were attending classes and keeping up on the program at Preston found themselves earning more and more credits and being given more privileges. 

“He has just as many opportunities for wrong decisions as for right ones, just as many chances to go wrong as to go right. If he goes wrong, he is not combating the social order of his mental and social superiors in civilization, which he cannot respect, but he is combating his social and mental peers whom he understands and must respect. His comfort, happiness and progress depend upon his social relations; his social relations upon his free choice of conduct in the field of self-government. This, then, is the starting point for the boy: to make him conscious that he is a free moral agent and that his every decision affects his own life and status, and at Preston he makes that start the first day he arrives.” – Preston 12^th Biennial Report, page 6. 

The ward index mentioned in the article of the first 2,500 boys at the school was actually a list that I had compiled and donated to the Preston Foundation back in 2013. I made two identical copies. One of which I still have with me. It was actually the first 2,696 wards accepted at the school from its opening in 1894 to 1914.  

According to Bruce Warner, who worked at Preston for over 40 years, starting in the early 1950s,  and was both a cook and later on security detail there, stated that at its highest population during his time at Preston in the 1950s, he was feeding 1,000 wards breakfast every morning. There were a lot of boys who came and left that school. Some had bad experiences, some had good. I have interviewed some who were there going back to the 50s, 60s and even 70s, and they all said that if you kept your head down and didn't cause problems you would be okay, but if you caused problems you would go to solitary and make things harder for yourself. 

 

The article mentioned a visit to the cemetery, which is normally off limits because it is on CalFire property and is no longer part of the Preston property. So for the public, please do not attempt to visit the cemetery!

Regarding some of the deaths mentioned, 10 year old Grant Walker, was a young white American child, who came from a very large and very poor family. His father was a stagecoach driver and married someone who had many children from a previous marriage. It is my belief that the family fell on very hard times and that Grant ended up in the system because of their inability to care for him. This was not uncommon and I have found that to be the case many times. Sadly, Grant became ill with typhoid fever, a very common disease during that time period and sadly he passed away. 

In my book, "If These Walls Could Talk: More Preston Castle History," I questioned the first two deaths reported in the Biennial Report for 1895. I have mentioned this  on my blog as well. The first two deaths that I could find in records was Adolf Antron and Grant Walker. Adolf died from pulmonary adema and Grant was said to have died from typhoid fever as mentioned above. 

The Biennial Report however mentioned the second death as "an accidental burn resulting in an intestinal ulceration." This is why I questioned Grant's death in my book, but let me be clear, the report never gave a name. This left a big question mark in my mind. Was that death by way of a chemical burn Grant, or another ward whose name was simply forgotten? One whose body had been removed by family and buried elsewhere? We will never know for certain. However, Grant's official cause of death was said to be typhoid fever, and without an autopsy report that states otherwise, we cannot say adamantly that it was anything other than that. 

The newspaper article also adamantly stated that "13 year olds don’t die of a stroke."  

To answer that, a “stroke of apoplexy,” which is what 17 year old Peter Miller died of, was something that did afflict people, young and old alike. It can be caused by a blood clot blocking the flow to the brain which is an ischemic stroke. You can also die from a stroke, caused from bleeding to the brain, types of blood clotting disorders, infections and even heart conditions. In teenagers, it can even be caused by a tumor in the pituitary gland. 

Another death, Frank Ward, who died at age 17, from “Dementia” actually died from “Dementia Paralytica” which was primarily caused from a late-stage neurosyphilis, which the person could have contracted at birth from their mother who had the disease.  

Yes, in my research I have found a few deaths that I found suspicious, not the ones mentioned in the article as those were natural causes; However, even with the research I have done, I cannot say 100% that the deaths I have suspected of possible foul play were actually homicides, nor can I make a statement that the deaths do not match the forensics. There was no forensics. The cause of death would have been determined by the coroner at the time, an upstanding man in the community whom I have researched and written about countless times. The ward's families were either unable to be located to notify them of the death, or the family was not financially in a position to retrieve the body to be buried elsewhere, and so the young deceased ward was buried on the property.  There really is nothing suspicious about that. 

Lastly, the article quoted one of the ladies stating “These are ongoing themes, people living in poverty, immigrants who didn’t have access to schooling or the ability to thrive.” -- If you were to look at the records, at least for the first 75 years of Preston's history, the majority of wards there were not all immigrants -- but primarily American Caucasian boys. Yes, over time the population of Hispanic and African-American wards increased tremendously, but to really put things in perspective, the boys and/or young men who were sent to Preston over the majority of the time it was in operation, those were boys of all races, all religions, all ethnic backgrounds and all walks of life -- You could say that Preston was actually the great equalizer.

I hope that after reading this blog you will see a more level headed perspective of the school's history. Yes, there were stories of abuse and mistreatement at different times during the school's history - I am not denying that; However, we cannot deny that the school did do a lot of good for a lot of boys who would have never stood a chance in the world without their help. Some boys that went to Preston went on to lead successful lives, and yes, some remained forever in the system, institutionalized. In reality, every boy who stepped foot on that campus had a chance to do better while there at Preston, and in the end it was up to their state of mind, their choice whether or not they would learn from their experience and do better, or use these experiences as a crutch for the rest of their life that determined where their journey would lead them as adults. 

(J'aime Rubio - Copyright 8/30/2025 - www.jaimerubiowriter.com) 

 

 

 

Infiltrating The Castle - Preston Castle History

Daily News Archived Clipping

When I started investigative writing, only one thing was on my mind, revealing the truth. I think I can speak for all reporters and journalists who truly love their jobs, when I say that being a writer is a passion that drives you to do some pretty insane things at times. One good example, crime reporter Scott Thomas Anderson had put himself in harm’s way when he spent time traveling the country with various departments of law enforcement to investigate the harsh element of meth driven crime, in his book “Shadow People.”

It’s just a known fact that sometimes, in order to get the scoop or just to unravel the pieces of an intricate and enigmatic puzzle of a good mystery, a writer must immerse themselves in the element they are researching. One person that stands out as an original truth seeker, and one who may have very well been the first truth seeker at Preston Castle, was a reporter by the name of Leon Adams. 

In 1923, Adams, a reporter for the San Francisco Daily News, was assigned to investigate the Preston School of Industry undercover as a ward. His assignment was to expose the school for all the terrible things that were being done, not only to the inmates but also within the administration. In order for Adams to fit in as a real inmate, he had to be arrested and convicted in a criminal court. He was purposely “framed” for attempted burglary, to which he was brought before the court and pled guilty, requesting to be sent to Preston. 

In his series of articles exposing the Preston School of Industry’s dark secrets of mistreatment and torture, he states: “Upon seeing Preston at close quarters, one wonders that any boys go “straight” after leaving there. Terrible punishments that impair mentality and physique are administered by officers who are unable to control the youths they guard unless they make an example of every offender.” It was obvious for Adams that the element he had thrust himself into was going to be a tough one to deal with.

In his first article, he mentions the fact that he had to get into trouble there, in order to witness firsthand the brutality inflicted on the other wards. “No one at Preston knew who I was. To reach the cells, I had to “fake.” I had my choice of running away, disobeying an officer, assaulting a guard or continued defiance. My pick was the mildest-disobedience. It wasn’t hard. I picked a fight with Jack Hindsman, who always “had a chip on his shoulder.” We went to it. I soon found I had picked the wrong opponent, but didn’t mind so much. As we fought, the officer stood by and watched.

Fighting is against the rules at Preston, but it didn’t matter there, Capt. J.W. Sibole was enjoying the sight. We finally quit from the exhaustion. My face was bloody, my lips cut, and both eyes beginning to swell. Looking defiantly at Sibole, I silently dared him to enforce the rule which so often is violated at the school. He took the dare and ordered the two of us to stand the “guard line.” Boys on guard line must stand erect, facing the wall, while others rest. It is a physical punishment. 

 After a few minutes, on the line, I sat down.” As his story went on, he explained that his refusal to stand the line made Sibole angry. Adams was then sent to the detail office to receive a punishment for his insubordination. When questioned about the fight and his disobedience, Adams refused to answer, thus only getting him into more trouble. He then was sent down the hill to the cell house with his punishment awaiting him, an order to withstand 15 days in solitary confinement.

He described the original detention building being too dark and having two tiers of barred doors set in a solid wall made of stone. He states that the doors were fastened in four ways, and each cell having two gates. Windows were high above their reach, also barred. The inner gate was a solid oak lined with quarter-inch steel, while the outer gate was metal. After being ordered to strip naked and lay face down on the icy cement floor, a guard handed him a piece of canvas that he was supposed to fashion as some sort of undergarment. He then had to follow the guard up the iron ladder to cell No. 22. 

“My cell was 10 feet high and 9 feet wide. A faucet, a bowl and an iron bunk, two dirty blankets, a little wad of cloth for a pillow - that was my furniture.” He goes on to mention that the windows had heavy wire screens on them, layers of bars and opaque glass that kept the light out, leaving the inmates in total darkness, day or night. 

“My tomb, I called the place. It was the tomb of many boys before me. Scratches on the wall revealed the presence there of an assemblage of notables, names were followed by crosses....Before an hour had passed, I began to calculate how long it would be before I left my dungeon. Fifteen days, each with 24 long hours, seemed like years. What I am trying to tell about is impossible to conceive. Think, think and suffer. That's all one can do in a cell. Sleep affords no rest. Some even counted up to 13 and 14- evidently the number of days a prisoner had spent in the place. I didn’t spend the full 15 days in the cell. Watson took me out on the 11th day, when I was too sick to sit up and reach for the cup of skimmed milk that came through the little hole in the thick cell door.

For the first three days I only received one thin slice of bread, one cup half full of thin milk, shoved at me by a hand belonging to a face I never saw. On the fourth day, came a dish of cold meat, cold gravy and cold potatoes. That night I became deathly sick. I think I cried out once, but don’t remember much about that. The nights that followed weren’t quite so bad. I hadn’t enough strength to cry out much more.” Adams’ account of his eleven days in solitary ended with the guard removing him from the cell and forcing him to “stand the line” for ten hours. The first night they forced him to do such a thing, he fainted. For that, they made him stand even longer the next day. 

While Adams was in solitary confinement he found the name "Tuffy" Reid etched into the wall, following "third time over the hill." Other names were also scratched into the walls along with marks of how many days spent in solitary. Adams claimed that the name "Tuffy" kept standing out in his mind, and later he remembered where he had heard it, the media!  Tuffy was a death row inmate who made headlines in the newspaper for a murder in Los Angeles in 1923.

In his article, Adams’ makes a moving statement: “What earthly good can come to a boy in a cell? What human ever was worth a straw whose spirit was broken?” That statement rings true in so many ways. It was apparent to him that the disciplinary actions or rehabilitation that Preston was inflicting on their wards was doing more harm than good. In Adams’ article “Youths Kept in Dark Basement,” he goes on to state that the Administration building’s basement was being used to hold 50 boys in the dark. He also mentions that the basement held six solitary confinement cells where boys had been kept for weeks at a time while there was also a flogging room to beat the boys. It seemed that although Preston was content with their methods of punishing the boys, that the results weren’t really making a positive effect on anyone at all.

The statistics alone were proving that Adams’ opinions were correct. The boys who endured any time at Preston were leaving the place more corrupted than when they had arrived in the first place. In his exposé of Preston’s goings on, he revealed the following statistics from that time period: 

“Only two out of every 100 boys who were taught trades at Preston School of Industry follow those trades after being released. Ninety boys over every hundred who leave Preston are back again in some state institution within five years. Seven of the 127 prisoners in the San Francisco jail today, were at Preston at some time or another Out of every 100 criminals at San Quentin State Prison, four are “graduates” of Preston. Many of California’s most notorious crooks received their “education” at the reform school.” 

In his published articles, Adams revealed not only the harsh treatment but also the filthy living conditions, proof of the managerial incompetence of the Superintendent and also his advice on the measures that should be taken to make the necessary changes for improving the school. When Superior Court Judge Louis H. Ward had heard of Adams’ experience at Preston he felt so moved with emotion that he was quoted saying: “I’ll never feel comfortable again in my conviction that I am doing right when I commit a boy to a reform school."

Thankfully, a man in his position of authority had been reached and moved by the proof Adams had been able to expose about Preston. Unfortunately, the school seemed to be untouchable, even after all that exposure and not much changed over the years. With all that Adams went through in order to shed light and truth for the world to see, unfortunately, as many stories related to Preston, this one was long forgotten in the archives, waiting for someone like me to find it. 

Although there may have been other writers, like myself, who have written about Preston Castle and its mysteries, Adams was the one who paved the way. He was the first truth-seeker to expose Preston and call them on all the horrendous things they were doing to those boys. For that, I tip my hat to Leon Adams and his incredible journalism. "

--- from the book, "Behind The Walls: A Historical Exposé of the Preston School of Industry," By J’aime Rubio

ISBN-13: 978-1481075046 - Copyright 2012,  All rights reserved. J'aime Rubio identified as the AUTHOR of the work in accordance with U.S. Copyright Act 1976 and all U.S. Copyright laws. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission by the author/publisher.

The Superintendents & Their Legacies

Preston School of Industry, Ione, CA-

In previous blog posts and also mentioned within my book "Behind The Walls," I touch on the subject of mistreatment to the wards, under the supervision of the acting superintendents.

The first superintendent. E. Carl Bank, was accused of mistreatment only after he fired some of his employees at the school. There really wasn't enough evidence to prove the case, so nothing was done.  Bank was booted out of his position in favor of Edward Stephen O'Brien, for sheer political reasons, leaving many to wonder if the accusations of mistreatment were just a farce to soil his reputation.  Unfortunately, the era of actual abuse and mistreatment was just about to begin at Preston. The second superintendent, E.S. O'Brien ruled with an iron fist and it was his reputation that brought such reproach to the school that it was dubbed, "The Preston School of Scandal." His methods of torture and abuse was unfathomable, making his role at Preston, not that of just a superintendent, but that of a tyrant as well.  (To read about E.S. O'Brien, click here.)

Even after several affidavits to the authorities from not only wards, but staff and doctors who had good standing in the community, nothing seemed to happen. Even the Governor himself couldn't touch O'Brien. It seemed he had some friends in really high places, which kept him out of reach for any sort of disciplinary action.  Eventually though, the media attention he was getting must have got the better of O'Brien, so he resigned from his position, but not before threatening everyone that if he was continually smeared any further in the papers, that he would sue them.

The next superintendent to take on the job was D.S. Hirshberg. His time at Preston, January 1, 1898 up to December 15, 1900, was not without its share of scandals.  According to the Preston School of Industry's Biennial Report for 1896-1898, the "Corporal Punishment" section reads:

 “When low or base things are practiced , it becomes necessary to resort to vigorous punishment, which, however, is inflicted with discretion.”

 It goes on to say:  “Punishment is never inflicted without knowledge or authority of the Superintendent, and always in his presence, but never by him.”

On his watch, there was the ingenious escape of  Robert Byrd, and also the death of Joseph Morgan, a ward who was killed while attempting to escape. Those events alone brought so much unwanted attention, along with Hirshberg's open view of corporal punishment, making it necessary for him to resign his post and pass the torch to yet another superintendent.

C.B. Riddick entered the scene on December 16, 1900.  During Riddick's time at Preston there was only one reported death of a ward, June 24, 1902.  The young man's name was John Lawne, and his cause of death was reported in the Biennial Report as tuberculosis. The feat that Riddick managed to hold down his post at Preston for nearly four years without any sort of scandal was impressive, given the reputation of his predecessors. The Amador Ledger spoke of this accomplishment in an article mentioning Riddick's resignation in 1903.

"Superintendent Riddick Resigns-- The San Francisco Chronicle says that J.B {sic} Riddick, who for the past four years has filled the responsible position of superintendent of the Preston Reform school at Ione, has sent in his resignation, to take effect in December next. With many who desire the welfare of the institution, this action on the part of the superintendent will be regretted. The place is an arduous one; not every good man can manage a reformatory of this kind with credit. It must be admitted that under Dr. Riddick's care the school has been free from the rumors of scandal and mismanagement  that have marked it in previous years.The boys have been contented and happy; the attempts to escape have been few. That he has not pleased everyone is not to be wondered at.  That feat is beyond human accomplishment. Public interests will be well served if his successor proves as capable and efficient in the management of the school as the retiring superintendent has proved himself."----- Amador Ledger, September 25, 1903

When I wrote my book, "Behind The Walls," I hadn't been able to find a lot of information in regards to the fifth superintendent, W. T. Randall.  The only story I found at the time Randall was superintendent, was a story about a ward, Joe Pires, who claimed to have been wrongfully committed. He stated that he never had a trial, but instead was forced to plead guilty to petty larceny to a Justice of the Peace in Santa Barbara and immediately shipped off to Preston. He filed a petition on the basis of habeas corpus, but I was unable to find any outcome of this young man's case. In my past research, the only other information I found was that Randall retired in 1909, claiming that he wished to devote  more time for educational work at Berkeley, but I have found that couldn't have been further from the truth. An article in the San Francisco Call, enlightens the subject with more detail as to the real reason why Randall retired from Preston. 

"Sacramento, November 19.--- Dr. William T. Randall, former superintendent of the Preston School of Industry at Ione, did not resign of his own accord to pursue educational work in the bay cities, but gave up his position under pressure following an investigation held by the governor and the trustees of the reform school.

Mistreatment of the boys under him was one of the charges brought against Doctor Randall. Another was that he favored the Free Methodist sect in the appointment of teachers on the school staff. These charges by Dr. J.K. McLean of Oakland and Rev. Charles A. Ramm of San Francisco, were kept secret by the investigators by agreement. Secretary of the Board of Examiners Deming  admitted that pressure had been brought to bear in Doctor Randall's case.

"Doctor Randall's conduct of the school was above reproach," said Deming. "The only thing that could be said against him was that he was a little too severe with some of the boys. The worst thing he did was to imprison one boy for 90 days in a room in an attic. There were other things not quite so severe.  We did not suspect any of this until the state board of charities and corrections investigated complaints that had been sent to it. Its charges were in turn investigated by the governor and the trustees, and it was agreed that Doctor Randall should resign. He would not agree that he was wrong, and that was the only course left open to him."--- San Francisco Call, November 20, 1909.

The horror stories would not stop with Randall's resignation. No, the Preston School of Industry would continue to carry on its reputation for scandal and mistreatment for many years to come....

(© Copyright 2012-2015, J’aime Rubio, Originally published either on blog “Dreaming Casually” by J’aime Rubio, on my Facebook Page or in the book “Behind The Walls- A Historical Exposé of The Preston School of Industry” by author, J’aime Rubio.)  All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission by the author/publisher, J’aime Rubio. 

More Violence At The Preston School of Industry

Preston has a bad reputation for brutality to the wards, but I can tell you, there was just as much brutality from the wards to each other and the staff. In this post you will read about different accounts at different time periods, but all relating to a violent incident. 

Whether it was a ward attacking a staff member, a ward attacking another ward, or worse, a staff member brutalizing the boys, there is plenty of evidence to show that this place certainly had its dangerous side.



ANOTHER WARD SHOT AT PRESTON

According the Ione Valley Echo, dated July 26, 1924, a ward from Company F, Ray Baker attacked and attempted to murder guard Thomas Dooley. While Baker was nearly choking Dooley to death, Dooley was still able to reach for his pistol and shot Baker, fatally wounding him. Although Baker was brought to the hospital for his injuries, he died within 10 minutes of arriving. Guard Dooley was later exonerated for any wrongdoing due to the circumstances of the incident.



BOY STABBED AT SCHOOL

On February 7, 1912, ward # 1295, Frank Pimental, who was 20 years old, stabbed 14 year-old ward # 1266, Robert Robertson. The San Francisco Call misspelled Robertson's name and called him "Robinson," however this is the same boy. According to the papers, there had been an ongoing grudge between the two and that is what authorities believed led up to the stabbing (also mentioned "slashing") of Robertson. The newspapers also put into question why an older ward was mixed among the younger, less violent wards at the school.

SHARP WORDS CAN CUT, BUT RAZORS CAN DO WORSE

On March 21, 1911 just shortly after 7 p.m., an argument of harsh words between wards John Greenan and Floyd DeHaye turned into a violent physical altercation. Once it seemed as though fists weren't enough, Greenan decided to pull out a razor and slashed DeHaye's throat. Guards at the school were able to subdue Greenan and Constable John Kelly held him in the County Jail on charges of "assault with a deadly weapon with intent to commit murder." DeHaye was sent to Hospital quarters and received several stitches to his throat but survived the attack.




PISTOL PACKIN' LADY

Although this photo is of a model in the 1920's showing the style of "pistol packing" for women of that time period, it reminds me of a story I found recently in my further research of the Preston School of Industry about an escape that almost was. You see, on the evening of July 4th, 1923, six wards from Preston (PSI) assaulted a group supervisor, tied him up and threw him into a closet. They got as far as the Colonial Building when the head cook (a woman) who was standing in the living room looking out the window when she saw the boys run by. She quickly pulled her pistol out from under her clothing, which she had strapped above her knee, not unlike this photo, and she quickly went out after the boys and even fired in their direction scaring them. It notified the rest of the staff there that the boys were going that direction and their escape was stopped. This was a lesson learned by the Directors and Superintendent there that more staff was needed, being that they had just laid off their Asst. Superintendant, 6 group supervisors and ALL of their parole officers shortly before this escape attempt. After this incident, they knew that the budget cut had been a terrible mistake!

DARKER SECRETS REVEALED

In his 1929 autobiography "Stealing Through Life", Ernest Booth touches on various aspects of his life, including his stay at the Preston School of Industry which started at the age of 17 in 1915. Ernest goes on to speak of horrid conditions and sexual abuse that was forced on the wards by older wards, and even worse, accusations of pedophilia that took place as well. In his book his account reads: "With fifty other boys I was herded into an ill-lighted basement each evening. There we sat, on benches for three hours, often deprived of all reading material, because some petty annoyance had, in reprisal, had been put upon the officer in charge of us. In the dormitories paederasty was nightly practiced. The night watchman seemed indifferent. For weeks he would do no more than chase an amorous older boy from the bed of some youngster. Then, waxing virtuous, he would deliver a tirade against all boys who even thought about such practices. While the boys stood at their respective bedsides, naked, he would walk about and lecture us on the evil of our ways."-- {"Stealing Through Life," Ernest Booth (1929)}

(© Copyright 2012-2015, J’aime Rubio, Originally published either on blog “Dreaming Casually” by J’aime Rubio, on my Facebook Page or in the book “Behind The Walls- A Historical Exposé of The Preston School of Industry” by author, J’aime Rubio.)

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