The Shake-up at Chehalis
After fourteen years of controversy, the state removes the superintendent of the reform school amid allegations of suppressed scandals.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The removal of Westendorf as superintendent of the state reform school at Chehalis and the appointment of Charles S. Reed of Seattle, formerly chief of police and recently a member of the state board of audit and control, as his successor, seems to be for the best interests of the school. Westendorf has been in office fourteen years and at every session of the legislature during the last ten years serious charges have been made against his management. At the last session of the legislature there was a big scandal regarding the school, but as usual the facts were suppressed. Westendorf has held the office long enough and it will be well to have a new man in charge to correct any abuses that may exist. There is good reason for believing that there is great room for improvement. The new superintendent, Mr. Reed, is an honorable gentleman, and all who know him are confident that his management of the school will prove eminently satisfactory to the people of the state.
“Westendorf has held the office long enough and it will be well to have a new man in charge to correct any abuses that may exist.”
This reflects a recurring cycle in Washington state history where long-standing institutional leadership finally faces scrutiny after years of alleged mismanagement. The demand for transparency in state-run juvenile facilities remains a pressing civic issue over a century later.
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