Wilmington, April 4—Investigation of charges that prisoners in New Hanover county home here had been maltreated and also of the case of last week where the superintendent’s son is charged with carrying two white woman prisoners on a joy ride, resulted this morning with the suspension of W.C. Page, superintendent, and Mrs. Page, matron of the home, and they were given 60 days to give up their positions.
Bruce Page, a soldier from Fort Bragg, who is a son of the superintendent, was found guilty yesterday by Recorder George Harris of the charge of aiding prisoners to escape from the county home. He was sentenced to 30 days on the roads, but sentence was suspended and the young man was ordered to return to camp today.
It is alleged that Page secured a taxicab Sunday night and directed the driver to convey him to the county home, where, it is said, he obtained his father’s keys and effected the release of two white women, Martha Lewis and Bessie Whitaker, who were serving time for operating a disorderly house. The young man and the two women motored to Topsail Sound, the soldier returning to the city and Superintendent Page and another son, upon being notified of the women’s escape, afterwards captured the two women on the sound.
The county commissioner ordered an investigation of the escapade, also directing the inquiry be made concerning other charges of irregularities made against Superintendent Page. Commissioner Linwood D. Latta submitted his report to the board this morning, citing instances where the prisoners had been mistreated and also reporting on certain other happenings at the home.
From the front page of The Monroe Journal, April 6, 1923. A disorderly house was a house of prostitution.
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