Smoke Signals from Samarcand: The 1931 Reform School Fire and Its Aftermath

136 Pages·2018·11.33 MB·English

by  Barbara Bennett

smoke signals from samarcand
for my mother
Maralin Payne Bennett
S M O K E S I G N A L S
from samarcand
The 1931 Reform School Fire
and its Aftermath
BARBARA BENNETT
The University of South Carolina Press
© 2018 University of South Carolina
Published by the University of South Carolina Press
Columbia, South Carolina 29208
www.sc.edu/uscpress
27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
can be found at http://catalog.loc.gov/.
ISBN 978-1-61117-860-9 (cloth)
ISBN 978-1-61117-861-6 (ebook)
Much Madness is divinest Sense –
To a discerning Eye –
Much Sense – the starkest Madness –
’Tis the Majority
In this, as all, prevail –
Assent – and you are sane –
Demur – you’re straightway dangerous –
And handled with a Chain –
Emily Dickinson

Contents
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xi
Prologue: Fire 1
Part One
the samarcand sixteen
One 11
Two 25
Three 36
Four 51
Part Two
the trial
Five 75
Six 100
Epilogue: Repercussions 104
Works Cited 117
Index 119

Illustrations
Samarcand Manor building 20
Samarcand girls outside the chapel 23
Nell Battle Lewis home, 1514 St. Mary’s 27
Inmates exercising on the grounds of Samarcand Manor 34
Girls swimming in the pond on the grounds of Samarcand Manor 38
May Day celebration at Samarcand 53
A parlor at Samarcand Manor 55
Samarcand inmates on a wagon 58
Some of the youngest inmates at Samarcand 60
Girls’ bedroom at Samarcand 63
Judge Michael Schenck 76
Exterior of Moore County Courthouse 79
Interior of the main courtroom of Moore County Courthouse 81
Newspaper story showing Nell Battle Lewis and some of the
Samarcand Sixteen 97
Nell Battle Lewis in her later years 112