Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-02-24


heavy loads. The saving is kept up night
and day and about $4,000 feet of sawed
lumber is taken out every twenty-tour
hours. The timber is mostly that which
was prostrated by the hurricane last fall.
HYGIENIc STARVATION AT BRATTLE-
BoRo.-The Springfield Republican speaks
of a case of starvation which was the re-
suit of fanatical adherence to prepos-
ferrous dogma. That journal says:
The case of the alleged starvation of
Flora Stoddard at Brattleboro, by her
half sister, Mrs. George G. Has
kins, is one of the most extraordi-
nary that ever darkened the criminal an
at Worcester, vt, a few. miles north of
Montpelier. Flora went to Braattleboro
last August, at the earnest solicitation of
Mrs. Haskins, and from that time seems
to have been completely under the con-
troll of that woman. The latter had just
graduated at the Hygienie Institute in
New Jersey, where she had become infat-
uated with the idea of living "hygienical-
cold water. This theory of diet seems to
have driven all else out of the woman's
mind and heart, making her cold, un.
feeling, systematically cruel being, labor
ing under the "best of intentions" Under
her treatment Flora began to lose flesh
and pine away, though her sister Ellen
declares that previously she was pretty
healthy girl. Mrs. Haskins asserts that
Flora was free to leave at any time, but
declined to do so, point which the sister
and mother do not discredit Early in
November her sister Ellen visited her, and
found the family living on this fare:
At about o'clock we ate our break
fast, which consisted chiefly of potatoes, a
bowl of raw apples, some graham cakes,
which Laura told me herself she mixed
with water and shortened with mashed
up potatoes without any salt, and dish
of apple sauce without any seasoning. We
dined again at about two and one-half
o'clock. We had the same for dinner as
we did for breakfast, with the exception
nothing in them but clear water, no salt,
pork, or anything, and all we had to eat
on them was some of that apple sauce
without seasoning, instead of vinegar.
Her pudding was rice cooked in clear
water, was not salted or buttered, with
nothing to eat on it. We had no salt.
butter, milk, meat, pepper, vinegar or
anything of the kind on the table. She
would not allow Flora or Clara iher child
to eat amy thing, not SO much as an apple,
between meals. They ate twice day,
the general time being about 81 a. m.
and 2i p. m. Laura Mrs. Haskins) told
me when she got home from the hygienio
institute at New Jersey that she was in
tending to allow her husband and Flora
salt and cream to eat on their potato, and
let them live as they had been living.
| But she said that Flora declared that she
would not live the hygienic style, she
would starve first. Then Laura said that
she was bound Flora should live just as
she did. She said she was quite turbu-
lent at first but she had got to be quite
docile now-had got to be pretty good
girl, and so on. She also said that she
had very good COW that was the great
est temptation to Flora she had, and she
Immediately sold her.
Mrs. Haskins' treatment of Ellen was
very rude. January II, the latter visited
her sister again and was turned out of the |
house by Mrs. Haskins, without being al
lowed to see her. This scene threw the |
invalid Flora into almost her last cough
ing fit, and as she begged to see her sister
Ellen, the latter was finally sent for.
With policeman she again approached
the house, and was allowed to see and
comfort her sister. The dying girl was
lying in freless room, and was still fed
"hygienically" by the half sister, who
took occasion to remark that the sufferer
had given her clothes to her. Ellen at
once reused the selectmen, and Flora was
moved OF the following day to a neigh
boris, the sheriff and doctor assisting.
After the most comfortable day of the
whole sickness she died in the afternoon. |
From the evidence before us it seems |
undeniable that the girl died through the
hygienic diet, which her half sister SO
fanatically and cruelty, not to say crimi-
nally, enforced. Mrs. Haskins deserves
the lunatic asylum, to say the least, and
the town and medical authorities must be |
very hard hearted, or they have slept ill
O. nights over their criminal negligence.
BENsoN-The religious interest in the
Congregational and M. E. Churches in
this place continues to increase. Such
time of deep and general awakening
throughout the entire town has not been |
known for many years. Meetings have
been held in both churches nearly every
night since the first of January, the NJ. |
E. Church having commenced meetings
at the close of the week of prayer, and
the Congregational Church few even
ings later. The kindest of feeling seems
to prevail in the hearts of all christians, |
each denomination rejoicing in the others
prosperity. Many have and are needing
the calls of Gods Spirit, and are finding
Him to the Joy of their hearts; and still
the work goes on.
Irwin West, lad about 8 years OF
age, son of Samuel West, while at play
with some boys Monday evening, fell off
from high platform near his fathers
house and broke both bones OF the leg
below the knee, his foot being caught in
a brace. He did not fall to the ground.
SALE OF A VALUABLE .ANIMAL-A.l
w. Winslow 81 Sons of Putney, have re-
Gently sold their Short Horn bull "Nor-
thumberland," winner of the first prize at
the New England Fair, at Portland, Me-,
last season, as the best bull calf, to Paul
Jenkins and g. T. Brown of Conway,
Mass, for five hundred dollars. He was
cot hv the Duke of Putney f,RSGN ont of