Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-01-16
STATEMENT OF THE TRUSTEES

The undersigned Trustees Of the Vermont
Reform School beg leave to present for your
consideration the following statement
touching certain statements made, and re-
ports circulated through the public prints,
calcnlated to create an unjust impression
IN regard to the management of the in
mates Of the school. thereby rejecting
severely upon the trustees and officers of
this State Institution. which has been con-
sidered. and Justly, too. one of the noblest
reiormatary institutions in all New Eng
land
boy 10y .he name OF Warren johnson
was committed to the school, Feb 5th,
1873, To await his trial at Windsor County
Court at its then next December Term. On
the 20th day of December last, he was
taken to Woodstock for trial, and remain
cd in Jail at that place until Dec cath,
when he Wa taken into court and plead
! guilty TO the indictment found against
him ON thai occasion, and before SEN
tence was imposed upon him, the follow
ing proceedings were had, As appears from
the Woodstock Ige of Dee. 18th.
On the ith day olFebruary, l3;.: Warren johnson.
then about II years of age, snt 10 the State Re
form School at Waterbury by one Of the justices Of
Plymouth, to stay until he Ia his trial at this
term Of the Windsor county court. Last week
Sherln Stimlcn took young johnson from Water
bury and last Saturday len him here in Jail This
afternoon he was brought into court and plead
guilty u the Indictment found by the Grand Jury
Before this, however, certain facts rs 10 the con
dltion Of the boy when the Sheriff received him. be-
anne necessary 80 mat ina court were in doubt
whether to send him back TO the Reform School.
unless the law compelled them 20 do; Therefore
several witnesses were called and their testimony
taken down by the Court Reporter. The follow ils
Is a synopsis % the te tinouy q, Sheriff Sttuson
Nathan Bland one ot the prisoners in the jail
Tailor Hewitt. Joseph y. benson. Dr.. Sher,gin anil
DR.. Robinson
Warren johnson. sixteen years old the 18th is,
ot next June nv home is IN Shrewsbury have
mother but n father, mother lives in Shrewsbury
Father died ten years ago. | have heard from
mother once since | have been 10 the ReGrrn
Schocl. She wrote ne. Can read books but not
writing. shcrfStimsou Last week Wednesday
wrote the superintendent o the Reform School that
Twas coming down On the train from 81. Alhaas Sat
urd1y, and ". he'd him g. have the boy at the de
pot. The etrain was three or four hours late and
ielographed N 10 be sure and have the boy at the
depot the arrival ui the train. We stopped
several minutes. but il was not until the train
In motion thar saw him. He was with another boy.
found h m IN dirty condition. examined him
yesterday ior the first time. Nj. Hewitt was With
me Found him thicklS covered with nts AMI lice
without maxim close examination. Something had
been done u h-s head heore I saw him. Nathan
Bland Examined hs head Saturday evening be-
cause he scra;ched H. lie had Ice saw about
twenty cut his hair Sunday-cou.dn't get a Gne
comb through hls hair on account of the nts. put
some tobacco juice on his head. then took OF his
shirt; il was dirty all through with lice. IL L
cotton shirt Pu; It IN the stove. Examined his
head last, Yesterday Ice then N his head. and
some under h-s arms. Mr.. Hewitt Examined him
last evening. Should think saw Icy one stroke OF
the hand hAltl dozen lice. Ills hair was iull of
uits None ~ the other inmates o. the iail have
lice. Joseph D. Deuison Examined hin with Col.
FHH fT IIsa4 faraf Ia -fraa ma
pF. sherwln Was called 20 sec him yesterday a..
ternoon. lie was N tt OF epilepsI. Some OF the
inmates said he had Ice, but made no examination
N account OF his condition. LAST evening Dr.
Robinson aud myself went down = the jail 10
anime hrs head. We found Ice in h.s hair and
great many nit. We examined his arms, think
saw nit- n his arm pits. Dr. Robinson Went 10
the jail with Or. Sherw last eyeniug Found that
the boy had Ice. lis hair Va full of nlts Am
sure saw nlts IN his arm-pts. Warren Johnson.
recalled HAD zee about two months, Knew that
the boys scratched their heads. Had comb
wore the shirt -ortnight, washed me all over week
az iast sunday. Il1i M soap ~ al, wash nv
hands and face every morning and noon, none ofthe
boy have soap. sleep alone Iealey, one Of the
,hcers. would whip me tai the blood would some
tles rua down my ic-s. He whipped with 4
stca. HeR ppec ne because be szld made the
hts Had enou n to eat and good bed. When
whispered he would Wh.p me. Judge Barrett sad
they would not then sp1e Of the ease. but hold It
ior consideration. Gov. Converse, beln. in the
court room commended the court IN the acton they
had taken ami requested copy 90 the testimony
1f the Reporter. We may here say that Jchn~,n
ha- been suhiect o. liis .0r long 'iue.
Two other papers published At " ooI>tosk
made editorial comments, rejecting in the
most severe terms upon the Institution anl
its officers. one OF them styling the former
"a den Of Yermin." and the latter little
better than brute-. and this. too. dpon the
Testimony and appearance Of one boy out
Of one hundred anil forty. and 2. standing
in the position of criminal about 10 re-
ceise sentence OF i've year confinement,
We could have hoped t,iat lis Honor.
JaIge Barrett, AMI the eitor- ol the papers
referred 10, would, before passing juig
mcnt ofeondcmnatlon upon the school have
given hearing 30 it, Trustees and officers.
a privileg, which the ii.r gives to the mean
e-t OF criminals; hut n this ease the imne-
dia,e oiHrers ol the Institution are condemn:
Ell and denounced without an opportunity
10 reply We have no desire to cover any
Arong, or % shield any person who is in
any sense blameworthy. We simply desire
that justice may be done, and with this ob-
ject in view We make the following state
ment.
Every hon in the school is obliged To
wash his entire body every Saturday even
ing they are marched in squads around
an Immense rink. lnires>ed and marched
in. From large pipe extending around
the top Of this rink, there are as many
streams ol warm sltt water thrown as there
are boys To hathe. They first wash their
heads, ,necks aud ear>. then their chestsand
arms then heing faced eeach boy vigorous
is scrubs his leaders back then their LEGS
and feet are attended to, every change is
made at the command of tie officer in charge, !
and as all are under his eye, any boy
shirking his duty is at once detected. |
The testimony ot the officers and boys
whom Va have to-day examined, estab-
lishes the fact that this duty Is never
neglected. When they come from the
bath they are wiped dry, and each boy
receives n clean shirt and pair of stockings.
The clothes which are lctt behind are taken
to the laundry where they are not only
washed. hut also ,,iisi. Having been
properly ironei they are sent to the sewing
room. where lost buttons are restored and
any needed repairs are made. when they are
again ready for use.
Experience has shown that l majority of
the new comers bring into the school head
lice. 1t has been the practice of the Super
intendent tD give each hoy fine comb in
addition to the pocket-comb which thev all
carry. bar after a while he discovered that
many of them were converted from articles
of meet ssity into articles of adornment, such
as rings. charms. etc. and many We're also
lost or destroyed. 10 guard against this
waste and to the end that the boys heads
might be more carefully attended to. ne
gave each teacher supply Of fine combs,
from which any hoy might ut any time
borrow, and it was also made the duty of
the teachers to see that those boys whose
native pride was not sufficient to lead them
voluntarily to keep clean shoGld comb each
Others hair twice each week. on Wednes-
days and Saturdays Out of one hundred
and iorty-two boys in the Institution to-
day, only f,cO were found who had any
traces of lice about their heads. although
diligent search and inquiry was made
among them. when they were standing in
line for that purpose. These two were from
among the small boys
The system of government in the lnstitu-
tiOn is one calculated 10 arouse and keep
alive any ambition and pride of character
which nature may I'VE bestowed upon these
boys. When they are received each is
placed in the third grade, which signifies
''bad boy At the expiration OF three
months, If he has conducted himself proper
ly, he is promoted to the second grade. which
is good boy and 50 on into the first.
which Is very good boy" and the adli-
tional degrees of trust and ''honor."
Those in the last mentioned degrees are
accorded more privileges than the others.
and are selected for positions of response
biity They are considered to be and are
in every way treated as persons of integrity
worthy of confidence and esteem, and it Is
from this class that furloughs and final dis