Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1876-02-02
For the Freeman,
The LulI Case.


k the recent term Of the Windsor Count
, Court of Sumner t. Lull late a kccpc
4 of the state prison at Windsor
We give below extracts from some :
them, and rs so much has been said. an
that only in comment, by the press. som
hiStorV of the case may be of interest I
the readers of the FREEMAN:
That was soIry day for Vermont that witnessed IL
The state prison at Windsor for alleged cruelty TO tn
means used to his conviction or the motive tia
nromnted this attack npoon Mr. Lnl Those who kno,
tleman They viii still believe that he nsc onl
1olph Herald. ''
Mr.. Lull was not tried for allcgcs
cruelty to prisoners" but simply for as
saultinG prisoner. one Kefoe or common
" called " keefc;' Just as Tom. Dick O.
Harry would very likely be tried if h,
should enter the Herald office, and with ;
Hickory bludgeon from two and half t
three feet long, an inch in diam cter an,
loaded ut both ends. hit its svmpatheti,
editor over the head. knocking him ovc1
and letting the gentle blood flow rs frccl,
rs his ink. And the said Tom, Dick OF
Harry would very likely be convicted
though friends should still regard him n:
4 kind, Christian gentleman"
Til" PERSECUTION summer r Inll for assault 77Toi
Superintendent Bailey, who has contrivel durin. hi
body connected with tie rrson direct@>s contractor
nrht to be- m for reSn. th
official who is to say the least not improving the dis
The contractors who have given the state the only prof
table contract they ever had for the convct,' labor
Tns trial ana has pnb a 'n ard
I-u who it was claimed used no more violence than
ers It is sa s ao THen On a% f RI t
prisoners which if true. would indicate an easy meth
lows Falls Times.
| 1t will be observed that while the Htr-
aM represents the act on which the prose
| cutlon was based as "onlv necessary
force in governing the prisoners" the
Times conveys the idea that = rebellion or
rising of the prisoners was in existence
and to quell it the blow was given.
1t appears that the prisoner kccfc was
L boy about 20 years old, and Judged to
weigh about $50 pounds. and previous to
the time at which this blow was struck.
about Nov. 20, had once been punished in
July previous, and some two or three
months after his being committed. The
defence represented him to be a very vi
cIous, refractory and dangerous man, vet
the only fault they accused him of was
" wasting stock He was a heel cutter
cutting out the leather for heels. bv means
OF die and hammer. and ut the
umc named was reported TO the :. shop
keeper, who is 4 prison official, bv the
overSecr, who Is an officer Of the contract
ors. As wasting his stock again In an
swer to the question of how he wasted the
stock. he (the overscer) explained that the
mon, IN, 49,. l
so rs to have the cuts meet and interscct.
instead of which the prisoner would often
leave a quarter of an inch between them.
IN the forenoon the prisoner was reported.
anu during the afternoon the keeper, Burr. |
rang tor the head keeper Lull, who came
in and after a brieftalk with Burr, whi>tled. |
Whlrh was the signal for attention from
all the prisoners, then siynallcd kcefn bv .
motion to come to the keepers desk which .
he ut once did. On reaching the desk
LulI told him to get his coat. cap and
bucket and come out, which All UNDER
stand to mean confinement in the : Soil
arv cell.
Up to this point All the violence agrees.
luII and Burr testify that on receiving
he order the prisoner replied. IL havnt
lone anything. on which the order was
~ the prisoner in a louder tone: aran the
'rdrr was repeated, get Your coat. cap
md bucket and come. or shall hit Won
with this cane" that he .again rcplicj he
Etd done nothing. did not start. and he
men hit him with the cane. at which he
maze some outCrv, oh, OF Oh dear. and
tclcd or stumbled against The steps The
prisoners who testified said kecf,. rcpicd.
what have DONE and that 1T the lhird
'rdtr he started and had partially turned
When Il" received the blow on the side of
us head which fcllel him 1t once that he l
'agSerrd to his feet, clappiny his hand t.
rs head, the blood flowing out between /
rs fingers and cried out. - oh Mr.. Iul
on put me IN there. or in that place.
LUZ and Bum testify that when h. came !
p n" brought with him the heavy hammer |
G used III his work. which Il" held dur :
1T the time named. gra>ping it in Il
threatening manner, hu, dropping it when
truck two OF III" prisoners said he had e
o hammer when h" came up. and the t,
Tiers who saw the matter said thcy SAW ,.
hammer. Lnll testified thtt when
eefc came into the prison hull he washed
he wound and put some arnic:t on il. ana =
ave him some to take with him. From Y
II, time heeir disappears for some io..r -
: live days. when he comes back into ,h..
Top from cell and solitary, with a wound y
his head, Gas Described by the prisoner II
ltnesscs), some two inches in lcngth /
Sollen SO ~ 10 partially close hi, eve, -,
'png 50 he coald lay hi, thumb into
e wound; corrupted, the matter dis -
larSing running down of his hair. stink 10
e 50 rs to be offensive 10 the prisoners if
orklny near him; one of whom, moved a.
compassion. obtained permission to oct
me ca>tile-soap and some RAGS from his 81
II. which some friends outside had fur 1t
she'd HIM. and wash and cleanse the be
)und. After this he WIS sent tothr prison
rber to have tie hair shaved of and :, -.
lster put on. Some time after and before !"
wound healed, he began To- behave ne
angrly, had queer notions, that he had >p
lerllcd Il large amount of money; that In
IT had 4 pardon for him, which he was 8,
.plnT back, &c.. 50 that some time in
Druary he was pronounced insane. and M
moved to his cell, and taken to Brarlc Ia,
o. where he still remains, pronounced -,
Dr. Draper hopcles>lv insane. ESQ
The Prison Rules from which the keep .''
derives his authority, expressly state lou
t " no prisoner shall receive any Low the
other corporal punishment from any rev
Ger OF the prison except in self defence IN;
he defence of others" Was it in do i'
&c OF the keeper or others? He "told We
to start for his cap, Nc, or he should to
Ike him, that he did not start and he die
lex hun, is I.ull's own testimony. Was
y blow "only necessary force in GOV !
ING the prisoners, and does such = bet
" and its care afterwards count as
inctive and shining marks Of the Hr- ,'.f
$ " kind Christian gcntleman?' lies
ut the Times speaks of "a rebellion ino
'nG the prisoners and the usin~ of no =
e violence than was necessary to oucll
The statute expressly states that if in '''e
. 4uellln@ of any disorder riot or in VIZ
'cction. the prisoner bc killed. The Of Sch
Shall be held guiltles." The defence IT,,
med such an instruction existed, that
as afterward confessed by one of the or
oners; that they, Lull over six feet <
l and judged to weigh nearly POO o
nds and Burr of about the same weioht nv"
armed with those heavy canes, were is t
i'll of that boy Keefc; and vet some MAJ
KS after the blow was struck. Hurr for
e took kccfe from his bench. across