Morning journal and courier., 1889-12-10
.x-srEwARD CHERRY REPTILES


 Certain Other Statements = Inside |
 Workangs at she Almshouse-A word
 About Fast Horses and lmperfect
 0seorAs-Hampering z Restrictions.
 Ex-6teward E. Knight Sperry of the alms-
 house was interviewed last evening concern ing remarks by MT. Sanford in the Register of yesterday about him and his connection with the almshouse. In regard to the re- mark that MT. Sperry had merely packed his
 satchel and departed without any farewell
 ceremonies, he thought all parties concerned
 would be willing to dispense with all fare.
 well ceremonies. MT. Sperry said he had
 not packed up his effects or visited the alns-
 house, as his time had not permitted. In re-
 gard to the statement of MT. Sanford in the Register that MT. Sperry "hated anything having the least resemblance to work" Mir. Sperry said that Mir. Sanford made studied effort not to permit him to have anything to l do with the duties which belonged to him, and would not let him assume any of the
 duties of steward. Mir. Sperry's only duties
 assigned were to keep the books and listen to
 the telephone. His legitimate duties of
 steward were entirely ignored. In regard to
 not meddled with the duties of others he
 would have been all right" Mir. Sperry said he msddled with no business but his own, l and even the right to do this was denied
 him. It appears, also, that Mr. Sanford
 took exception to statements of Mr. Sperry
 before the board of seiectmen that he had
 seen MT. Sanford receipt for two barrels of | crackers when only one was received. In re- ply, MT. Sperry said he saw the receipt after 1t was written and was sure that his state- ment to the selectmen could not be ques.
 tioned. Mir. Sanford did give re-
 ceipt for two barrels when only one
 was delivered, and if the receipt has not been
 changed 1t will speak for itself. MT. Sanford claimed that receipt book was kept at the
 and accepted. My only reply, says Mir. | Sperry, is MT. Sanford's own statement un- der oath to the selectmen last Friday night | This showed there had never been any sys- tematic record of receipts kept at the insti- tuition, and there had been Q studied effort on his part not to keep such record. His | argument to me for not keeping such a record was the expense of postage for send | ing receipts to parties when they were not present to receive them in person. MT. San- ford himself admitted that only lately had there been an attempt at reform in this mat ter, and also that only about two-thirds Of the goods had been receipted for.
 In regard to "Mr. Sperry's ambition" and the alleged singular circumstance that his resignation was not made till the result of the town election was known: My resigna- tion, says MT. Sperry, was written before the election, as its date will show, and it came before the board of selectmen on the evening of election before the result was known. Mir. Sperry experienced no disappointment Eat seeing no possible chance of succeeding Mir. Sanford" as he had no ambition whatever to succeed to the position of superintendent. "I have always said," continued Mir. Sper- ", "that wouldn't take such position if 1t were offered me, as I have no fancy what ever for it."
 MT. Sperry alluded to the story that MT. Sanford went to the New Haven Baking con- pany to investigate the story about the two barrels of crackers and learned that the town agent had ordered two barrels. Mir. Sperry said if the town agent did order them
 1t was Q departure from the usual custom. The usual custom was for the town agent to give MT. Sanford an order to carry to the firm. had no means of knowing what had been ordered. only know that one barrel came and two were receipted for.
 In regard to MT. Sanford's claim that MT.
 Sperry had shown an unwillingness to obey
 tho rules, MT. Sperry throws back the charge
 upon MT. Sanford and said he had argued
 with him in vain time after time to have
 him live up to the rules, and there was al-
 ways an apparent studied effort on the super
 intcndsnt's part to avoid a strict observance of them.
 Furthermore, Mir. Sperry said that on one occasion a side of veal came to the place for the superintendent's table. Part of it was sent to the female department, part was used seemed to have been spirited away and was | absent the best part of three days. Mir. l Sperry quietly investigated, and the fact that | he was Keeping a close watch seemed to af- feet the management, for on the third day | the missing piece was returned to the alms- house. During this time 1t had been in the almshouse lee houses or refrigerators. When | the missing piece was being served, Mrs. | Sanford pertly remarked to Mir. Sperry, You see the missing piece has been accounted for. |
 Nr. Sperry had Q word to say about the | horse expenses of the town farm. Horses were kept at the towns expense for Mir. San- | ford's own diversion. The town had twenty | three horses on hand, and yet MT. Sanford | kept horse for Police Officer Mcbride free | of charge all winter and used 1t as driving l horse himself, Mcbride using 1t at his own | expense during the summer. The winter before this he kept horse belonging to Pratt, the Meriden embezzler, without any expense to Pratt. On his own statement MT. Sanford paid Prstt's wife $2 for driving it down from Meriden to the almshouse. Mir. Sanford used this trotter for the purpose of ''giving the boys brush on the avenue" and for his own sport and diversion.
 In addition to that, he tried to have the
 Hubinger brothers let him have one of their
 trotters, but they declined. have 1t on authority, continued Mr. Sperry,
 that . horse belonging to the town was
 driven till 1t was most dead by Sanford's
 subordinates, and early the next morning the horse was taken to @ barn in the Annex
 where 1t died. It was then represented that 1t was one that had been worked there a cart horse. .- Mr. Sanford instructed me, when first tA ha o1vaal,Nuaa that wa In hava nothing to do with the female department in tho matter of records, and that all I needed to know about 1t would be told me by Mrs. Sanford; that Mrs. Sanford would give me all necessary particulars of the females ad- mitted. Last September there was female inmate admitted, and when applied to Mrs. Sanford for the necessary information for my record she postponed the matter. made repeated efforts afterwards to learn the par- ticulars, but was never successful. The cli- max to my endeavoIs was pert reply from her that if I wanted information I would have to 20 after it. Since then 1t has been almost impossible to get the necessary facts for my records. have been hsmpered in all efforts to discharge my duty in the matter of making proper records. During the last three weeks that was at the alrlshouse un- der the head of "remarks" in my report to the selectmen, noted the delinquencies of
 Mrs. Sanford and my inability to obtain the uOCouuuEy kutOL LmusAOhs 1uL. OnhAoiuy Wuo always had delivered the reports to the se- lectuasn, failed to deliver these reports, and believe they have never come to the knowledge of the board.
 Mir. Sperry, in reply to Mir. Sanford's re. mark that he hated work, said that Mir. Sanford did not spend an hour day, on an average, outside of meal hours at the alms- house. He reports an exclamation by MT. Sanford that he "wouldn't spend over an hour day in the almshouse office to save the selectmen from h-l." In conclusion Mir. Sperry said: On one occasion Mrs. San- ford took me to task for not performing certain work. told her it was not my duty and that 1t had never been given mo to do. She said she did not believe my statement and that she knew that I had told many untruths about the workings of the institution. replied that I had said nothing but what could prove. She said could not do 50 except by pauper testimony,
 and that was good for nothing.
 wish to say in connection with this that
 believe that many of those who are so un- fortunate as to be compelled to accept the
 hospitality of the almshouse have as much
 intellect and honor as many who are more
 fortunate, and that my intercourse with
 them has been the cause of making my stay
 among them not only bearable but enjoya-
 ble, and I shall ever hold in kind remem- brsnce the inmates of Springside farm. 
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