Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-02-28
HENRY BELL IN NEWFANE.
HE WAS TAKEN THERE ON WEDNESDAY


Before Justice Newton-Arrested at His
Home in Halifax Tuesday Morning and
Brought to Brattleboro-W Examina.
tion and Was Bound Over to Appear at the
Coming Term Of County Court.
The much talked about Henry Bell,
whose alleged actions toward his wife
and children have given him an unen-
viable position in the minds of all self
respecting persons, is having chance
to sample the county Jail bill of fare
while he awaits the coming term of
county court. After preliminary
hearing before Justice William New
ton Tuesday he was bound over in the
sum of $500 to appear at county court
in answer to complaint charging him
with cruelty neglecting and failing to
provide proper food, care, etc., for his
oldest son, and there are numerous
other complaints to which he will have
to respond.
AS stated in last weeks Reformer
States Attorney George A. Weston
made one attempt to go to Halifax and
vestigate the matter but weather con-
ditions interfered Mr.. Weston was at
first inclined to delay the matter until
court time and then file an informa-
tion, but he was advised, partly
| through the columns of this paper, to
attend to the matter at once, and so
came to Brattleboro Tuesday with war
rants for Bells arrest
Chief of Police Hall and Officer Ami
don started for Halifax Immediately
and found Bell in his yard chopping
wood. After talking few minutes
Officer Hall read his warrant and asked
Bell when he would be ready to start
for Brattleboro. The man signified his
willingness to go at once and went into
the house for his coat. He said moth
ing to the children, who apparently
took no interest in his departure, and
had no conversation with his wife ex-
cept to say-''We didn't get along any
too we'll when we were both here and
don't know how it will be now.'
Officer Hall arrived in Brattleboro
with his prisoner about 2 O'Clock and
conducted him to the offices of Bacon
d Hooker where a brief consultation
with States Attorney Weston was
held. Adjournment was then taken to
the office of Justice Newton. Bell
asked for counsel and Attorney A. F.
Schwenk was secured. Some. little, :
time elapsed before the witnesses who =
had been summoned from Halifax ar
rived but they soon put in an appear
ance and the hearing began immedi-
ately. Mrs. Frank Powers was the
first witness and although her testi-
mony together with the cross examin-
alton occupied some time, it amounted
to very little in relation to the COM
plaint on which Bell was arrested.
Mrs. Powers told of her visits to the
Bell farm and of the conditions there,
but she had no evidence to show that
the oldest son had been neglected or
cruelty treated. She said the child
was dressed thinly as far as she could
see but she had made no examination
If his apparel. She also told of the
articles of clothing which she had car
led to the family.
Officer Hall was next put on the
tand and his testimony was similar to
hat of Mrs, Powers with the excep-
ion that he described the conditions
more fully and gave much more con-
lected story of what he saw.
The third witness was DR.. R. c. AL
rich, who went to Halifax with Mrs.
lowers last week to attend the young
st child. He was able to give what
eemed to be an accurate description
f the house and stated positively that
he conditions were filthy and decid-
dly unsanitary. He also said that
one of the children was in we'll
ourished condition, although he made
o careful examination of the three
lder ones. The baby, he said, was in.
critical condition due to criminal
eglect. Four of its ribs had been
and never properly cared for
nd it also was suffering from rachitis.
Andrew c. Worden, who lives short
istance from Bells place, was next
iven chance to tell what he knew of
le matter He said that he had not
cen to the Bell farm lately but that
n several occasions he had seen the
lildren tending cattle in the rain.
was his opinion that they were not
roperly clothed, but he stated on
'oss examination that they looked
no dirtier than most younguns. AT
# much probing by States Attorney
eston, Mr.. Worden said that he had
Iterfered last spring in an alteration
etween Bell and his wife, when the
rmer was attempting to drag the lat
r into the house. Mrs. Bell, he said,
as attempting to defend herself with
axe He had also seen Mrs. Bell
ith bad black eye which was the
suit of pounding she had received.
Mr.. Weston then called Edwin A.
lexander, a grain merchant of Col
in, Mass. to prove that Bell was the
ghtful owner of his place and not
,verty stricken as he had pretended.
r. Alexander said that Bell owed
m bill of about 5000 and that morn
g had offered to give mortgage of
y of his stock to cover the amount.
A. Gilbert, newspaper reporter,
is then called, but his testimony
ought little new light on the sub
ct. He had been at the Bell place
the morning of the hearing to take
me photographs and he told of what
saw there Mrs. Jane Worden tes-
led that the Bell children had been
her house a number of times and
e always fed them. though she was
t positive that they were being
lrved at home. The last witness was
fcer Amidon, who gave his version
the appearance of things at the Bell
ice.
When the testimony was completed
ate's Attorney Weston summed up
2 case briefly, letting Bell know in
lin terms what he thought of the
tter He wanted the bail placed at
100 at the lowest, but Justice New
! thought that $500 would answer
; purpose. Bell was unable to find
,ondsman and therefore spent the
hit in the lookup. He was taken to
E., " j L