Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-02-21

Delay in Attending to the Matter.
The old adage "charity begins at
home' must be meaningless to the in
habitants of Halifax when they allow
to exist within the towns limits such
a state of affairs as was seen last week
by Officer Ernest S. Hall, who was in
Halifax in the capacity of agent of the
Humane society. Mr. Hall and Mrs.
Frank Powers were in Halifax to in
yeStipate the case of certain Fred
Miller who it was understood was not
housing his stock properly, and it was
while they were attending to this case
that their attention was called to that
of Henry Bell against whom grave
charges were made.
Thinking the stories would bear in
vestigation Mr.. Hall drove to Bells
home and found there a condition of
things of which the neighbors and in
fact every person in the town ought to
be heartily ashamed The house,
small one-story affair, contained two
rooms one of which was filled with
hens and geese, and in the most filthy
condition. In the other apartment
which is used as kitchen, bedroom
and living room was Mrs. Bell and
four children, the oldest apparently
only u years old. Everything about
the room indicated not only extreme
poverty but positive neglect. In one
corner was bed where Mr.. and Mrs.
Bell slept; on the table in the center
of the room was piece of coarse corn
cake the center of which had been dug
out; and back of the stove, budding
on some old blankets were three of the
children. The youngest, mere in
fant, was in Mrs. Bells arms. She
said it was i'll with spinal trouble.
The three older children were pic
lures of dumb animal fear. The oldest
boy, child perhaps II years old, had
a terrible scar on one side of his
face, caused, Mrs. Bell said, by his
falling on stove while locked in a
room some time ago. When Mr.. Hall
tried to talk with the children they
huddled together like frightened ami
mails and il was impossible for him to |
get word out of them Mrs Bell was (
asked if she would not make complaint |
against her husband, but she seemed |
to be too much in fear of him.
The conditions were such as needed /
only glance to show the state of af-
fairs, and after a short conversation
with Mrs. Bell Mr.. Hall went to the
barn to see the stock. The result of
his investigation there was that Mr..
Bells animals Jared about the same as
his children. Everything about the
barn was filthy and several of the ami
mails appeared to be in half starved Il
condition. Utterly astocnded at such
neglect ana brutality M Hail visited
several of the neighbors and inquired
how long it had been going on. From
what he could find out ii seems that
these conditions have existed for sew
eral years in the very face and eyes of
people who call themselves self respect 4.
ing. Threats and remonstrances have
seemed to have no effect on Bell, and
even severe threshing was not suf |
ficient punishment to make him change
his ways. ,
According to the stories of people
who have known the family, acts of \
revolving cruelty have been common |
occurrences there. One story is to the |
effect that one of the children-a seven r
years old girl was made to remain out |
in the rain all night in search of a
iock of sheep which had strayed away,
and that the child was found the next
in a half frozen condition by :,
one of the town officers. Another story
hat came to Mr.. Halls ears was that
Bell in a fit of anger had killed colt
With an AK and then chopped the body
q pieces and thrown it to the hogs.
\ Guilford man who formerly lived in
Halifax said that the children were so
II nourished that they were unable to
walk at the age of two or three years. n
After hearing many stories, some of \
hem even worse than these above re- q
ated, Mr. Hall returned to Brattle- "
,oro and reported the matter to States I,
Attorney Weston who promised to take N
immediate action An effort was made n
o have him go to Halifax Saturday h
nut he appeared to have other more d
important business. On Monday morn ST
ng Mr.. Hall, Mr. Weston and a rep h
sentative of The Reformer started for Ia
Halifax, but on account of the weather al
we're obliged to return after going as n,
ar as Green River The present plan fl
Gems to be to wait until county court n
nd then file an information Mean cr
'hile the present conditions continue, II
nd there is time for numberless T
rimes before March t. er
Dr. r. c. Aldrich and Mrs. Frank r,
lowers visited the Bell family yester- tc
ay and found conditions but little il
hanged. The youngest child is suf- h,
ering with rachitis, disease caused fo
y improper care and mal-nutrition, ar
ut will undoubtedly recover with is
ood treatment. Mr.. Bell was seen n,
nd given to understand what would se
appen if con 1itions were not radical d,
7 changed. He pleaded poverty as an IA
ynnr htlt hn far 70 hn in ]