Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-02-28
BELL IN NEWFANE JAIL.
Held in $500 Bail for the County Court
on Charge of Cruelty to His Son
The Testimony Against Him.


The SEQUEL 20 the story of Henry c..
Bells inhuman treatment of the members
of his family. told in The Phoenix last
week was the arrest of Bell at ms nome
i'm Halifax Tuesday and his Imprisonment
in Newfane Jail Early Tuesday morn
ing chief Of Police Hall went to Halifax
to arrest Bell accompanied by Policeman
Jerome Amiduu. ON the same morning
Mrs. Jennie H. Powers, agent OF the YER
mont Humane society, went 10 the Ben
house. accompanied by a representative OF
The Phoenix. whom she wished to take
sou1, ulotoLrauhs af the children The
two teams arrived at Bells at the same
time Bell was seen going into the mousse
with some pals. He returned minute
later spoke about the weather and began
chopning some limbs which he had drawn
i'm on Slcd.
Mrs Powers distributed the things
which she had carried. ana soon after
ward Bell returned to the house. accom-
panied by Chief Hail, who then arrested
Bell on the charge ut wilfullN and cruelty
ncglecting to provide necessary and suit
able food. shelter, clothing. warmth bed
covering etc. for his son. John Bel.
Other warrants alleging substantially the
same neglect in the care of the other
children had been made ont. but were
not served. as one was sufficient to hOld
the respondent The others will be serv-
cd in due time Bell made no resistance.
He said to Chief Hail: Now. Mr. Officer,
] want to ask who it is that is stirring
this up" to which Chief Hall replied:
"The State of Vermont" Bell was not
told who the real complainant was.
Bell washed himself up and put on some
different clothes. Meanwhile the chill
drens feet were measured for shoes, and
some other needs were noted down. Bell
did not tell his wife where he was going
until she asked him. and when he left he
did not say goodbye to her or to the chill
dren. When he went out to get into the
sleigh Mrs. Powers spoke to him about
bull which he had in the barn and which
had a large bunch ON its side as the result
of a breach. She said the bull must be
killed Bell protested. saying that he was
going to fat it for beef. He finally con-
scented to have it killed if Mrs. Powers
would get some one else to do it without
expense to him. Chief Hall arranged
with Sumner Worden to shoot the bull
Wednesday.
Bell was not very laxative during his
ride to Brattteboro, but he said to Chief
Hall that he was not guilty of any abuse
or neglect of his children. He said he
had tried to get his wife to clean up and
had told her that if things kept on as they
were going the authorizes would take the
matter in hand
Chief Hall arrived in Brattleboro with
Bell about 2:30 o'clock. States Attorney
Weston of Bellows Falls had come down
on the fiTSt afternoon train and after the
necessary legal steps had been taken the
examination was begun before Justice
William S. Newton. Lawyer A. F..
Schwenk acting as counsel for Bell.
Justice Newton read the warrant to
Bell, after which Bells counsel announc-
ed that he was ready to proceed with the
examination. Mrs. Powers was the first
witness called. She testified to having
been at the house three times, that the
condition of the house was much improV-
ed on the occasion of her second visit,
but that it still was indescribably filthy
and repulsive. The boy John, she said.
had pallid cheeks and was poorly clad,
having on a pair of thin trousers which
did not fit him in any particular. She did
not examine to see if he had on under
clothing. She saw some corn bread on
--Slate, but did not investigate particularly
as to the supply of food in the house as
her attention was taken up more espe-
cially with the sick child. Her other tes-
timony was substantially as given in The
Phoenix of last week
Chief of Police Hall testified that on his
first visit, which was with Mrs. Powers
at the time of her first visit, Bell was in
the woods and that the first time he saw
him was on Tuesday of this week. when
he arrested him Chief Hall said he had
learned that Bell had been arrested sew
eral times for abusing and pounding his
wife and children. Chief Hall noticed
more particularly the condition of the
eldest boy. John, named in the warrant
He said the boys stockings were down
and that his legs We're poor and stuck
down like little sticks from a pair of
trousers which he should say were made
for larger person and had the legs cut
off. His coat and vest also appeared to