Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-08-21
LOCK -UP?-FILTHY, NASTY +!
A DISEASE BREEDING SPOT IN
THE TOWNS HEART.
Everybody Who Knows Anything
About It Says So-Good People Of
This Place Are Urged to Read the
Following Story-It's Worth While.

Following Story-Its Worth Will
once more, be it said. the Brattle
boro lookup is nothing less than
dirty, nasty disease breeding hoi,
sinking to the skies. unkempt, a publ
nuisance, menace to health, reckin
with foulness, filthy beyond word!
filled with vermin. sewerage blockad
ed, blankets "crumby,"-a germ fac
tory.
DR.. Waterman, health officer of til
town, after personal inspection
Tuesday afternoon said: Not right
this is not a place for human beings.
Judge Newton of the police court
said last week, in these columns: M
| fit place for cat; l wouldn't put m!
cat there!"
Chief of Police Hall said fortnight
| ago, right here in print: The place /:
shame to the community"
One of the physicians of Brattlebort
sent, August last, a letter to the loca
board of health, denouncing the fou
place. dirty beyond description; nc
ventilation, save from a cellar; unfit
to confine any human being
Bill" Bailey, recent inmate, pub
licly testifies to bugs galore.
First Selectman Vinton, as narrated
elsewhere. said to Reformer man
Tuesday: IT'S good enough for those
that get there-I don't expect to-"
Dr. Waterman and a Reformer man
made a visit to the lookup Tuesday
afternoon. The door was closed but
not locked. so entrance was easy. The
official report of the health officer is
not at hand, but the reporter is willing
to report. The place is almost as
dark as a pocket; there was plenty of
bright sunshine outside but not a ray
within; faring gas jet. at 3 p. m,
was exhausting the very little oxygen
remaining. hickering and sputtering in
protest at the scant supply. The
water closet (modern) wouldn't work,
the chain was missing; DR.. Waterman
tried to flush the half filled basin by
standing on the seat and working the
rod which should hold the chain, but
he couldn't. although he made the en-
deavor several times; the beds in the
damp and dark cells We're suffocating:
on one of them was a dirty spoon, a
piece of ham, curled by the mold, a
cup full of crumbs scattered over the
whole thing. a slice of bread that had
been cut long enough to fold. 1t was
too dark TO see crawling things; the
striking of many matches in several
hands could only give one a glimpse.
a shadowy show, of the interior of
those dreadful cells. Some recent
prisoners had burst in the entrance
door window. to the main room, 15x1b
feet. probably in an effort to get some
air and at the other end there is a
window. say 12x24 in. opening into the
cellar beneath the postoffice, The win
down--a transom--was open at the
further end, and there was enough air
going through the dank hole, and out
of the door, (Which was left open for
self preservation during the visit) to
flicker a match. The four or five cells
were all in about the same condition.
Neither visitor dared to touch or look
beneath the cots.
But just then Chief of Police Hall
arrived, and to say that he was aston
ished at finding men within who were
not put there by force is drawing it
mild. But the chief recovered his
in due time as becomes an
officer of the law, and then lively
discussion opened.
DR.. Waterman wanted to know why
he water closet wasn't working.
Oh" said the chief. these hoboes
steal the chain that flushes the basin.
md we can't keep new chains on all
he time" The health officer persist
ID. saying that even by standing on
he seat and pulling the rod to which
he chain is attached the basin could
lot be flushed. The chief tried 1t
nee or twice without result and then
lie put his arm down to the elbow,
,ver the edge of the tank above, pull
d something around. lifted something, |
lid something else to something and |
hen the water poured down and the |
'asin was cleansed.
DIR. Waterman suggested that a
'iece of picture cord, or any old thing
n the way of strong twine. would
erve as a pull for the tank and be-
ng worthless would probably not be
tolen by the inmates.
This is but a bit of the conversa
ion; a column or two might be writ
en- regarding it. Chief Hall said he
ad told somebody half dozen times
0 clean the place, and put things in
roper shape. but ii amt been done"
.sked by the reporter why, as head of
ne local police department, he had
ot insisted upon it being done, he rA-
lied that it was up to the selectmen:
lat he did not engage the man who
Mould clean out the place; that the
ian was engaged and paid by the Sc
ctmen and that it was up to them to
,e that that man did his duty.
But to follow this question-this
hot flth and dananpv--if |
,ould be said that there is not a
tizen of this town, between the Re-
,rmer office and the police station in
lie postoffice building. not a man who
rs any positive knowledge of the con-
tions that have so long prevailed at
Ie lookup, who does not denounce [
lie thing in red-hot style. No man I
rs been found. save Selectman ,
inton. who has anything but con-
for it. 1t is a disgrace !
Brattleboro. and there can be no =
,ubt about it. Here are some opin- )
ms from leading men in this COM ,
unity:
Rev. Father Cunningham, pastor of
. Michaers Roman Catholic church:
am indignant at the state of affairs
at exists in our lookup. I hope that !,
e Reformer will keep up the cry un-
a reformation is made. The Re-
rmer's fight for cleaning the Whet- o
one brook is also excellent work. / r
ust it will be accomplished
F. d. E. Stowe. deputy county clerk: =
Everybody says that the condition Of I
e lookup is very bad never was =
ere. That's all / know about it. = =
Lawyer c. c. Fits: The county .,
at should be here. in Brattleboro. n
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