Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1903-05-15
THE THOMPSON FUND TANoLE.
Work on the Hospital Postponed-Pos
sible Conflict of Jurisdiction.

sible Conflict of Jurisdiction.
Work on Brattleboro's public hos
pital has been indefinitely postponed.
| This announcement will carry wide
! spread disappointment and regret. for
! it had become a matter for general
! congratulation that the town was soon
to be in possession of a modern hos
pital with the equipment necessary
| to an ideal institution. The hospital
was to have been built from the in
come of the estate of the late Thomas
| Thompson. whose will left the income
of his estate to be applied to the re-
| lief and support of poor seamstresses,
needlewomen and shop girls who may
be in temporary need from want of
employment sickness or misfortune,
in the towns of Brattleboro, Vt, and
Rhinebeck, N. Y. BY decree of
court, if the whole of said income was
not needed in any year for the relief
of the classes named. the trustees were
to apply any surplus to kindred chart
table purposes in each of these towns.
which included the equipment and
carrying on of hospital in which per
sons of the classes above named.
should have the first privilege of adj
|
its benefits were to be given other
worthy persons. preference being Civ
en- first to persons from Brattleboro
and Rhinebeck, and afterward to per-
sons from towns in the vicinity. Fur
thermore. the surplus could be used
for the care and support of the aged
or disabled in homes or in connection
with a hospital or otherwise. and f.
nally such other kindred charity for
poor or disabled persons as the trus-
tees Laurence Minot and Richards
NJ. Bradley of Boston. might deter
mine worthy. The work upon the
hospital plans had been practically
completed, the plans having been ap-
proved by Drs. s. z. Lawton and A. 7.
Miller of the committee and by the
trustees. The plans were drawn by
Kendall. Taylor e Stevens. The trus-
tees, after considerable delay. had ac-
cumulated money enough to warrant
building and we're ready to let the
contracts, when they were stopped by
an order of the court. Last fall the
Vermont legislature passed an act
permitting the appointment of a Yer
mont trustee by the Judge of probate.
for trusts answering the description
af this trust. and at the recent annual
town-meeting a resolution was passed
directing the selectmen to enforce this
act.
Trustees Minot and Bradley were
informed March 3 of these facts by
local attorneys who. it is understood
were employed by the selectmen for
the purpose stated in the resolution.
The trustees having given n bond to
the Massachusetts supreme court.
which has jurisdiction over the prop
erty of this trust and TO whom thew
, are responsible for its proper man
agement. applied to that court for
. Instructions as to the proper course
to pursue. At a hearing in Boston
! April IA. an AFFIDAVIT was presented
from Lawyers Waterman. Martin and
: Fits asking for postponement in order
that they might be heard in behalf of
the people of Vermont. stating that
they had been commissioned by the
/, governor of Vermont for that purpose
The executive committee of the sew.
ing women of Brattleboro sent n let
L ter stating that they did not approve
of the action of the tOwn-meeting. and
3, did not wish at the present time to
! take part in any proceedings. The
= judge stated that serious condition
t of affairs, involving a possible con
+ flict of jurisdiction. had been created
that the case might have to be heard
by the full bench. which does not
. meet until fall and that meantime
nothing should be paid out in Yer
g mont; but on representation by the
n trustees that they were then carine
e for some sick sewing women and fol
0 others cOnvalescent from surgical OF
u | urhn 40,
% would bring great hardship. the court
. consented to modify its order so far
a as to allow help to be rendered where
n absolutely necessary to the sewing
g women. 1t did not however. modify
=. its decision so far as to allow the
4 work of constructing the hospital t.
20 continue. and the matter stands witt
i the work on the hospital indefinitely
n stopped. unless, perhaps. some change
of conditions can be brought about
b The trustees say they are ready to q
on as soon as allowed, but that the
remedy for the situation does not now
. lie in their hands. 1t seems that wOrl
+ on the hospital has been stopped be
$ cause of the resolution passed in town
s meeting, which the trustees feel sure
= was the result of a misunderstanding
n of the circumstances on the part q
the voters. The people of BrattleborC
+ will especially regret that anythinl
d should occur to deprive them of the
i privileges of a complete hospital. Fol
: several years Brattleboro has dis
d cussed ways and means for the es
:, Enlistment of public hospital, ant
+ now that it seemed almost an assured
t fact, it is hoped that some way be
e found by which the work may pro
= coed. There is suggestion that {
e special town-meeting be held wheI
the matter can be discussed in its va
a rious phases and when the recent res
: olutiop can be rescinded and the Sc
lectmen requested to notify the Mas