Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-08-14
mo FIT PLACE FOR A CAT"
so SAYS JUDGE NEWTON, ON THE
LOck.UP'S CONDITION..
His Honor Adds that He Would Build
a New One Himself If He Could
One Man Told the Court that He
Almost Died There in "a Hours.

Almost Died There in "a Hours.
Goodness knows, I've scolded
and scolded about the lookup and
its location and conditions until I've
tired of it," said Judge Newton of the
town court to a Reformer man
Wednesday evening. I'm sick of
talking about it, l won't say another
thing. told you last night that
wouldn't put my cat IN that place.
Ask Mr.. Hall, the policeman. He
knows all about it. So do the select
men, They have heard these com
plants. Why. year or two ago there
was a man confined there who told me
that he almost died in the "a hours be-
tween his arrest, imprisonment ard
trial. / won't say another word
about it. Everybody knows all about
it. Certainly it is no place in which
TO hold man, innocent or guilty, till
he is tried. The lookup and it's con-
ditons are known here in this COM
munity just as well as the houses OF
the leading residents of the town.
I've said enough; I've scolded enough
The selectmen know all about it. II
l could build new one l would"
A professional man of this town,
lawyer of recognized ability and use
fulness TO the community, said yester-
day morning, when asked about the
condition of the lookup: Il can
hardly say all / think and know about
the lookup. 1t is a dirty, nasty,
sinking place; it is no place in which
a person who breathes should be put.
Its condition is damnable. Brattleboro
is so very generous in its provisions
for other things that this lookup
problem is a great thorn in my side.
The condemnation of it in your paper
is excellent work. You cannot put it
too strong. But you must keep up
the fight for if you don't the whole
thing will be forgotten in a week or
two. Push it right along until you |
awaken the people TO the state of |
affairs right in the middle of the |
town"
DIR. H. L. Waterman, health officer, |
says that in view of the many COM |
plants as to the condition of the lock-
up he will make a personal examina-
ton of the premises. Before he makes
his visit the powers that be will give
things a generous securing, if they |
can take this advance tip.
Bailiff Bacon says that he remem-
oers a Fair day a couple OF years ago
when IA various persons were con-
fined in the damp, ILL smelling lock-
lp. His duties called him to the
place and he admits that he nearly
iropped dead when he entered, so
'oul was the air, so polluted with filth
he contends that the board Of bailiffs
has nothing to do with it; that 1t is up
o the selectmen.
One of the best known men in town,
a prominent position as
read of various Brattleboro industries,
ends us, voluntarily, the following
lote:
Your article in last weeks issue
the condition of our lock-
lp was as true as it was timely, and ]
IN sure that all good people feel very
,rateful to you for the interest taken
n the matter. 1t has long been
.nown. by many citizens at least, that
he condition of the lookup was such
S to make it unfit for either man or
east, and no time should be lost in
cleansing the same, if not
making an entire change in the loca-
ion. The time has long since gone
" when even criminals are placed in
0 foul and inhuman a spot as the
k-up is at the present time" ,
But in this issue it is curious to
nd so many prominent men in the
who don't care, who say
oh. let il alone" or What is it to {
le?" 1t is amazing to think of the q
uffering that has been produced by /
lat miserable den of darkness and q
right in the center of the !
,wn beneath the post office. where l
lie ringing of the church bells on
unday is so distinctly heard.
Is it true, in this beautiful town,
lat such suffering must pass unno- a
ced? d