The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-12-08
WOULD REMOVE
SUPT. W. E. OAKES
State Prison at Windsor and
the House Of Correction at
Rutland In Most Rotten
Condition. Committee Says
Directors Usefulness Is
Impaired"

Montpelier. Dec s.-1he legislative
committee which has been investigating
the various institutions TO find alleged
graft, has completed its work sufficient
" SO as to make partial report When
the report il stripped Of words, IL says
that there has been misappropriation Of
state funds ia some cases, that the di.
rect0re Of some Of the state institutions
have heen derelict to their duty, and
that here il great need Of an overhaul
ing, winding up with the recommended
ton that Superintendent OF State Prison
II. w. 0akes be removed from Office and
that the directors Of the same and Of
the house Of correction be turned out
as useless.
The report is only partial, as the
committee has not had time enough to
90 thoroughly over all the institutions
before the adjournment Of the legis
lature. The same committee viii prob
ably be commissioned to continue their
Investigations and make more complete
report at later date.
The report is signed by Senators Flet
cher, Isham and Lord and BY Repregen-
tatives Miles, Davis OF Chester, Wall,
Slade and Chedcl
GApks 0dAGA AAANkE4 OfCts AVdA14
Taking Up THE state prison FIRST, the
committee deyotes considerable space
to Superintendent Oakes, who has held
the position since May, lss3 His sal.
airy Is 81 200 per annum, with rent and
subsistence for himself and family ''on
the premises of the institution This
has been paid and the committee finds
that during al the score Of years the
superintendent has had more or less
visitors and company, who have been
kept at the states expense. In 1891
the then directors of the institution. T.
d. IIazen Of St. Johnsbury, M. 0. Per-
kina Of Windsor, and e. G. Iuttle Of
Rutland, after consultation with the SUI
perintendent, decided that be was not
getting big enough salary. They ere
nted d new position called house keeper,
and installed the wife Of the superinten-
dent in it, at a salary Of SIS q month.
In 1901 the position was abolished by
majority vote Of a new board Of d.
rectors, the only old member being Ar.
Perkins Of Windsor During the period
HRS. 0akes received Si025. The com.
mittee finds that she rendered no ser.
vice to the state in return for the com.
pensation received being through fire.
quent spells Of sickness wholly ineapaci-
tated for the performance Of any SER
vice.
The creation of this position was in
violation Of the law
During the superintendent summer
vacations spent at Lake Sunapee, N. H.,
since 1895, he took the states supplies
for the support OF his own family @and
such company as he might have while
there, at times consisting Of quite q
number Of persons. This was done with
the knowledge Of the resident director,
and was in violation of law
In six years time Superintendent
Cakes purchased twenty mileages at the
expense Of the state, which, ii few
instances at least, he used for his own
private purposes for which no credit ID
the state was given"
The discipline of the institution was
injured by that fact as the guards knew
Of it. Discipline was also injured be.
cause the guards complained that they
were overworked and that they were
given food inferior to that used by this
superintendent's own family.
Directors Charged With Dereliction
The directors Of the state prison are
given the following arraignment:
''The supervision Of the institn
tion by the directors has beer
confined principally to such super
vision as was taken by the resi-
dent director For the past few years
no regular meetings have been held By
the board of directors, but they have
occasionally met at Windsor and az Bel
lows Falls when hasty examination d
the institution was made by looking
over the books and papers Of tho insti
tuition relating to its affairs and in
qniries made Of the superintendent. Th,
supervision of the institution has beer
practically entrusted to the superinten
dent and no thorough and regular over
hauling Of his management and conduc
of the affairs of the Institution has beei
made by the board Of directors or th
resident director for several years las
past The monthly statement and youch
afs accompanying the same have beei
handed to the resident director and b,
him sent to one Of the other director
and By that director to the third di
rector and by him sent TO the audito
of accounts, and this is practically tn