Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-12-29
REPLY OF A STATES PRISON DIRECTOR.
Marsh O. Perkins Has Something to Say About
the Committees Charges.

r,opt legislature, appointed to lnvestl-
gate the expenses OF the state institu-
80 made its report Thursday OF
I..t week. accompanying the same by
hin providing for the appointment
tv tine governor OF a committee Of
,tree to continue the investigation Of
,g3irs at the hospital for the insane at
waterbury and at the other state in
.,irrigns in the discretion OF the COM
,ortee. This report was also accom-
naBied by other bills covering special
reaammendations OF the committee,
which. enacted into law, are designed
o., rorreet existing abuses, i any there
ara In the management Of these insti-
.r.fot,s and 70 further safeguard the
Interests of the state. The committee
M Investigation comprised Senators
Fletcher oil Windsor county, lsham OF
Chifienden county and Lord OF Wash
iprtau county, and Representatives
NIIes al Barton, Chedel OF StOckbridge.
SIa8e Of the town OF Rutland, Davis OF
Chester and Wall OF Dorset, Their re-
r5rr i too lengthy to reproduce in full
N thfs time. but its findings make In
substance sweeping charges OF negli-
rsnep and incapacity in the superyis
I'm by the directors and trustees OF
some of the Institutions. notably OF the
.f4fe prison and house OF correction
of creating an office at the prison tor
member Of superintendent Cakes
family 20 increase his salary, and Tor
which no services were rendered. in
violation OF the law, and 50 FAR as one
OF tbe directors is concerned, Mr..
Wo1dHu of Rutland. in practically
conducting business at the house of
correction Tor his own profit and adj
vantage. As affecting himself Mr..
Wo1IHn has made an emphatic denial,
and iJ is believed by all fully acquaint-
cd with the situation he has substan-
tally dispr0yed the charge.
The report In its findings further
charles superintendent Cakes with
appropriating to his personal and fam
liz uses supplies furnished by the state
without rendering account for the
same the purchase OF supplies OF a
brother to the exclusion OF others, the
usage Of state mileages, in a few in
stances az least, for personal use, and
what may be construed as a failure In
the performance of certain other
duties In conclusion the committee
recommend that the directors OF these |
Institutions and superintendent Cakes /
be removed IRON office. with an ex-
preston OF opinion that TO continue /
them would be detrimental 10 the |
maintenance Of the discipline OF the |
prison and house OF correction in par
tcular, and to the best interests Of the
state ia general.
The foregoing is, in substance, the |
findings Of the committee. As mem !
Der OF the board of directors OF the two
Institutions during the past ten years,
and Until the expiration of my term of
ohiCest midnight on November 30 last.
] nav Be- pardoned in reviewing briefly /
the report Of the committee upon the
points above. In doing this, | dis
claim casting any reflections on the
committee. Noting the charge OF neg
iigence in the supervision OF the prison
and house of correction, according 10
the published report in the Burlington
Free Press in It's daily issue Of De
cembef ., find the statement, that all
The directors Of the prison and house
OF correction have not met together
Tor the past year, and only once in two
years, In answer TO this, | wish to
state that the full board met in Wind
sor 10 May last, and in Bellows Falls
10 October last. Furthermore, the full
board met in Windsor on April 3, 1908,
and on October Is, 1908. The full
board also met in Rutland and in Bel
lows Fails on other dates within the
two years. Meanwhile the accounts
OF the superintendent OF each institu-
ton have been carefully Inspected
each month, not only by the directors,
but presumably also by the state audi
tor As a resident director, my own
time has been given fully TO such
supervision Of the prison as ! was ca
pabIe Of, Incompetent ! may have
been, but in this particular firmly
believe ] have not been negligent.
Ia this connection, il may be well to
note, who the other directors have
been during these years, who must be
embraced in this sweeping charge.
They are L. ID. Hazen of St. Johns
bury, a citizen widely known for his
brightness and integrity, and the
Present postmaster of that place, who
resigned bis dictatorship early in 1900, i,
ana was succeeded by Elvin NJ. Bart
lett Of Island Pond. one of the most
successful business men in northern
Vermont; Tina II. Allbee of Bellows
Pals, Judge of probate for the north
ein district OF Windham county, Addi-
son Z. Cudworth OF South LOndonder-
~ a well-known lawyer, and still a
member OF the board Egbert {. Tut
ue OF Rutland, a prominent business
man Of that city, and his successor In
oillce, John ~ Woodfin, president and
manager of the Lincoln Iron Works in
Rutland, and also still a member of
the board.
lettering to the charge that an office
lal been created for member OF Mr..
Oases family for his own pecuniary
benefit, without service rendered IN
return therefor. | am of the belief that