Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-03-24
ASYLUM INVESTIGATION.
Adjourned Without Date at water
bury, March II.

The committee investigating s'a''
Institutions which was In session ~
Montpelier last week. met at water
bury Friday. March II, and continues continues
the Investigation at the patnoios'e"
building at the state hospital. ,,,...
Attorney General Clarke o. r...s
gave out a notice to the Representa-
tiyes of the press that the mahase-
ment OF the hospital claim 10 nav.
evidence at hand to refute In every
Instance the testimony given Thurs
day at Montpelier by Everett A.
Morse of Calais, who had been com
mitted to the state hospital for opser
walton subsequent to arrest on 'ho
charge OF forging note: H.
The investigation was ADJOURNED W
the afternoon without date,
Orrice Ballard of Georgia, iorihe,
trustee of the institution, continued
his testimony begun at MohtpeieI'
He said that rotten eggs had been
cooked and set before the patients
who had refused to eat them, ana
that chickens had been spoiled several
times through the fault Of the COOK
Mr.. Packard He had complained 10
DIR. Hutchinson of Packard's incom-
petence and had recommended ms
removal but Packard had renamed
for two years after he, Mr.. Ballard
had severed connection with the III
stitution. He said that the cost OF
coal at the institution was about ~,
600 a month and that he had called
the attention of the other trustees
to the fact that the institution was
paying the same amount per ton ior
coal that he could purchase 1t for by
the single ton in st. Adams. He con-
sidered the staff Of physicians at the
hospital to be efficient and faithful he
did not think 1t advisable to run the
state farm In connection with the
institution. He believed the provis-
ions would cost the state more than
they could be purchased for from
private sources. He believed an ex-
cess of help was employed for the
carrying out of the farm work.
Mr. Ballard considered that Mr..
Shipman, the superintendent, was
thoroughly competent for the posi-
ton, and no reflection could be cast
upon his management. Mr.. Ballard
said he had often dined at the insti-
tuition and did not consider the living
as extravagant. He said that while
he was serving as trustee he had paid
several visits to the institution when
Hutchinson knew
nothing Of his contemplated visit, and
that he had always made a thorough
of the wards and found
them in first class condition.
John C. Murphy, former employe
Of this and other state institutions,
testified that during his stay which
covered a period Of several months,
Dr. Hutchinson never visited the
wards to his knowledge more than
nine times. He thought the manage
ment at Waterbury compared favor
ably with others, and that the state |
patients at Waterbury were better |
Jared for in every way than at the |
retreat, where he had /
also worked. He explained that the |
,lueness Of the milk was probably |
lue to the fact that the supply came
rom herd of Holstein cows more
ioted for the quantity than the quail
ty of their milk. Concerning the
II treatment of patients he recalled
wo instances, one being when a new
,atient arrived and one of the at
endants was having a good deal of
ut his key chain and dashed the pa
lent about the legs. The attending
MUSICIAN was notified and the at
endant was discharged within 20
minutes. Another patient named
ohm Chandler was badly beaten and
ruised and he understood that it
'as a question OF two attendants be-
lg knocked out or the patient The
won. Soon after the beat I,
lg the patient died. Mr.. Murphy I
as asked If the cause of death was /
he beating and replied that he did
DIV know. He said that epileptics
ere likely to injure themselves by '
Hing, but he could not see how !,
Tree would have blackened eyes in
us way at any one time a