Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-09-07
WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS SAY
Thc Tangle Ht the states Prison and
Some Of ITS Phases.
(i"rom the Montpelier Journai.)

II would take a Sherlock Holmes at tho
height of his career 20 figure out tho
tangle at the States prison which is boz
ing unraveled by the investigation COM
mission now in session at Bellows Falls.
1t Is a nasty mess at best and presents
peculiar conditions
a legislative committee Is appointed to
investigate the affairs at the institution
in the first place. 1t finds that supplies
belonging to the State have been shipped
to n summer home of the superintendent.
that the superintendent wife has been
kept on the pay roll without performing
any labor and n few other things of
greater or less Importance. The commit
tee recommends tho resignation OF that
official but he remains In ONCE.
Later a shake.up In the employees OF the
prison occurs and among those who arc
weeded out are Warden Harpin and his
son. Shortly after this. vague rumors be-
gin to spread through the State relating
TO the condition Of Mary Rogers and the
intimation of scandal. Then appears
the newspaper statements which show UP
the friction which existed between Super
intendent Cakes and Warden Harpin and
II becomes known that some Of the EN-
ployes are Oakes's men and others Har-
pins. Following upon this comes the resig-
nation of Superintendent Cakes. Now the
investigation.
1t appears that most disgraceful
state of affairs has existed in the prison
and that il prisoner serving a long sem
tcnce gains possession of a key to the
cell OF the murderess from young Harpin,
and. in league with Mary Rogers, who
uplOCks the inner door by removing tho
lock, visits her at his will. When the
matron learns of the visits of this man
to the cell, she goes 10 Mary Rogers,
young Harpin has Ivy this time left the
State prison. With no one in the room
to interfere, Mary Rogers writes the
story of the proceedings ut the matron s
request. she not seeing the work until II
was written, according to her testimony.
| One of the statements made by Mary
Rogers in her story is that she learned
it was the intention of Harpin by pro-
curing the key for the prisoner and allow
| ing his visits. TO bring about her delicate
condition. The language in Mrs. Rogers's
statement, while it is not entirely gram
NAUTICAL shows no signs of weak mind
and her reasoning can be easily made out
Some of the words she uses are large ones
and nothing out of taste appears. in ex
pressing her meaning.
Then the key business is a puzzle. The
matron has the only keys to the cell as
she supposes and she is exceedingly care
full in guarding them. In some way an
other key appears TO have been made
The impression had to come from some
where Then the matter Of the interview
with Mary Rogers is an equally tangled
up affair. Superintendent Lowell. wh'
succeeded Mr.. Oakes. says that he die
not know when he admitted Miss Batchcl
der to the cell OF Mary Rogers that .h'
was a reporter and she in turn testifie
that both he and Peck knew perfectly
well who and what she was and that the!
had talked II over. The commission the'
called for the testimony OF Peck t.
Strengthen out the matter If possible. blu
Peck disappeared and cannot be found
The matron testifies that she heard Mis-
Batchelder say in the cell of Mary Roger
on the day OF the interview and in III
presence Of Peck and Lowell that she wa
a reporter. That of course was after Mis-
Batchelder had been admitted to the cell
Now the commission has to probe tn
matter. 1t is certainly Il puzzler.