Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-11-03
SHAMEFUL DISCLOSURES
STATE PRISON INVESTIGATION
RESUMED AT BELLOWS FALLS.
Youna Girl employe Tells Of immoral
Practises and Of Her Exchange OF
Condolences with Murderess-oakes
Was Told but Did Not Believe.

morality at the state institution that
were shocking in detail.
The first witness called was Tina
II. Albee of Bellows Falls, a prison
director from 1900 to 1902. His les
tmony developed nothing sensational
and agreed with that of most OF the
other directors !,
Mr. cakes was called 10 the stand
and examined by Attorney General
Fits. He was asked about letter
written by Mary Rogers on toilet
paper to one of the prison employees
which Miss Durkee had shown MN
He did not remember about anything
| In question, but did not deny any
thing. Attorney Fits asked ME-
cakes how Mary Rogers got posses
sion of the scissors with whlcn she
assisted Vernon Rogers to pick the
lock of her cell. Mr.. Cakes SAID she
wanted to cut some paper ana asked
him for scissors but he told her ne
badn't any and couldn't allow her to
have them anyway She obtained
! them however. Of Mr.. Flint one of the
4 guards. They were pocket scissors
and blunt pointed Mr.. cakes did
not think there was any harm In Mrs.
Rogers having scissors except she
might do herself injury but they We're
so blunt he had no objection.
Edward Harpin, ex-warden Of the
nrison who testified early in the IN
yestjgation. was cross examined by
Judge Palmer, counsel FOR r. w.
/ Cakes. Judge Palmer brought out
the fact that Harpin went TO the
| prison as an officer with the Idea tna'
/ he would some time be made superlh-
/ tendent and that he continued 10 en-
terrain that hope until he was called
before the Legislative committee az
| NontpeIier in 1904. II was brought
out that Harpn had little personal
knowledge of the taking of supplies
/ from the prison by Oakess family. In
regard to Harpin's disapproval of a
male guard for Mary Rogers In the
death watch and Oakes's allusion TO
The case Of Mrs. Meeker, questioning
brought out that Mr. Harpin thought
! there was no danger In having a
imam with Mrs Meeker because she
was deaf, old and hideous looking
| but that Mrs, Rogers was more at
tractive and that he knew her 10 De
vicious woman i'm her relations WIN
men because her attorney had loiu
him so. He thought he had told MT.
I oakes of this but would not swear
that he had done so.
1t was also brought out that during
1.-The IL years in which Harpin pre-
yiously testified that he had kept daily
reports of his prison, there were IL
meetings of the board at the prison
while only eight were recorded. Mt
Harpin said he might have been
away. but he was liable To mistakes
and omissions In his records. He de-
lnied having received any bride from
a prisoner named McCarty for giving
him newspapers or favors,
AT this point Attorney-Geherai
Fits said There has developed in the
investigation of the prison some
wrongdoing on the part of the ofhcers
land employees of the prison. showing
Hack of discipline and a reprehensible
state of affairs ] refer to the Burr
Kimball case. which has been touched
upon before in the investigation but
had been deferred until all parties in
terested should be present The case
liz one of great delicacy and involves
the character of several different per-
sons Burr and Peasley have been
notified that testimony derogatory to
them was likely to be made pubic
TO day but they have not appeared
Inor are they represented.
Miss Gertrude Kimball was sworn
lin Miss Kimball stated that her age
was IS years, that she had been assis-
tant matron since May, 1904, her
aunt. Miss Durkee. being matroh'
Her duties We're table work ana she
also had charge of the female prison
ers locking them in their cells. This
responsibility she had during her en-
tire term of service. which expired
only Oct. 10. about 10 days ago. MISS
Kimbalrs room was on the second
floor of the guard room. On the hrst
floor was her aunt's room and severai
of the guards rooms. -,
Miss Kimball stated that she did
not know Mr.. Burr until she went 70
the prison. In answer to questions
Miss Kimball then admitted that Ia
miiarity with Mr.. Burr continued ~
the point of criminal intercourse ire
uuently repeated; that she saw MN
daily and that he told her ne woulu
look out for her If anything hap
nened did YOU know of such thines
before YOU went there" asked the
attorney general. mo, sir" she re-
nlied When asked If she confided TO
any of the prison women she salu'
"Only to Mrs. Rogers since she came
downstairs this last time"
Attorney Fits brought out the fact
that Mrs. Rogers had considerable IN
fuence with her which she could not
resist, and had way OF Wormlhs
things out of her.
Miss Kimball admitted tnat she
knew that Mrs. Rogers had cores
nondence with l.. f. Peasley. Burr
room mate and had seen some OF tne
letters which We're love letters and IN
dictated improper relations. Peasley
was married man as well as Burr
Miss Kimball said she had picked up
a letter written on tissue paper when
she showed to her aunt. The witness
said Mrs. Rogers's influence mao
nothing to do with her relations with
Burr. She said they exchanged con-
fidences and Mrs. Rogers told her
what had occurred in the west wing
with Vernon Rogers. The witness
said she never told Burr of the Rog-
ers- Peasley correspondence. She
said Craven told her of the Vernon
Rogers affair and evidently knew OF
II when IL was going on. Attorney
Fits brought out the point that 1t was
certainly imprudent for so young a
girl to have charge of hardened GRIM
inals.
Miss Anna Lindstart. who testified
at n previous meeting was again
called on the Burr Kimball case. She
said she had seen them kiss. MRS
Burr had called her in from the stree'
and asked her If she had ever seer
anything improper between her nus
band and Gertrude Kimball. and she
told what she had seen. and that tnss
were very friendly and the day Mr.
lOakes DISCHARGED Miss Lindstart she
told him of the stories about Miss
Kimball and Burr. but Mr.. Cakes SAID
they were not true. She was asked Il
she thought Mr. Harpin knew of these
stories or about Mrs. Rogers anc
Peasley. she said she did not know
but that Mr. Harpin had nothing tt
do with the female prisoners.
Horace Boyd took the stand. HI
said Burr neglected his duties to 81
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