Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-08-04

tractor According to the testimony
of the steward many of the officers
Harpin included. took supplies raised
on the place. such as milk, eggs etc.
without the knowledge Of Mr.. Cakes
whom he thought would not have APP
proved. Witness said that while Mr..
Oakes was at Sunapee, Harpin used
to have him. Craven, leave quart OF
cream on his steps. This was not
done while Mr. Oakes was there. one
! Thanksgiving a lot of cold turkey was
left over and. at Harpin's request, wit
ness took 10-quart pan of II to the
warden's house. Harpin had the pris-
ON team take a load of wood TO his
sister. None of these things was re-
ported by witness to Mr.. Oakes. as he
thought it none of his business $50
convict labor was used to work up
that wood and prison help was en-
ployed to carry 1t TO a woman not con-
nected with the prison in any wav
shape or manner, and yet you did not
report il TO Mr.. Oakes?" mo. i con-
sidered that If Harpin wished such
things TO be done he had a right to do
lit"
"Wednesday afternoon the commits
sion took up the matter OF the admis-
sion of Miss Anna Batchelder into the
cell of Mary Rogers for the purpose of
obtaining an interview for Boston
newspaper. This interview caused at
the time good deal of comment
among newspapers generally.
Wilson s. Lowell. present superin-
tendent of the state prison, told thus
of Miss Batchelder's interview with
Mary Rogers:
she came there, and the states
attorney was there on business. She
came on the morning of the day the
reprieve was read to Mrs. Rogers.
Miss Batchelder and the states at
torney and the sheriff and Mrs. Dur
kee and myself went to the Rogers's
cell and she was present at the time"
Miss Batchelder. witness said. tel
ephoned him a day or so before, and
asked if she could have an interview
with Mary Rogers. Witness did not
know that she was Il reporter until
she was in the prisoners cell She
did not say what paper she repre-
sented He told her she could not in
terview Mrs. Rogers. He did not
think of her as a reporter. but simply
as a relative of the states attorney
one who was there simply out of
womanly curiosity. Miss Batchelder
told Mrs Rogers she was a reporter
after the reprieve was read. and the
business done. Witness said she made
no notes and he was surprised to find
out that this was so. She never had
the conversation reported in that
paper. Nothing of the kind ever took
place there"
Did you. after you learned she was
reporter, ask her not to print what
had occurred there?'
Il told her | hoped she would be
careful not to say anything about it,
and to be careful not to take Mary
Rogers's picture
Did she have camera 2?
Il didn't see any"
Witness did not think of any i'm
propriety in the incident until after
the story was published in the Boston
paper The states attorney took no
part in arranging the interview. The
conversation was all with Miss Batch
elder.
Miss Anna Nj. Batchelder of White
River Junction. who got the interview
in question, then testified;
Il was instructed by my paper to
get an interview with Mrs. Rogers If
possible. / telephoned Superintendent
Lowell and told him l had been in
structed by the Boston Journal to get
an interview with Mrs. Rogers. This
was about the last week In May. He
replied that 1t was impossible as ne
had made 1t rule to allow no re-
porters to see her A few days later
telephoned him again. asking him II
he would not stretch point in my
favor and allow me to see Mrs. Rogers.
He said / could not unless / got per-
mission from Sheriff Peck. telling him
what Superintendent Lowell had told
me, and asking him il | could not see
Mrs. Rogers l heard nothing from him
for some days and had given up hope
when one day ! was called by phone
and Superintendent Lowell at the 9TH
er end of the line said if | wanted to
see Mrs. Rogers to come down. so
naturally | went.
She said that while waiting at the
prison for the states attorney, she
talked with Sheriff Peck and Superin-
tendent Lowell about her work and
the latter asked if she had note
book. She said she had, but should
not take it upstairs. When telephon-
ing. she told him she represented the
Boston Journal She never mem
toned the matter to her brother.
Witness said that Mr. Peck must
have known she was a newspaper re-
porter for he had known her long
while and had seen her ABOUT ner
work at Woodstock county court.
Mr. Lowell asked me to send him
copy of the paper containing the story
and did not"
Miss Batchelder said that the con-
yersational part of the printed story
was as she had sent it. The historical
and sentimental portions We're not
strictly true and were manufactured
in the home office of the paper. The
story was telephoned by her from
White River Junction to the Boston
paper. Witness said she first told
al. ~
"She looked at Sheriff Peck as If she
doubted it. and he said, Yes, 1t is
true The conversation was contin-
lled after witness informed Mrs. Rog-
ers she was a reporter.
Superintendent Lowell sat i'm the
rear of the room listening to MISS
Batchelder's testimony but asked no
questions when she concluded. simply
saying: Il wish to deny it all"
States Attorney Charles Batchel-
der of Woodstock supplemented his
sisters testimony as far as he was
concerned in it. and knew of the facts
she had stated. He was sure both
Superintendent Lowell and Sherin
Peck knew she was doing newspaper
work He said the former had spoken
TO him of her request and said ne
knew her. knew she was all right, ana
would like to let her in. He asked the
states attorney if he thought it was
all right. and the latter said he did.
After the story was published. SUI
perintendent Lowell came to him ana
asked him what he was going TO say
about the incident. Il told him
should not open my head until the
matter was Investigated If such action
was taken He thought the SAFEST way
for us to do was to deny any knowi-
edge that the girl was known to us as
a newspaper woman. and let her take
care of herself. or words to that ef-
feet"