The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-02-03
INVESTIGATING
INSANE ASYLUM
Commission Finds That State Has Been
Paying Freight on Groceries
When 1t Could Have
Saved Money.

Waterbury, Feb. 3.--The commission,
N. G. Williams Of Bellows Falls, H. i.
Brigham of Bakersfield and G. II. A.
Stafford of Morristown, which is in
yestigating the conduct of the state asy-
lum for the insane, pursuant to the
order of the last legislature, is deep
in its work at this place. Yesterday
the members of the commission were
shown through the asylum by Superin
endent Hutchinson, the patients were
visited, the ventilation was looked into
and all other matters in connection with
the institution were inspected. The COM
missioners expressed themselves as quite
well pleased with the way things were
found, although they were inclined to
criticize the ventilation apparatus in
some Of the sleeping apartments. Ev-
erything was found to be clean and ship
shape. Evidently the inmates had heard
that the commissioners were to visit
the institution. and many of them were
prepared. Several recognized the COM
missioners and shaking hands with them
recalled old times. al appealed to be
let out Of the institution, declaring that
they were able to care for themselves.
One man, former employee Of Mr..
Williams in the Vermont Farm Machine
Works at Bellows Falls, was particu-
larly urgent about it. Charles Doherty,
the murderer, addressed the members of
the party in a rambling manner and
once in d while a rational word could
be caught. Another inmate, college
graduate and holder of two college de-
grees, had a letter oil written, which
he handed to the commission.
After the inspection of the premises
the actual hearing was begun late yes
terday afternoon and continued today.
DIR. Hutchinson, the superintendent, and
Judge Charles Fl. Maxham OF Pomfret,
former trustee, were placed on the
stand, being interrogated by Attorney
General Fits. George w. Wing, a Mont
pelier attorney and one Of the present
trustees, appeared for the trustees.
An examination of the accounts show
cd that the groceries had been purchas-
ed of Boston and New York concerns,
and that Vermont wholesale houses had
not been asked for prices, while the
prices were about the same and the
state might have been saved the freight
ing Of the groceries. The Burlington
Grocery company, the Walker Grocery
company Of the same place, and the
Montpelier Grocery company would have
delivered the goods at Montpelier, where
as the state, at the time the accounts
were taken, had been paying the freight
/ from Boston and New York The COM
I missianers said they understood that
1 the freight had not been charged to the
state quite recently. They figured up
that the state paid s5s2.41 during the
4 last two years for freight, which might
/ have been saved.
/ The questioning Of former Trustee
Markham brought out that a superinten-
4 dent of the department Of plumbing and
construction, Mr.. Lyons, had once been
suspended by the trustees and that
later part of his authority had been
cut off, after which Lyons left the i'm
/ stitution. 1t came to the trustees that
Z Lyons was not doing his duty He did
4 not know Of any clash Of authority be-
\ tween Superintendent Hutchinson and
Mr. Lyons.
The trustees had been consulted by
the superintendent regarding the pur-
chase Of coal; All other things the trus-
tees knew nothing about Supt Hutch
4 inson got prices on coal and submitted
them to the trustees They had bought
of the Elias Lyman company Of Bur
I lington, at $4.95, The witness thought
the amount Of coal used was very large,
but not disproportionately large.
Said Attorney General Fits, do
you think there is trust whereby the
consumer has to pay the price, and do
you think that if the Winoosli river were
navigable you could beat the trustl
The onswpr yxac nVpe y
1t appeared that the institution did
not advertise for bids on coal.