Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-11-02
PRISONERS KNEW OF IT

Bellows Falls. Oct. 31.-Thc State
prison hearing to-day has been scnsa-
tional to the extreme. Scandal has
followed scandal until the sickcning
details have involved about all the
former officers and employees. ex-Supt.
cakes standing alone. his moral char
actcr being unsmirched. The commit
tee go to Windsor tomorrow, whore
Governor Bell will meet them and u
hearing will be held at the prison.
Harrison Mccormack was the first
witness called this morning. lie Is
now in B~rattleboro, where he went
after his discharge in April, 1905. Nc
Cormick had to pass by the room oc-
cupicd by Burr and Pcaslcy. On w
mornings he had seen Miss Eimball
come from Burr's room at five o'clock
when nc was relieved from duty by
Peaslcy. He didn't tell Oakes or lIar-
pin until after Burr was discharged.
Oakes called the witness into the
office and asked him il he knew of any
thing wrong going on and the witness
told him what he had seen. Cakes
asked him why he mad not told him
b'i'It anu Nv INV ilu OdhtS III
not appear to like it If he brought re-
ports. Witness had reference to Il
story about Green and Miss Parker
being very intimate and how at one
time he had seen them in the laundry
together and they turned out the lights
and that he considered them very in
innate and Oakes told MIN he would
do mis- own Investigating. Cakes, how
ever. did not keep either Green or Miss
Parker much longer. Green shot him
self directly after and Miss Parker
only stayed n few days.
TALK OF ANOTHER SCANDAL.
Mccormick admitted that there was
talk of improper conduct between the
toward, raven. ana n woman named
Cox. Il prisoner but did not kr wv much
about it. Mccormick dld not hear or the
affair in tho west wing between Vernon
Iiogers and Mary Rogers until it was
ever. Ir darkness, a prisoner. told him
and said il Superintendent Cdkcs had
seen what he had he would jump DAT OF
his skin. Tho witness knew all about the
Inrr-kimball affair and Thought almost
every ono at tho institution did. unless
it was Il f"w of tho prisoners and the SUI
rerior officers. Deputy Sheriff j. VI.
Kinirv was called to the stand. He gave
further testimony in regard to tho cf-
forts made by himself and S%tper,nten-
dent Lowell to recapture tho prisoner who
escaped from the institution last spring.
Mr.. kiniry searched the country and
caused the pond to be dra ggcd. The wit
ness did not know OF n notices being
sent out, nor of other officers being
notified.
OAKES WOULD NOT BELIEVE HER.
Mrs. r J. Burr, wife of Hurr of the
Curr- EiMtal case, was examined. Mrs
Burr stated that she visited MIR. Cakes
at tho prison and told him what was be
ing said about Mr.. Burr and Gertrude
Kimball and asked If he knew what was
going on. but MIR. Cakes didn't believe
it. The witness told both Mr.. ami Mrs
Cakes and Miss Durkec that she thought
her husband had got Miss Kimbali into
trouble md had sent hcr to Boston. Mis-.
DUrkec said her niece went 10 Sharon
and she heard from her every day. Mrs.
Cakes said the sto,y was all brought
nut by Hnrpin. and he W.. irving his best
to mako them all the trouble he could.
After talking with them. Mrs. Burr went
n'INc lullN fDu\ lllt'I Tue SlcTltS dDout
her husband were untrue. AS Cakes and
Miss Hnrkee said such things could not
he and thcy not know it.
The next day tho witness said her hus-
band was discharged. hut he told her he
lett on his oWr account. Mr.. Burr also
told the witness that Mr.. Oakcs old him
To take his wife out of town. but Mrs.
FUR said she had lone nothing to leave
| NGi,1Cn rI,n IL l.,;0 4l.A I~.-l-
ever passed a word with her about her
husband Int admitted that Mr.. Harpin's
sister was the first to toll her anything
was wrong.
MADE HUSBAND CONFESS.
When Burr did not bring his salary
home his wife questioned him. and she
finally got him to admit that he had got
Il girl into trouble and had to send hcr
away. Burr told the witness that a bad
woman would lead any man astray. Al
torncy Fits at this point asked the wit
ness If the commits sion was to understand
that Burr said a girl of 16 had led him
astray. Mrs. Burr said yes"
PRISONER KNEW OF SCANDALS.
Fred Morse, a trusty, who had been q
prisoner for u months, was released Sep
tombcr Is. testified to having seen Yer
non Rogers come from Mary Rogers's eel
and had seen letters she wrote. The,
We're obscene letters. Rogers told tn,
witness that he had a key. which h,
made to Mary Rogers cell, when askcc
about the other prison scandals he sale
he knew of the Burr <imball affair ant
admitted that Burr gave him extra to
,bacco to keep him quiet. He said he hat
seen Burr and Miss Kimball together il
the guard room and Burr had his arm
around Miss Kimball who had her drcs'
unbuttOncd.
TIL witness said the prisoners wer'
well treated If they behaved well. Their,
was no corporal punishment. The foo,
was good but the beds were poor. eros.
questioning by Judge Palmer for Oakc:
brought out the fact that Mr.. Cakes pu
Vernon Rogers in solitary confinement a'