The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-04-09
POOR ARRANGEMENT
REASON FOR SCANDAL
Former Superintendent Cakes
Practically Exonerated And
Former Warden Harpin
Censured. No Evidence
or Graft Found.

Walden, April s.Gor. Bell today
inads public the first report u the com
mission which has been investigating
certain state institutions under act Of
the legislature Of 1905 This report
covers the commissions hndings at the
state prison in Windsor, leaving the
house Of correction al Rutland and the
state insane asylum VT Waterbury still
10 be heard FROM. As regards the state
prison the eommissios found very nm
satisfactory conditions in arrangements
and equipment; IT sxonerates the high
ofilcals Of tina institution from the
charge OF Intentional Encouragement;
1T zindx no evidence Of graft or dishon-
esty; it eensures several former efn-
ployees, all of whom have left the in
stitution; and it recommends many
changes To be made in the construction
Of tie buildings and the management.
The report is signed BY the three
commissioners N. q. Williams 81 Bel
lows Falls. &. III. A. Stafford Of Nor
Yistown and II. r. Brigham Of Bakers
field. They found the work much more
lengthy than thsy anticipated.
They frst report on the buildings
which they found Ia fair shape. In
the west wing there should be iron
stairs and walks instead % wood. The
shops where the prisoners work need
q separate stairway tor the women 80
that they will not have TO pass through
the rooms used by the males.
Cells in Bad Shape.
The cells in both wings, measuring
tive by eight and seven feet high, are
too small and in the older wing are
poorly lighted. due 10 the placing Of
The doors; The ventilation scheme is
useless and what air goes into the cells
is gained through the doors Buckets
are used and the stencil is not carried
Of. The prisoners spend at least 70
hours day in these places and the
commission reports that the conditions
can better be imagined than described
Oftentimes more than one person is
confined in q cell for lack Of room.
The hospital, over the kitchen, heat
ed by stove, has no sanitary arrange
ments; no bathing or toile+ apparatus
except bucket behind a screen; what
air enters comes through the Windows.
a separate building for hospital pur-
poses in recommended. An evening
school which Wa. used By many aud
which did good work | q had to be
given up through lack OF room, having
been held where the hospital work is
now done. Arrangements for schooling
are recommended By ths commission.
Ground Saturated With Sewerage.
SAYS the reports eve find the son.
jtary conditions about the prison and
shops very unsatisfactory Underneath
the kitchen and adjacent rooms there
is network Of sewer pipes which fire.
quently become clogged aud food the
place 50 chat bailing is necessary, while
The ground Is saturated with sewerage.
Between the floor and the ground there
Is space Of two feet, in which the
steam pipes fiso centre, where there is
no ventilation in winter. The water
closets are ancient and not provided
with vents, and the flushing apparatus
is imperfect.
Fire Protection Good.
With the exception OF the central part
Of the main building, four stories high
and occupied by the women, the fire
protection is good. The heating fuel
and engineering departments are salts.
factory, except that in the purchase OF
coal the prison suffers the same as the
insane asylum az Waterbury does
through the lack Of competing line.
Twenty Ave conucts are buried in
the prison cemetery, which until recent
~ has been poorly cared for. Slabs
are recommended.
Reasons for Scandals.
Ths improper arrangement Of the
womeu's department IL responsible fol
the recent scandal Of alleged criminal
intimacy between guards and female
prisoners and Of criminal intimacy be
tween officers and female employees
The n1atrons department Is on the first
floor, the g,lards are in the story above
and the women prisoners occupy the
top III The building. The commission
recommends reconstruction 20 thai
tie women's department can be reached
oily BY going through tho warden''
room Says the report: 'We cannot
to- strongly condemn these existing
conditions, and yet even with recon
ssaglction, they add, the conditions will
not be really satisfactory until the fc
nlalo prisoners aro taken to a separat,
institution. The female prisoners alst
are thrown together with officers am
Guards in the wash room.
The matron, Miss Durkbs, on Tbs
whole has done satisfactorily, but sh.
"a severely censursd for plsesng her ak
reen.year.uld niece, Gertrude Kimbali
IL faH eAsrge 81 me female prisoners
Is assiatmt natro1. IMs lea "a !