Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-03-02
THE HOUSE OF CORRECTION.
Investigating Committee Hear Wit
nesses Then Adjourn to March s.

The state commission, investigating
conditions at the house of correction al
Rutland, held long session Friday
and adjourned to March $.
Lottie Dion Monahan of Burlington
a frequent inmate of the institution
testified Thursday that she had had un
lawful relations there with federal
prisoner. Marvin Mcclure, who is serv'
ing a sentence of years for compile
ity in wreeking the Merchants Ma
tional bank of Rutland. Friday morn
ing Mcclure was represented by law
yer, who asked for trial on the
charge. The woman skipped out on a
night train for Burlington but was ar
rested there later and will be held for
the next meeting of the commission.
Sheriff Barney +. Kelley of st. Al
bans testified Friday regarding the al.
legged mileage graft. He said he had
brought many prisoners to the house OF
correction, but did il only to enforce
the law, and said there was great deal
of lawlessness in Franklin county. He
often assisted Burlington officers in tax.
ing down prisoners but never took any
mileage for it. all Of the fees going to
Burlington. The charges against pris.
oners were usually made by the state 5
attorney, as it could not always be
told at first whether the charge should
be intoxication or breach Of the peace.
Sometimes the state s attorney and Of
fieers would receive two fees when the
prisoner received but one punishment.
In regard to men applying for lodging
at the jail he said such men were never
arrested by him and sometimes they
were given breakfast free. He recon-
mended an addition to the house Of cor
reetion. He saw no indication that
the number of prisoners from Franklin
county was likely to decrease. The only
remedy he knew was to make the pen.
atty for second offence for intoxication
hard labor instead of straight Jail
sentence. The same men are being sent
down year in and year out.
Fred II. Rich of Rutland, who served
a sentence some time ago as the result
of civil suit, testified that he bought
about all the food he ate while there
as he was unable TO eat that furnished.
The potatoes had been frozen and were
sometimes rotten, the meat tough and
the hash uneatable. He testified to un-
cleanliness. bedbugs and lack OF medi-
cal care in dangerous eases.
Or. Z. l. Hall, the prison physician,
testified concerning Burno and Hazel
ton, who died in the house of correction.
The former he said, died in his cell
from Bright S disease of a very acute
character, which developed rapidly as
il is liable to do in any case. He made
an examination of the prisoner after his
death, and obtained his information
from that. He said Hazelton Is ease de-
veloped quite as rapidly When his at.
teutiou was first called to the ease the
prisoner was in his cell and apparently
had nothing more than an ordinary
cold. The following day the patient
was in the hospital and it could be seen
then that the disease was in its last
stages. When lIazelton was taken 70
the institution "A short time previous he
showed clearly the effects of wild
life. Superintendent Morgan was called
upon to show the prison records in re-
gard to the ease and it was decided that
thev lacked detail in many eases.