Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-03-01
Hearing at House of Correction
before Investigating Commit
tee Not Complete.
TO MEET AGAIN MARCH 5.
Governor BcII In Attcndancc-Burlin
ton Woman Failed to Appear
sheriff Kelley Has Remedy for
rOwding-PrisOn Ply
stefan, Regarding Deaths.

Rutland Fob. o3,--For the first time
Gov. e. j. Bell of Walden attended the
session of the special commission in
vostigating the states penal institu-
ton to- day at the House of Corrections
Lottic Dion OF Burlington could not
be found when it came time for her TO
take the stand to-day. 1t was reported
to Superintendent p. l.. Morgan that
last evening she got drunk and left
for Burlington. having collected part
of the foes due her.
Tn" chief of police at Burlington
was at once communicated with by
telephone and she was soon after found
in her old haunts in that city. In
structons were given for her arrest
and she will he ncld for the next meet
ing of the committee. when the pr-
soncr implicated by her charges will
be given Il chance To defend himself.
SHERIFF KELLEY TESTIFIES.
The first witness put on the stand this
morning was Barney +. Kelley of St. Al
bans. sheriff Of Franklin county. His
testimony was in regard to the alleged
graft of the police and sheriff department
of his section in bringing men to the
House OF Correction for the mileage fees
they could realize.
He said: The people demand protec-
tion and il is our intentions To enforce the
law" He said he had brought u large
number of men from his place to the
House of Correction but did it only TO en-
force the law. The rate allowed for
bringing ono man to this prison was Il
milo and pic6t milo
for each additional prisoner. He had
often assisted Il Burlington officer IN
bringing a prisoner down, the Burlington
officer getting the pay
Witness denied the charge that men.
who applied at lac county Jail for lodg ng
over night We're frequently arrested.
Sheriff Kelley recommended that an ad-
diton be made 70 the House Of Correction
If it was crowded now as the proportion
of the population coming from his county
would probably not he decreased. The
only remedy for stopping the flow from
that section was to make the penalty for
a second offense of intoxicat ion hard labor
in the place where the arrest was made
instead Of a sentence at The House Of
Correction. He said that it was the same
old bunch of men who kept coming to
Rutland
POL.ANDEE DESERVED BLOW.
Fred RI. Rich of this city who served
a sentence some time ago as Il result of
a civil suit, was placed on the stand.
Tho food he said was not what he was
accus toned to and consequently he bought
about all he ate while there. Tho potatoes
one winter were frozen and were some
times rotten. The meat was always tough,
As TO tho hash, which was the principal
article on tho table for breakfast, ne
said that he had never been able to cat
any.
Rich thought the harsh treatment by the
officers of the Polander, Of whom Philip
Petrie had previously told. was justified.
The foreigner was in a lighting mood and
nothing would quiet him. but blow on
the head with a club. His wounds were
afterwards treated properly, contrary to
Petrie'S statement.
He thought that the cells on the first
tier were kept a little more clean than
those above So that a good appearance
would he preserved 10 visitors, bed bugs
according to his testimony often bothered
the prisoners.
Rich thought that IIazclton. who died
of pneumonia. did not receive either
prompt medical treatment or prope,
nursing after he WAS dangerously ill.,
Tho last witness was DR.. T.. I. Han.
the prison physician, who testified as
10 Burno and Hazciton. who died in the
House of Correction. The former. he
said. died in his cell from BrGht'S di-
seasc. The disease was of very acute
character and developed rapidly as it
is liable To- do in any case. He made an
examination of the prisoner after his
death. and obtained his Information
from that.
lie said Hazclton's case developed
quite as rapidly. When his attention
was first called 10 the case tho prison.
"r was in his cell and apparently hau
nothing more than an ordinary cold.
The following day the patient was in
NE hospital and it could be seen then
that the disease was in its last stages.
When lIazclton was taken to the nsti-
tuition u short time previous he show
ed clearly the effects of a wild life.
Superintendent Morgan was called upon
10 Dt ,1liSnn rc.nr1S N ri