The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-04-23
FOR HER RELEASE
FROM INSANE
ASYLUM
Mildred Brewster Testifies in
Her Own Behalf
APPEARED TO Be SANE
Officials OF institute Maintain That
Young Woman 10 Not Mentally
Fit to Be at Large.

Montpelier. April 22.-The hearing
on petition for the release of Mil
dred Brewster who has been confined
for ten years In the state hospital for
the insane at Waterbury. having been
acquitted OF the murder OF Anna
Wheeler Oh the ground of insanity,
was continued today before Judge Al.
fred A. Hall.
The morning session was a short
one, lasting only about an hour, and
VIZ devoted to thorough examina-
ton of Miss Brewster by w. A. Lord
She made an excellent impression. an
swering all questions clearly and In.
telligently. Her replies were given
In a low tone and II was sometimes
necessary to ask her to repeat her
testimony. The witness showed more
interest today than she did yesterday
and although there were many spec
tators In the court room, the atten.
dance was smaller than IL was yester-
day.
Mr.. Lord questioned Miss Brewster
minutely regarding her entire life.
She told OF her childhood in Hunting
ton and ofleaving nome to come TO
Montpelier IN 1896. when she entered
a tailor shop. She was accurate in
dates given. She remembered going
70 barre to buy revolver and said
she intended to kill herself with II.
Sfe does not remember the incidents
OF the tragedy, her first recollection OF
that period being of waking In hos.
pital after the shooting.
She recalled having some trouble
with her head before the shooting and
when she first went to the state hos
pital for the insane at Waterbury
The witness was able to give the
names of all the superintendent and
physicians OF the hospital during her
stay at Waterbury. She said she
wished to leave the hospital and
thought she could lead a proper life
The court questioned her feelings to-
ward the world In general and In par
tic'ilar toward Jack Wheeler whose
attentions to Miss Wheeler are sup
posed to have been the cause OF the
tragedy. She declared that she was
not Respondent and could control her
feelings toward Wheeler.
Montpelier, April 2i.-After nine
years confinement In the Waterbury
insane asylum because jury said she
was not guilty OF Staying Anna Wheel
er by reason of insanity, Mildred
Brewster came to Montpelier in the
custody Of Sheriff Tracy this noon.
evaded half hundred curious people
by hurrying around the railroad sta
ton. was whisked away TO the county
jail In hack In company with Messrs
Lord and Carleton, her attorneys, and
at O'Clock this afternoon appeared in
Supreme court chambers at the state
house where Judge A. A. Hall heard
testimony on her petition that she be
released from the state asylum on the
grounds that her going at large will
be menace to nobody.
William Rose and wife, who are
ready to admit her to their home in
Hardwick, were present to give testi.
nony to that effect. The petitioners
witnesses were state supervisors of
insane at the asylum, DR.. +. T.. Steele
OF Montpelier and DR.. II. N. Pelton of
Richford, who testified that In their
opinion she was not insane and would
not be a menace to the public with
proper environments.
DR.. Pelton answered the hypotheti.
cal question covering dozen type
written pages and detailing her fam.
lily history
On the other hand DIR. Don ID. Grout
superintendent Of the asylum. and DR..
Watson WATSON, of the asylum staff
called her a degenerate, mentally UNI
stable, and he believed she would not
be safe person TO be at large. and
that she might Ito such deed over
again II the same circumstances ex.
listed.
DR.. w. J. Upton, former asylum
doctor, did not believe she was any
more insane than the day she was com
mitted. He designated her a degener-
ate. although he informed the court II
1t We're his sister, he would prefer in
titutional rather than home treatment
Miss Brewster followed the testi-
mony listlessly except during the read.
ing Of the hypothetical question recit-
Ing her family history and the crime
she committed. She has aged much
during her confinement. One side Of
her face Is drawn out of shape from
the bullet wound In her ear, when she
sought to end her life after killing
Anna Wheeler for jealousy Of Jack
Wheeler on the morning Of Memorial
day, 1898, on Seminary hill In Mont
pelier. The hearing was adjourned
until 8 tomorrow morning.