The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-06-04
NURSE GAVE
TESTIMONY
Former EmpIoye at Retreat
CorrOb0rates Story of
Mrs. Holman
SAW NOTHING TO
INDICATE INSANITY
Plaintiff Again ON Stand in $4,000
Damage Suit III Hartford Ad-
mitted Falsehoods, but Said Her Life
with Brenton Required Them.
Especial to The Reformer.)


Especial to The Reformer.)
HARTFORD, Conn. June 4.
Corroborative testimony by the wo-
man who had been her nurse al the
insane asylum in Brattlebofo, VI. the |
presentation as eviGe as.e Of many let |
tiers, the introduction. Of rerord oil
the divorce trial. antg some details of
her married life withshe former hus-
band, when a professor at Trinity col
lege, these were amoBg the develop
ments of the second Bays session Of
Mrs. Frederick Ernest Holman : sen
sational suit for $4,000 for alleged
conspiracy against her former husband,
Rev. Cranston Brenton, DIR. O. e. Smith
and DR.. Paul Waterman.
large part of the day was given
TO the testimony of Miss Lacy Town
shend. who had been Mrs. Holman
personal attendant part ol the time
she was at the Brattleboro asylum. Her
story was largely corroborat,vc of the
story told by Mrs. Holman the 9pen-
ing day of the trial hut she went more
into the details of conditions at the
asylum aud told more about the man
agement of the institution.
Late in the afternoon, Mrs. Holman
resumed her place on the witness
stand and was finally turned over TO
the opposing counsel for crossex-
animation. From the beginning this
was a relentless one. The matter OF
the abnormal sex relations referred
to by Mrs. Holman was gone into and
this line Of questioning was IN prog
ress when the court adjourned until
this morning
Miss Townshend s;dd sire lived 1T
Barre, VT, and had been 4 nurse fol
about twelve years. In 1912 She was
a nurse at the Brattleboro asylum. She
recalled Mrs. Brenton coming there
The witness at that time had been
a nurse at the asylum about three
weeks. She was employed as a special
attendant for three patients. They
were patients with suicidal inclina
tions and had to be kept under con
stant observation night and day. The
patients were n Mrs. Johnson, Mis-.
Burro and Mrs. Graut.
Placed Near Violent Patient.
Mrs. Brenton, when brought there
was put in a room beside that of Mrs
johnson. Mrs. Graut was in the sam,
ward, three rooms away. The plac
was a regular insane hospital, but old
fashioned.
Miss Townshend testified that whel
Mrs. Brenton was brought to the asy
lum she was locked i'm her room. Afte
Mrs. Brenton Gad been there thre
days, her door was left unlocked. Mr.:
johnson was Mt all times very noisy
She had murderous inclnations an
would have killed any one if she 20
the chance. She insisted on going
Mrs. Brenton and telling her her tror
bles
She was the worst patient, sal
Miss Townshend, that | ever saw i
all my 2 vears experience in aSy
lums. Miss Townshend then told {
one night when she was called to Mr.
Brenton 5 room. Mrs. Brenton ha
awakened to find Mrs. Johnson stan,
:, ing at the foot of her bed. When til
, witness and another nurse went to I'll
room, Mrs. johnson stood looking /;
Mrs Brenton with very ugly Toe
on her face She said nothing, but 81
: | fought and offered resistance whe
i they tried to take her away
n Mrs. Graut, said Miss Townshen
y was Il tubercuar patient. The dish
. she ate on were washed with the dis
q es which Mrs Brenton and the othe
4 used. No attempt was made to separa
them. to her knowledge, There was
: natient named Mrs. Sterdigant WI
! would run down. the hall throwing Il
4 chairs and furniture around. The wi
|. Eness remembered one day when s
threw something at Mrs. Brenton.
Mrs. Mcnamara was violent at tim
when she took n dislike to anyone {
lone occasion she attacked Mrs. Bre
ton.
After Mrs. Brenton had been the
D about three weeks, said Miss Tow
send, the witness was assigned to 81
lcially look after her. Ten days aft
re that, Mrs. Brenton was taken to II
den Lodge and she accompanied her
her special nurse. DR. Lawton, t
superintendent, had instructed her
90 with Mrs. Brenton everywhere 5
20 went and TO take her only to su
e places as she though suitable. S
9. was also told to show all the m
Il Mrs. Brenton wrote.
No Indication of Insanity.
no Asked about the ward Mrs. Brent
nd was kept in at the asylum, the W
Ma Iness said it was not like the par
ot wards in other institutions. 1t v
in violent, noisy and unsanitary
ar. lights were allowed. She said wi
she was given charge Of Mrs. Brent
she was told by DIR. I.awton that NJ
OF Brenton was not insane.
IN After Mrs. Brenton went to Line
a Lodge she was i'll several days 5
1nf