The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-04-29
DISMISSAL VOTED
FOR WSCRUSSElL
OF SPR|NGf|ELD
Former Bennington High School
Principal In Trouble
CONCEALMEN1 is CHARGED
Accused of Making Exorbtant
Profits in Purchasing of Labora-
tory Supplies.

Springfield, Mass. April 29--That
Waterman S. L. Russells relationship
to the schools OF Springfield should
not be continued beyond the present
year was the conclusion fthe re-
port presented last night to the
school committee by the special com
mittee appointed to investigate charg
es against MIR. Russell because of the
sale OF supplies to the school depart
ment by the Cambridge botanical sup
ply company Of which Mr.. Russell is
the owner. Twenty per cent too high
was paid for these supplies by the
city, according to the report of Prof
Arthur b. Lamb, who was appointed
at Mr.. Russell's request to investi-
gate the supplies and the prices paid
for them. Prof. Lamb stated, howey-
er, that he was convinced that Mr..
Russell had bought wisely as regard
the quality and nature of the sup
plies: had not bought excessive am
cunts and had taken an intelligent
and active interest in the care of the
equipment.
The special committee of the
school committee devoted its report
wholly TO proving that Mr.. Russell
concealed the fact that he was q
member OF the Cambridge botanical
supply company. Prof. Lambs re-
port deals with the investigation of
supplies and the prices paid for
them. By comparison of the prices
paid with the prices listed in catalogs
of four we'll known firms selling the
same sort of goods, he showed that
the city paid 20 per cent more than
it need have done.
In refutation OF these charges MIR.
Russell issued a statement last eve
ming quoting figures to prove that the
city had not paid 20 per cent too
much, and that Prof. Lamb had ac-
knowledged in a first report that he
pcrpared that many of the state.
ments were incorrect. A second re-
port was prepared by Mr.. Lamb, but
was not submitted to Mr.. Russell un
til o'clock yesterday so that he did
not have time to properly reply TO it.
Mr.. Russell said further that when he
was hired by DR.. Tohmas NJ. Bailliet,
then superintendent of schools, he
had told of his connection with the
1dilDl luSt bpNdllItdi supply COHipdHg
in every particular
The charges against Mr.. Russell
were part of the general charges
brought against the school committee
and other instructors last fall by Jul
ius Tuckerman, who was discharged
from the position of head of the mod
ern language department of the cen
tral high school and later ran as can
didate for the school committee from
Ward z. In a letter to the school
committee at that time Mr.. Russell
affirmed his innocence of wrong
doing. but admitted that he had made
a mistake. He requested an investi-
cation and offered to refund to the
city treasurer any loss that the city
might be found to have sustained
through his purchase of supplies
from the Cambridge botanical supply
company. Mr.. Russell said that he
has no intention of resigning but will
finish the year as head of the science
department OF the central high
school,
Mr.. Russell was formerly principal
of the Bennington high school and
has visited here since he became con
nected with the public schools of
Snrin u6aId