The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-03-08
CLEAN BILL O. HEALTH
FOR THE RETREAT
Several Witnesses Who Were introduced
in Behalf of the Institution Told
of Satisfactory Condi-
tions

clean bill of health" by witnesses who
testified to-day in the investigation be-
ing held at Montpelier, the witnesses
having been put on the stand in behalf
of the institution. The witnesses heard
to-day corroboratcd much of what was
presented yesterday afternoon. They
were Ruth NJ. Dwyer, an attendant; II.
| w. Spaulding, a kitchen steward for 30
years; Frank Philbrick, an assistant su-
! pervisor of mems ward; William H.
Bond and Arthur l.. Rohde, both under
takers; Wilfred Harris, who was en-
ployed in the laundry, and Mrs. Eva
Marshall, an attendant.
All the witnesses told of the excellent
conditions at the retreat. The two un-
dertakers testified that they had en-
balmed the bodies of all the patients
who had died at the retreat for some
years and they had never seen any marks
on the bodies. Mr. Bond testified in
particular as to the condition of the
body of Clifford Smith of Springfield, in
refutation of testimony presented earlier
in the investigation. Mr.. Bond said he
saw no marks on the Smith body.
Mr.. Harris, who works in the laundry,
said the conditions about that part of the
institution were good and that consider
able attention was paid to sterilizing.
be said that Is or 20 of the patients
work about the institution.
Assistant Supervisor Philbrick of the
mems ward testified that the only time
he knew of any violence was when two
patients got to fighting and had TO be
uutN 4.nI ht~ atf Lot
Capt. Haigh. the superintendent, is eff
eient and that any abuses would have
been reported to him (Haigh). The wit
ness also said that Supt. Lawton gave
much time to the affairs of the institu-
tion.
Testimony Wednesday Afternoon.
Like a father to bunch of help
less children" was Horton d. Walkers
Characterization OF the attitude of every
employe of the retreat toward the pa
tients; and his testimony was borne out
0y six other witnesses.
IL was beyond any of the witnesses to
find any criticism whatsoever to make
of the institution. They were anxious
to contradict all charges against the
testifying that never had
they seen or known of patients being |
of the building being other
wise than eleanly or of insufficient sup |
ply of wholesome food.
Horton ID. Walker, president of the |
board of trade, is electrician /
for the retreat. Jesse Haynes, Brattle-
boro manager for Swift 4 Co., supplies
the retreat with some thousand pounds
Of prime number one beef and three hun
ired dozen of fresh eggs weekly, he tes-
titled Louis Cain is engineer at the re-
treat, Mrs. Sue Hannick is an attend
INT. DIR. L. L. Mckinley of Newbury was
formerly assistant physician and Mrs.
Abigail Guilfoil was former nurse at the
retreat. d. p. Dewitt of Brattleboro,
Wholesale grocer, supplies the institu-
ion with some $4,000 worth of grocer
es yearly.
Mr.. Walker in his work for the in
titution has had access TO every nook
nd corner of the buildings while Mr..
Iaynes and Mr.. Cain have been in most
f the buildings, but neither have any
ault to find but contend that it is clean
r than many hotels. Mr.. Cain told of
he ventilating system, the well equipped ]
lundry and the ten-aore garden. Attor- '
ey Gibson stated that the retreat pur
osed to prove its purchase Of ten thous {
nd pounds of fresh meat monthly.
All the witnesses ridieuled the idea of a
here being a dungeon and none of them 5
ad any knowledge of Mrs. Hattie Gull c
ord being beaten or abused. Mrs. Han \
ick as assistant supervisor saw Mrs. j
uilford every day and never had rea- a
IN to believe she was mistreated by any '
ttendant. she testified.
Mrs. Guilfoil went to Mrs. Guilford's a
ONE and cared for her five months and 5
.ated that Mrs. Guilford said her jaw /
as broken at New York asylum and P
rat the scars on her arms were the re- II
lit of pneumonia. When questioned by
r. Reirden of the committee, Mrs. Gull d
Ill denied having told of a patient be- a
& scalded to death when she worked at u
u y