St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-03-07
WALKED NAKED
IN THE COLD
Witnesses Continued to Tell
OF Mistreatment at Brat
tleboro Retreat
MORE ABOUT CASE.
OF MISS GRAHAM
Was Unconscious When TalSc7, To
Says Food Was pOOr-Attcnd-
ants Carried Out
Drunk
w. III. jeffrey, Special Correspondent

w. III. jeffrey, Special Correspondent
Montpelier, Feb. 2S.-The commit
tee which is investigating conditions
at the Brattleboro Retreat resumed
the hearings this morning at the City
Council Chamber.
Hon. r. w. Simonds of ST Johns
bury, was the first witness before the
committee today. He cleared up
many Of the matters relating to the
testimony of Miss Gertrude Graham
and Mrs. Elizabeth Murray, both Of
ST. Johnsbury, who were on the wit
ness stand last week.
Mr.. Simonds told of having known
both Of the witnesses for the past ten
years, and that he had always found
Miss Graharl's mind perfectly clear.
He told the committee the story as it
came to him as IN attorney for Miss
Graham. In giving his testimony he
said. in part:
Miss Graham had become i'll. She
consulted q physician. and an oper-
alton was performed. Miss Graham did
not make the desired progress, and,
discharged by her physician, DIR.
Charlotte Fairbanks she went to Dr..
w. J. Aldrich, who found her with
twelve kinds Of medicines and threw
them away.
'Dr. Fairbanks said her mother left
q little money. Miss Graham's broth
er came and tried to get it. Finding
that he could not, he went to Dir. Aid
rich, and triod to get some. medicine
to drug his sister. and was refused.
The brother then went to DR. Fair
| banks, and, under some prctext or
other, did get six tablets. Two of
these tablets, administered to his SIS
/ ter. rendered her unconscious, and il
| this condition she was taken to the
Brattleboro Retreat
1.-The brother took from her her
watch and jcwe,ry, and carried them
! to Springfield, Mass. Our law con-
j pelled their return.
''At our request, DIR. Aldrich was
! appointed guardian for Miss Graham
| while she was in the Retreat
! Mr.. Simonds told of how Miss Gra-
/ ham and Mrs Murray visited the law
offices Of Simonds, Searles and Graves
| for the purpose Of bringing suit
! against the Retreat. When asked by
Mr.. Rierdon if they brought suit, Mr..
I Simonds said: 'I am sorry to say
! we did not
The next witness was Walter Ham
! iltor Of Springfield. who told OF con-
ditions at the Retreat during the four
months that he was there. He said:
! Il saw DR.. LaWton only two or three
times while I was there. The conGi-
tons were unsanitary, and The beds
We're full of vermln.
at was very cold some Of the time.
I have known it to be down to four
or five degrees above zero. One pa
tent was allowed to walk about the
halls naked izl this cold. Another
naked patient was showed into Il room
and WAS not let Out until morning.
II saw Dr. LaWton once go through
( when the Governor was visiting the
institution. L do not remember Of my
room being mopped during the four
| months that 1 was there
This afternoon former LieutGov-
Howe was before the committee
which is conducting the hearings on
the conditions at the Brattleboro Re
treat. He testified that he had been
| familiar with the Retreat for twenty
years. and had visited it several times
/ when he was a member Of the board,
as speaker Of the House and as Lieu
tenant Governor.
He said that when the asylum was
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