The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-03-08
CHARGES
AGAINST RETREAT
Creditable Picture of COndi-
tons Presented by Many
Witnesses
TREATMENT GOOD,
PLENTY OF FOOD
Employees of the Institution and Other
WellKnown Residents of Brattleboro
Among Those Who Gave Testimony
at the Hearing.
MONTPELIER, March s.

MONIPELlER, March ).
A most creditable picture of condi-
tions at the Brattleboro Retreat was
presented before the legislative in
vestigating committee this morning
when several employees of the institu
ton took the stand and in effect re
fnted all charges of abusive treatment
and poor food which had been made
by former inmates and witnesses.
Harry w. spaulding, 80 years an
cmploye and now kitchen chef, declared
that a varied menu Of fresh meats,
vegetables, FISH, oysters, etc. was
served. He told of the large farm and
said $500 quarts of milk were used
weekly
| Miss Ruth DIVER, a nurse, said the
rooms We're mopped daily and cleaned,
and that in her opinion the Retreat was
/ on a par with if not superior to the
children S hospital in Massachusetts.
where she was formerly employed.
/ Frank t. Philbrick, assistant super
intendent, told Of being almost con
stantly III the wards and declared that
| attendants were dismissed promptly if
any rules were broken.
Two independent undertakers of
Brattleboro, W. H. Bond and A. II.
Rohde, testified the bodies of the dead
were carefully embalmed, state as well
| as private patients, and said they
never had seen marks of violence on
bodies, except III one instance. a case
of suicide.
Nilfred Harris, superintendent Of the
laundry. told how the clothes were ster-
ilized. Miss Eva Marshall testified the
rooms on the most violent wards were
cleaned and mopped daily.
All witnesses testified DR.. Lawton
visited wards frequently and gave spc-
cial attention to patients.
Horton d. Walker, president Of the
Brattleboro board of trade, character
lied the conduct of the EMPLOYEES of
the Rrattleboro Retreat toward the
patients, from the superintendent down,
like father toward bunch of help
less Children Mr. Walker, who has
done the electric wiring for the Re
treat for the past ten years, testified
before the investigating committee yes
terday afternoon that in his work he
had access to every nook and corner Of
the buildings and with his keys went
from room to room unaccompanied by
any member of the Retreat staff. IN
his statement that the institution is
clean and well cared for Mr.. Horton
was sustained and strengthened by the
six witnesses following him who occu-
pied the full afternoon
Jesse Haynes, Brattleboro manager
: Tor Swift & Co., testified that for five
! years he has been selling the Retreat
; weekly some thousand pounds OF prime
r No. !. western beef and first quality
= pork as well as three or four hundred
1 dozen Of fresh eggs. Further. Mr.
Haynes stated that he frequently saw
shipments of several hundred pounds
! of the best hindquarters of western
!, steers which the institution purchased
Y from Z, Boston firm. At this time At
torney Gibson stated that the Retrea
). purposed to show before the hearing
closed that the institution purchase
!, 10000 to $4,000 pounds of fresh mea
monthly Mr.. d. P Dewitt, wholesal,
: grocer of Brattleboro, testified as to tn
{ quality of the large supplies of grocer
les his firm sells the institution annual
c ly.
: Louis Cain, engineer at the Retreat
% Mrs. Sue Hannick, an attendant, Dr
l|Soiic ihIAiAidN, Loi HciiN doSicldh
physician, and Mrs Abigail Gillfoi
formerly nurse at the institution, an
who went to Mrs Hattie Guilford
home at Pownal and cared for her 70
IS five months, all declared Mrs. Guilfor
was never abused to their knowledge
Mrs. Gilifoil stated that when she wa
i caring for Mrs. Guilford several time
MIS- Guilford told Of her jaw bein
Sc broken at New York asylum and sal
E. The sears on her arms resulted froi
is pneumonia. When questioned by NJ
n Reirden of the committee Mrs. Gillfo
1T denied having told several individual
IS that patient was scalded to death g
the Retreat. The witness further had n
criticism to make of the management
of the institution.
The six witnesses, who are MOI
or less familiar with the buildings, rid
d. culed the statement that dungeo
exists at the Retreat Mrs. Hannick
her testimony told of seeing Mrs. Gui
he ford daily and that she was subject
in delusions and her complaints of
1t. treatment were never substantiate
or while DR.. McKinlay gave the eommittt
nd to understand that he never investiga
tn ed the complaint OF patients.
Robert c. Bacon of Brattleboro is a
sisting Attorney Gibson in behalf
en- the Retreat and will have full chars
IA in event of Mr.. Gibson being callt