The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-02-16
CHILDREN NOT ILL-TREATED.
According to Testimony Regar ling State
School for Feeble Minded.

A hearing was given before the joint
committees on state institutions last
night on the charges Of abusive treat.
ment brought against DR.. Frederick j..
Russell, superintendent of the state
school for feeble minded at Brandon. The
charges, which caused the investigation,
were based on the statements of George
NJ. Burnham, an outside attendant at the
school, who absolutely contradicted him
self when testifying before the board of
trustees of the institution; p. W. Bragg,
a plumber of Rutland, who became an
gered at DR.. Russell because OF dis
pute regarding some work which Bragg
was doing at the school and wrote TO
! Representative Fenton of Rutland City
asking that an investigation We made.
and G. K. Mayhem and f. BOstwick of
Brandon, who had worked on the school
farm.
The three members Of the board of
trustees, Dr. P. f. MeSweeney of Bur
lington, Irving S. Coburn OF Milton and
John +. Paddock of Saxtons River, who
were present, were indignant at the
charges which had been made against DIR.
Russell and praised his work highly.
They admitted that his management of
the farm left good deal 10 be desired, but
stated that he was hired as director OF
the institution and not as farmer.
Some OF the crops were not harvested
when they should have been and were
therefore lost but most of this occurred
when DR. Russell was confined to his |
room with an injured knee and could not |
supervise the harvesting. The trustees |
made n strong point of the fact that |
since DIR. Russell has been head of the |
school there has been no sickness among |
the az inmates with the exception OF a |
slight epidemic of the mumps. which |
was brought by a child from another
state.
The charges and the testimony sup
porting them were read by Chairman
Metzger from stenographic report of
the hearing of the committee when IL
visited Brandon last week. The commit
tees will conduct further investigation
into the matter.
Burnham charged that runaway boy
had been punished by being compelled to
stand erect and hold heavy board over
his head for two days, only receiving
his meals on the second day, and that
a boy had been confined in stall He
also charged that the boys had INSULT
cient clothing and shoes. DR. Russell
denied that he had ever had a runaway
or that any boy had ever been punished
in the way described. The children al
ways were given proper clothing he said.
A boy was confined in a clean stall one
warm afternoon as a punishment.
Some mis- management of the farm
was admitted but excused on the ground ,
that the superintendent was not farm
er. Next year, the trustees hope to
have sufficient funds to hire a practical
farmer to take charge of this work. One
hundred and twelve children will be
cared for at school next year.
Colonel Paddock Of the board Of trus
tees told of Burnham contrsdicting the
testimony which he gave the House com
mittee. Burnham admitted that the chill
iren were treated better than in most
and were we'll fed The
,nly time Burnham ever saw anybody 4
,trike a child wasonce when he Bun
iam) knocked down a powerful boy, who
lad attacked him with a hoe. cutting a
yash in his head. Mrs. Burnham told
he trustees that affairs were well han
He'd at the institution. that she liked
o work there and asked that they con
inue to employ her husband.
p. w. Bragg of Rutland told of see
NC boy insufiiciently clothed SHOW
ling snow few weeks ago and Of Civ
ng him a pair OF gloves that DR. Rus
ell took away. DIR. Russell admitted Z
aking the gloves from the boy but said
.e did il because he thought the boy Il
tole them. Bragg also told of seeing
ONE Of the school boys in water up 20
heir knees digging ditch aud said they B
we're half frozen and that he distributed Z
4 pairs Of gloves among them. This was
enied by DR.. Russell and at this point
he trouble between Bragg and the SUI
erintendent was brought out. g. +.
Iayhew and +. Bostwiek Of Brandon
old Of seeing one hnowison. an attend Is
MT. lash some Of the boys working I'M
er him r
This also was denied BY the suPesin- I