Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-03-08
BRANDON SCHOOL
HEARING DROPPED
Investigation Indicates No Seri.
Gus Ground for Complaint
against Management.

Montpelier, March 2-At the completion
Of this afternoons hearing before the
House State institutions committee, at
which much favorable testimony regard
Ing The present management of the State
School for the Feeble Minded at Bran
don was received 1t was announced that
further hearings would be indefinitely
postponed. The last two hearings have
developed considerable additional testi
mony very favorable to the school man
agcrnent and 1t will now be considered
by the committee In connection with the
evidence which they secured on their visit
to the school and al the first public hear
ing some weeks ago.
DR.. Frederick j. Russell, superintendent
of the school, against whom tho charges
Of ill-treatment OF the inmates and mis-
management of the school farm were
brought, made q pleasing impressions ~ a
witness to-day. He decisively contra
dicted eome of the testimony which was
given against him. DR.. +. Il. Insolvency.
Of Burlington stated that he thought I'LL
criticism had arisen from the dispute be-
tween DR.. Russell and p. W. Bragg of
Rutland. over some plumbing which tho
latter was installing in ono of the school
buildings. Regarding the charges of mis-
management of the farm it was testified
that with the expenditure of 500 DR.. Rus
raised by George Bacon. who was the
schools farmer tho preceding year, at
a cost of s2,100. Mr.. Bacon yesterday
criticised DR.. Russc!rs farm management.
| s. b. knowl5on. an attendant at the
school. testified that when working in the
woods with some Of the boys. he carried
q small strap six inches long and two
inches widc which he used lightly sonlo-
times on stubborn boys. lie stated that
Ia he - -,
face with the strap as hard as he had
ever struck a boy. DR.. Russc,; testified
that he was ignorant until yesterday OF
the fact that Knowlcon had the strap ard
would have objected to his using it, He
considered Knowlson kind ana had never
seen him unduly punish children.
Charles Doyle ~ Montpelier. who had
worked for several months on the school
buildings. said he had seen two boys
working outdoors in January wearing
, poor shoes and without gloves. The wit
. ness at first denied that he had had any
conversation with Mr.. iiragg rcgarding
the hearing. but when asked by Mir,
Metzger II he had not in the iatter's pres.
, ence told Bragg that the testimony of GER
tain witnesses was a lie. admitted that
I he had done so.
Francis Benoit and Walter Lawrence
of Brandon, who had helped erect the
/ new school buildings. thought that the
children were not always properly clothed
, Neither had seen the children abused.
although Lawrence had seen Knowlson
= strap n boy, but did not think he hurt
Q him. F.. II. McCullum of Brandon criti.
] cised Or. Russells farm management.
A large number of other witnesses, in
GLIDING ]. w. Votey of Burlington, testi-
t fed in favor Of DR.. Russell's care of the
] children and management of the school
Several school attendants testified that
, DR.. Russelrs instructions were never to
3 infiict corporal punishment on the chill
I dren.