Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-03-08
INVESTIGATION OF
BRANDON SCHOOL
Inmates Whipped and Poorly
Clothed, Say Some-Others
Deny Such Things.

garding the management of the State |
School for the Feeble Minded at Brandon,
and his address. In which he said that |
he thought that DR.. Frederic J. Russell,
superintendent of the school, working |
under discouraging circumstances had !
accomplished results such as no other
man In the State could have performed. |
was the outstanding feature of the hear |
ing. The evidence supplied by the ten
s1hcr witnesses regarding the treatment
Of the children at the school resulted In
a mass of conflicting testimony. Employees
at the school testified that corporal pun
ishmcnt was not inflicted upon the chill
dren while several other witnesses tcsti-
| fled to having seen attendants strike the
boys. Practically all of the witnesses,
however. with the exception Of the natron
who i1cues the children's clothing, and
another school employe, seemed to think
that the children at times had not SUM-
Client clothing, particularly in the early
part of last fall. Several other attend
ants and former workrnen al the school
are expected to testify at to-morrow's
hearing. The committee hope to have
the evidence completed by Saturday noon
r. c. Flood. editor of the Brandon
Union. testified that the only information
which he had regarding conditions st the
school and upon which ne had based re-
cent editorials in the Union regarding
tho investigation was hearsay, or the
general speech Of people," as he termed
Il. Every man whose opinion he had
sought seemed to think that the chill
dren were ill-treated. Mr.. Foods son,
r. X. Flood. who Is o student in the
Brandon high school, testified that he
worked for two weeks at the school last
November and saw an attendant named
Knowlson hit q boy. who wouldn't work.
on the back with club made from the
branch Of tree which he always cnr-
Irted. He also said that he gave a boy a
pair of gloves and that he and some
lworkmen fed boy who said he had been
|compelled to go without his dinner and
work just the same.
George f. Mayhem OF Brandon. who
worked at the school as q laborer last
year. testified to seeing Knowlson lash a
boy with a whip made by tying a leather
thong to a stick and afterwards strike
the boy on the head with his fists. The
witness stated that upon his vigorous
remembrance knowlson took the lash off
1.-THE stick, but said that he was only
carrying out DR.. Russell's orders. On an
other occasion he saw an attendant
named Burnham belaboring boy with a
board. His attention was attra cted by the
lhowls of the boy.
Upon cross-examination. Mayhem admit.
workmen employed with him. but denied
that more than one man became intoxi-
lcated, and he was Immediately discharged
p. w. Bragg Of Rutland. who since last
October has been installing a heating and
plumbing system In the new school build.
iings. testified that boys were not given
sufficient clothing. He told of the boys
digging a ditch and standing in mud and
slush halfway to their knees with only
IL ~ AH-~t-
out gloves. although IT was late in Novem'
Der. He also said that on January II
with the thermometer four degrees below
zero, he saw a small boy crying witt
cold. trying to shovel snow. The boy hae
on only very light underwear, a frock anC
a light overcoat. Bragg took him into
> a barn. tried to bring about a more Wig
orous blood circulation and gave him {
pair Of gloves. which he stated Dr. Rus
o sell afterwards took away from the boy
. The workmen gave the boys digging
= ditch about a dozen pairs of gloves. sale
Bragg.
. George Bacon Of Brandon said the in
stitution rooms were always kept clear
: and the children were we'll fed. II,
thought. however, that the boys wer,
sent out to work in the winter withou
having sufficient clothing and testified
0 that he had seen their fingers and ear
frost-bitten and swollen. Once Bacol
! took seven boys out in the woods On
J. winter day to cut wood. They had onl,
d one axe and saw to work with and hat
i to burn as much wood as they cut 4
keep from freezing To death, said tn
!. witness.
= The witness also criticized Or: Russell
n farm management. He said there wer
n from, ave to seven acres of corn fOtide
! and q couple o: tons of barley still III,
q harvested. Mr. Bacon had charge of tn
= farm work before DR.. Russell took owe
~ that department Of the school.
~ Il. II. Bostwick of Brandon. anothe
. workman, testified TO seeing knowlsou
~ an attendant. strap four-inch pole
= eight or ten feet long. on a boys bac
= because he wouldn't work. He also sal
|. that with snow on the ground the boy
Z had to work with their feet sticking on
n of their shoes. and that none of theI
~ had gloves except what the workne
E gave them.
10 An attendant, George NJ. Burnhanl. sal
70 the children were properly fed. clothe
and cared for. He had once knocke
~ down q boy who attacked him with a hot
10 but that was the only case where an ir
pa mate was punished in that way. tha
A. Inc knew Of Knowlson. no said. carrie
A. a short strap to use on stubborn boy
q The witness caused the one good laug
NJ of the afternoon when he told OF or
NJ inmate, who could eat IA quarts OF bean
A. four ioaves of bread. drink two quarts {
Of milk, stretch. and then repeat the mea
II Burnham aiso testiffed that Dr. Raasse
de punished boy who had run away. b
making him hold bed-slat over his hea'
ID for three hours. and then repeat the Pc
d. Torrance the ncxt day. He admitte'
ce however. that the boy rested sometime
he and on those occaaions he thought thu
rs Dr. Russell who was working In the fie
IN near the boy. thumpcd him lightly wit
NJ a hoe handle to make him raise his arm
re agnin. He also admitted that the far
to might have been managed better Son
IT, Of tho corn and barley was still unha
r. vested and the cattle were once washt
,ir in cold weather. Otherwise. howeve
~ they were we'll taken care Of.
an r. II. johnson Of Brandon. who liv
next to the school. said that the childrt
always seemed happy and were apparen
~ well cared for He thought that duriI
the early part Of this fall. they we
A. somewhat thinly clad.
ON Mrs. Ida Buruham cook, and Miss Do
ne othy MacVccar. matron of the instit
M tion. said tho children were well fed al
m. cared for and never abused The childr'
av were never corporally punished. said Mi
= lMacViccar. but were deprived OF desse
iii or attendance at the weekly entertai
a. ment. II they offended. She always issu
~ sAYicient clothing to the inmates al
ami there was always suficient money to pu
chase all that was necessary. The WI
Of haN h. oAt