The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-03-14
CANNOT FIND DUNGEON"
Investigators Enlist Mrs. Guilford's Aid
in Finding 1t.


Brattleboro, March 1.-the legislative
committee engaged in investigating the
conduct of the Brattleboro Retreat fol
the Insane has given up trying to locate
the dungeon Mrs. Hattie Guilford OF
North Adams, Mass, formerly of Pow.
nal, says she was confined in while an
inmate of the institution, and has called
upon her to show it to the committee
She is to appear here and lead the com
mittee to it. She made the offer when
testifying in Montpelier before the com
mittee and the members have accepted
it and await her appearance. There are
two more witnesses to be examined be-
sides Mrs Guilford and then the commit
tee will undertake the preparation OF its
report.
Mrs. Marion Shattuck, supervisor of
the women's department, testified yester-
day that she spent much time in the
ward where Mrs. Guilford was during
her stay in the institution and saw her
several times daily. She testified that
Mrs. Guilford never received a broken
jaw at the Retreat and was never abused
there.
Superintendent Smaller f. Lawton tes-
titled that he frequently visited the
wards, but that the reason why he was
not seen on them as much as formerly
was that he had adopted a policy of see
ing patients in his Office daily in order
that examinations might be made with
out haying other patients gather around
and repeat things they had heard, to the
annoyance of other patients He de-
MED that Mrs. Guilford ever was injured
at the Retreat
Dr. Herbert Z. Taylor, first assistant
surgeon at the Retreat, gave important
testimony tending to contradict the SEN
sational evidence of Mrs. Guilford and
of Mrs Foster r. Clement. He said all
violations OF rules by attendants are
made known to Retreat officials imme-
diately as there are plenty of patients
in condition to give information. At
tendants are discharged if proof of mis-
conduct is established. He denied that
there was any system of punishment in
vogue at the Retreat. There was no such
thing as punishment.
Mrs. Guilford. he testified, was always
suspicious of the food when a patient
at the Retreat She once threw a parole
patient to the floor, tried to choke
woman patient, and again nearly sue
ceeded in throwing a nurse downstairs.
At the time when it was stated Mrs.
Guilforl's jaw was broken with an iron
bar by a nurse who attacked her. DR.
TAYLOR said. the attack was made by
Mrs. Guilford The nurse. Mrs. Morrill,,
in defense. forced the patient to her bed,
then escaped from the room. Mrs. Gull
ford admitted not long afterward that
the fault was all hers, and made no com
plant of a broken jaw.
Mrs. Clement when she entered the |
Institution. Dr. Taylor said, was in a
state, excited, noisy, profane /
and unable 10 control her bodily move
nents. Two day and two night nurses |
were necessary for her case. with an ex-
ira one always on call. Frequently her /
violence drove them all from the room. /
Once she got rid Of the nurses, locked 1
the door. smashed the windows, tied 4
sheets together and got out Later she
pounded on the door Of the main build 1
ng and was admitted in a half nude con-
iition and one ankle sprained. DIR. Tay-
or said Mrs. Clement was "thc NEST
destructive. filthy and abusive patient
BE- ever knew"
Judge james N. Tyler. chairman Of
he board Of trustees. said that the pa
,ers are asking why the Retreat paid