Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-03-01
ALLEGED ABUSE Of
RETREAT PATIENTS
Mrs. Guilford Testifies She Was
Clicked, Beaten and Put in
Rat.Infested Cell.
SAYS JAW WAS BROKEN.
Tells Committee She saw Another In.
mate Killed and was Tied Up by
Wrists All Day for Speaking Of II.

Montpelier. Feb. 23.-The testimony, IL
true, regarding conditions at the Rratt!o-
boro retreat, given at the first days hear
ing to-day before the Joint legislative
committee appointed to investigate that
would seem to indicate that
patients at that institution have suffered
gross brualitles but not at the hands or
with the knowledge Of the retrca: au-
thorities. but from the attendants EN-
ployed tharc The investigation comrcit-
tee which consists Of Senator william H.
Fairchild Of Franklin county, chairman.
Senator I.tnuA 1.eavens OF Lamoille coun-
~. Representatives W. w. Reirdcu of
Barton, Charles L. Stuart Of Lyndonvi,le
and L. B. Brooks OF Montpelier exam.
ined nine witnesses to-day. Six Of them,
Mrs. Hattie NJ. Guilford, her husband,
Z. e. Guiiford OF North Adams, Mass,
her father. Dr.. E z. Potter Of North
Pownal. Fred Taylor. Miss Gertrude Ora
ham and Mrs. Elizabeth Murray Of St.
Johnsbury testified relative to conditions
at tho retreat. DR.. c. F. Hunt and Dr.
Charles w. Chandler Of Montpelier and
DR.. A. L. Fogg, representative from I'm
certain scars on Mrs. Guilford's body
LONG HEARING IN PROSPECT.
The hearing. which will be resumed at
nine o'clock tomorrow morning. bids fair
to continue a long time. The witnesses
who will be examined tomorrow morning
are Mrs William Barrett Of st. Johns
bury. whose husband died while patient
at the retreat. Joseph c. Jones Of Rut-
land. attorney for Mrs. Guilford. who
has been for some months securing evil
dence regarding the institution. and Rep
resentative Frank A. Wilson Of Pownal.
who introduced the resolution calling for
the investigation. Foster r. Clement of
Burlington appeared before the commit
tee this afternoon and said that he was
anxious to testify regarding conditions
at the retreat where. 1t Is understood,
members Of his family have been patients.
MI Clement will be summoned early
next week. Representative Reirden con.
Quoted to-day's examination of the wit
nesses and E. w. Gibson Of Brattlcboro.
a trustee Of the retreat. represented y
as counsel.
Mrs. Hattie NJ. Guilford Of North Adams.
who was patient at the retreat for about
two years from August 8, 1911. except
for short intervals when she returned
home only to return to the institution,
was the chief witness. Prior to going to
Brattleboro she had been a patient at
Albany. N. Y, Troy. N. T.. and Hart
ford. Conn.,. institutions. Her story was
practically the same as that told to Rep
resentative Wilson OF Pownal when ask
ing for the investigation.
MRS GUILFORD'S STORY.
The witness did not seek to exagger-
ate her story and said that DR.. s. E.
Lawton. superintendent Of the institu-
ton. DR.. Taylor. one Of his assistants.
and several Of the nurses had been
kind to her. She admitted that she
was stubborn and troublesome and
that many Of the inhuman acts which
she IL said to have suffered were in
nicted as punishment Mrs. Guilford
testified that she was kept in a
straightjacket for several days at a
time. that she was tied to a bed on a
rubber sheet for five days and not re-
moved during that time and that she
was confined for two days without
food or water in a dungeon with only a
dirt floor and no furnishings which
was also inhabited by rats. She also
| told of seeing an inmate killed by
being struck by a guard and when she
mentioned the fact, she was tied up
by her wrists in the morning. be-
| came unconscious and was not revived
until after the lamps had been lighted
in the evening.
SAYS JAW WAS BROKEN.
In addition to these acts. Mrs. Gull
| ford alleges that her jaw was broken
by blow from an attendant and
that she has scars on her body caused
by acid burns inflicted by attendants
very poor and when patients were in
l Rf AZ oh Ia n nj nj n
placed on the floor. from which they
had to cat like animals She also tes-
titled that moral conditions at the in
sutuuon were exceedingly lax.
DOCTORS TESTIMONY.
The three doctors, Hunt. Chandler and
FoSg. were unable to stats positively
whether or not the scars OH her body re-
suited from burns. but did not think they
did unless the burns had been inflicted
Her left Jaw had been broken, almost
surely by blow, said DIR. Togg. and
there was a scar on her forehead where
a wound had been made from some blunt
instrument. although this might have
been caused by fall.
OTHER SIDE OF CASE.
Attorney Gibson conducted and closci,
examined all the Witnesses He will en-.
deavor to show that Mrs. Guilford ad'
mitted she was subject to .delusions
thought that the Black Handlers would
got her and that her former husband, DIR
II. A. Miner. wnS attempting to kidnay
her children. He will also claim that thu
scars were from elf-inficted wounds anc
that at limos 1t was necessary to bandagt
tho womans arms to prevent her frpn
injuripg herself.
MISS GRAHAMS STORY.
Miss Gertrude Graham OF St Johns
bury. who was patient at the retrea
for seven weeks from September ], 1915
testified to being choked, forcibly fed
strapped SO tightly to her bod that sh,
was in agony throughout tho night. ant
to being hurled out OF bed and out Of tn,
dining room by attendants and severed,
injured. She also said that the attend
ants stole her best clothes. money ant
fruit which was sent to her. Examina
ton BY Mr.. Gibson disclosed the fact tina
the witness had the morphine habit. ant
that, according to her story. she woul,
have had to remain In the retreat mucl
, longer than she did for all to have trans
pired to which she testified
Miss Graham said that she did no
want to go to the institution. but wa
taken there while in ten.day stupo
tSrfA tah IAA-