Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-02-22
BRANDON SCHOOL
SUPT. EX0NERATEO
Result of Hearing on Charges of
Cruelty to Feeble-Minded
Inmates.
SENSATION FADES.
short Session at NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
rejects Bill Making So Hours a
Legal Weeks Work.

Montpelier, Feb. 15.-Dr. Frederic j.
Russell, superintendent of the state
School for the Feeble-Minded at Bran
don. was completely exonerated Of the
charges of abusive treatment of inmates
of the school at the hearing this evening.
held before the joint Senate and House
committee on State institutions. The
charges which were sensationally ex.
plotted by a morning newspaper in the
southern part Of the State were shown to
have been based upon the testimony OF
George M. Burnham, an outside attendant
at the school, who absolutely contradicted
himself when testifying before the board
of trustees of the institution; p. w.
Bragg, plumber Of Rutland. who be-
came angered at DIR. Russell because Of
a dispute regarding some work which
Bragg was doing at the school and wrote
to Representative Fenton of Rutland city
asking that an Investigation be made. and
G. T.. Mayhem and i. Bostwick of Bran
don. who had worked on the school farm.
Mayhem is alleged to have been intoxi-
Gated at the time he claims the ill-treat-
TRUSTEES INDIGNANT.
The three members Of the board of trus-
tees. DIR. p. E. insolvency Of Burlington.
Irving 8. Coburn Of Milton and John E.
Paddock of Saxtons River. who were pres
ent. were indignant at the charges which
had been made against DR.. Russell and
praised his work highly. They admitted
that his management of the farm left
a good deal to be desired. but stated
that he was hired as director of the in
stitution and not as a farmer. Some of
the crops were not harvested when they
should have been and were therefore lost,
but most of this occurred when DR.. Rus
sell was confined to his room with an
injured knee and could not supervise the
harvesting. The trustees made a strong
point of the fact that since DR.. 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 wss brought by o
child from another State
THE CHARGES
The charges and the testimony support
ing them were read by Chairman Metzgei
from a stenographic report Of the hear
ing Of the committee when 1t visited
Brandon last week. The committees VIII
conduct further investigation into the
matter.
Burnham charged that a 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 thai
a boy had been confined In stall. Ill
also charged that the boys had In
sufficient 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 \ clean stall on
warm afternoon as a punishment.
Some acknowledgement of the farm wa
admitted but excused on the ground tina
the superintendent was not a farmer
Next year. the trustees hope to hav
sufficient funds to hire practical farme
to take charge Of this work. One hundrs'
and twelve children will be cared for q
school next year.
CONTRADICTORY TESTIMONY.
Colonel Paddock of the board of trustee
told Of Burnham contradicting the testi
, mony which he gave the House commit
I tee Burnham admitted that the childre
were treated betted than In most institu
tons and were we'll fed. The only tim
, Burnham ever saw anybody strike chill
, was once when he (Burnham) knOckc
: down a powerful boy. who had attacke
l him with a hoe, cutting cash In hi
head. Mrs. Burnham tod the trustee
, that affairs were well handled at the In
. stitution, that she liked to work ther
q and asked that they continue to emplo
her husband. p. w. Bragg Of Rutlan
told OF seeing boy insufiicientiy clothe
shovelling snow a few weeks ago and {
giving him a pair OF gloves that DR.. Rui
sell took away. DR.. Russell admitte
taking the gloves from the boy but sa
4 he did it because he thought the boy sto
them. Bragg also told of seeing some ,
the school boys in water up to the
knees ligging Il ditch and said they wei
half frozen and that he distributed
pairs of gloves among them. This VIZ
Z denied by Dr. Russell and at this poll
v the trouble between Bragg and the supe
= intendent was brought out c. L. Ma.
!, hew and r. Bostwick of Brandon told
g seeing one Knowison. an attendant las
. some Of the boys working under him.
a This also was denied by the superb
= tendent who told Of his method of CO
4 rection by moral euasiOn, never by CO
\ poral punishment. Mayhem Is alleged
; have gotten into the argument vii
:, Knowlson when he (Alayhew) was intox
:. Gated.
;. State Treasurer Walter Scott OF Bra
don and Senator Rcdfield Proctor told
=. visits to the institution and Of noting tn
- affairs were In a good condition. NJ
:. Scott thought most OF the charges we
y. exaggerated. Testimony of several atten
% ants and two children all very favorah
'e to DR.. Russell was read.
~ 55-HOUR BILL REJECTED.
The House this afternoon by q yea al
nay vote OF III to 1903 rejected the bill
troduced by Mr.. Moore Of Ludlow to ma
IS hours a legal weeks work in mil
n factories and manufacturing establis
ments. In tho absence of specific co
:. tract. This act was taken after the mo
=. extended ard generally participated
= debate Of the session, and after a mott
i, to indefinitely postpone the considerati
m Of the bill had been defeated by y
w y. and nay vote of 112 to 1916. 1t was evide
=, =, that large number Of the members Il
- that this bill was step in the directi
of shorter hours for farm laborers n
it was generally thought that this W
the chief reason for the measures dow
fall. Before the final vote was taken I
- House agreed to an amendment propos
.. by Mr.. Moore that the word shops viii
~ was In the original measure be strlck
!, out. f...
-, Mr.. Moore in urging the passage
-, the bill drew a touching picture of t
"a working man who was forced to lea
~, his home early in the morning a
=, work until late in the evening, so III
|