The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-02-24
One Whose Husband Died
There Tells of Scar
on His Head
REPRESENTATIVE
WILSON HEARD
Reiterates Story Told to Newspaper
Men, But Admits Imperfect Recollec-
tion - Two Of Yesterdays Witnesses
Said to Have Had Morphine Habit.
Especial to The Reformer.)
MONTPELIER, Feb. "a.

Especial to The Reformer.)
MONTPELIER, Feb. "a.
This morning the committee which is
investigating the Brattleboro Retreat
heard the testimony of three witnesses,
but nothing new or startling developed.
Representative Frank A. Wilson of Pow
nal, who introduced the resolution call
ing for the investigation, repeated the
story which he told the press at the
time he introduced the resolution Tn
der cross examination by Attorney E.
". Gibson, Mr.. Wilson admitted that his
ing different patients to the institution
in his capacity as deputy sheriff and
stated that he had never inspected the
Institution nor made complaint to any
official. The one point in his testimony
was that certain man whom he took
to the institution was hurled against the
stone steps by an attendant when he
took him from the carriage.
! Mrs. Emily Barrett of st. Johnsbury
testified that her husband died in the
institution and at the time of his death
he bore q scar upon the head for which
she could not account and had always
suspected that he received wound at
the institution.
Judge Ide of ST. Johnsbury testified
that Miss Graham and Mrs. Murray who
testified yesterday were commonly re-
puted in ST. Johnsbury to be morphine
I,l, 4
noon and will resume its work at
o clock Monday in city hall.
The testimony given at the first
days hearing of the joint legislative
committee appointed to investigate
conditions at the Brattleboro Retreat,
, seemed to indicate that patients at that
institution had suffered brutalities, not
at the hands or with the knowledge of
, the Retreat authorities, but from the
attendants employed there. Not all Of
the nurses at the institution were said
to be brutal, but the theory has been
. advanced that the Retreat, apparently
5 for financial reasons has been forced
: to employ incompetent attendants,
which has resulted in situation far
e from desirable.
: The investigating committee exam
k ined nine witnesses yesterday. Six
! witnesses, Mrs. Hattie NJ Guilford, her
husband E. z. Guilford of North
Adams, Mass, her father DR.. z. e
Potter Of North Pownal, Fred Taylor,
Miss Gertrude Graham and Mrs. Eliza
: beth Murray of ST. Johnsbury, testi-
fed relative to conditions at the Re-
treat. Dr.. C. E. Hunt and DIR. Charles
r w. Chandler of Montpelier and DIR. A.
& l.. Fogg, representative from Under
A hill, testified regarding the cause of
f certain sears on Mrs Guilford's body.
. The hearing bids fair to continue a
;. long time. Foster R. Clement, prom
4 inent Burlingtonian, appeared before
- the committee yesterday afternoon and
:, said that he was anxious to testify re
~ garding conditions at the Retreat
. where, it is understood members of his
. family have been patients. Mr.. Glenn
ent will be summoned early next week
Representative Reirden conducted yes
terday's examination of the witnesses
and f. W. Gibson of Brattleboro repre-
# sented it as counsel.
Miss Gertrude Graham Of st. Johns
bury, who was a patient at the Re
l. treat for seven weeks from September
lg l, 1915, testified yesterday afternoon
" to being choked, foreibly fed, strapped
er so tightly to her bed that she was IL
r. agony throughout the night, and to be
xt ing hurled out of bed and out of tht
IN dining room by attendants and severe
W ly injured. She also said that the at
ne tendants stole her best clothes, money
and fruit which were sent to her. Ex
animation by Mr.. Gibson disclosed th
fact that the witness had been NOR
phine habitue, and that according t,
n her story, she would have had to re
main in the Retreat much longer thai
she did for all to have transpired t
k which she testified. Miss Graham
he said that she did not want to go t
III the institution, but was taken ther
n while in ten-day stupor, from tw
,e- tablets given her by DR.. Fairbanks o
n. st. Johnsbury. She weighed one hun
to dred pounds when she entered and SIX
So tythree when she left the institution
of Mrs. Elizabeth Murray OF st. Johns
ri bury, friend of Miss Graham, test
fed to visiting the institution 81
times during the seven weeks Mis-
Graham was there and on one oceasio
staying five days. She saw the nurse
choke Miss Graham and also witnesse
ng another cruel act.
Dr. E. +. Potter of North Powna
father, and E. E. Guilford Of Mort
he Adams, Mass, husband, Of Mrs. Gui
to- ford, testified regarding Mrs. Gui