The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-10-11

the industrial school without her par
ents' knowledge and for no greater
oftense than staying out until 10
o'clock one or two nights and refus-
ing to wear a coat whose sleeves were
too short for her TO work in.
1t was testified before the Governor
and his councillors that, even before
the girl was arraigned in court. charg-
ed with being a stubborn child, a
Meredith police officer was told she
was to be sentenced to the reform
school and ordeded to be on hand to
take her there.
The hearing was demanded in a
I etition signed by practically every
resident of the little town Of Merideth
N. H., and was lengthy one, bring
ing forth many startling disclosures.
, 1t was the end of the battle to free
the child which has been conducted
and financed by popular subscription
since Feb. 4 last when she was senten-
ced, on complaint of the agent of the
New Hampshire Child Welfare assoc
iation
A declaration that caused no little
comment was that of one of the wit.
nesses stated that the only charges
presented against the child, and on
which she was sentenced to the state
industrial scshool at Manchester, for
"A IL years, were that she remained
on the streets of Merideth with a
young man until 10 o'clock one night
and went coasting until 1890 another
small for her to work in.
Mrs VIM. McCree, mother of the
girl, now of Worcester, Mass, and a
former resident of Fair Haven, VT,
stated that her child was taken by
Rev. H. r. Wetherbee, a Baptist
minister of Poultney, Vt, to bring up.
The next she heard he had turned the
girl over to Mr. Bishop and the
mother lost trace of her child for a
time. She wrote to Mr.. Wetherbee and
was informed the child was in the
Bethesda home at Rumney. ~ H.. and
that she attended the Mortified Sem
mary, working her way through.
The girl in her testimony, stated
that the Vermont pastor took her to
Bethesda on the train and that, when
she was put into the Wiley home in
Meredith, the influences were bad and
she did not want to go back there.
The police officer of Merldeth stated
that the Judge called him on the
phone the night before the girl was
taken away and there was no other
testimony against the child before
commitment than that related to her
two nights out and the old coat
j Edwin Wright, general secretary
of the Welfare Association that was
charged with railroading the girl. was
the target for a general bombardment
when he arose to testify. He stated
that he was no longer an official of
the Association, that Judge Flynn
had signed the guardianship papers
which he claimed gave him control
over the girl, statement that could
not be verified, when the governors
secretary telephoned to Plymouth, n.
II. There was no Judge by that name.
Wright insisted that if the child was
freed, his association would exercise
it's power and take her back in their
care. Her mother and father'-"Stop
right there" said the Governor, you
are not going to malign the child's
parents again"
81 believe if the child is going to her
sister that her home should be in
vestigated, said Wright
who" snapped councillor Welpey,"
do you think should make the investi-
cation, your
I'D be glad to" said Wright.
Isn't that NICE" murmured the