Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-03-14
QUEER CONDITIONS
AT GRAY. TOWN FARM

AT GRAY TOWN farm
Causes Special Visit of Chart
ties and Corrections Secreta-
ry to Investigate Treatment
of Inmate, Who Seems to Be
Well Pleased With His Free
dom and independence
The State Board of Charities and
Corrections in it's report of it's last
inspection of the Gray Town Farm,
made On Jan. "a last, speaks of an
unusual state of affairs as regards
one Of the inmates. The superin-
tendent and matron are Mr.. and Mrs.
Perley Prince; salary, $500 and living
expenses. But two inmates. One
man is feeble minded, between so
and 70; the other a man between so
and 60. The former has a room over
the kitchen and helps about the usual
farm chores.
House is good sized, old-fashioned
two-story farm house, heated with
stoves and lighted with kerosene. In
fair repair and as clean as could be
expected with one pair of hands to
do all the work. The superintendent
is, as usual in our rural almshouses,
expected to devote himself to making
the farm produce profit if possible
and herd of 20 cows is one of the
What milk is needed is used in The
house and the balance is sold.
Treatment Of Inmates
No particular complaint has been
heard as to the treatment of the
| feeble minded man above referred to,
| tho there is no doubt he works pretty
| busily ior simple minded man of his
years. There has. however, been con-
| siderable comment, pro and con, in
| the town, as to the treatment ac-
corded to the other inmate, William
Doughty, and this was the occasion
of a personal visit by the Secretary
of the State Board.
This man, who when in health was
very competent electrician and
commanded good wages, is nov suf-
fering from Bright's disease, arterio-
| sclerosis and some trouble with his
| heart. He appears from his story
i. and what the physician says of his
case. % have had a slight paralytic
shock.
He is living in camp, pleasantly
| 1nnotal at CT
the farm house. This he does, as
! nearly as could be learned from
| preference, partly because he prefers
the independence of it, partly because
! of some differences which he has had
with the superintendent and his wife.
| This visit was entirely unheralded
and fully an hour and half was
| spent with him at his camp.
, He claims that the superintendent
at one time struck him when he was
in the barn with a pail of milk in
his hand. This the superintendent
denies, altho he admits that he did
grab Doughty roughly by the shoulder.
1t appears that Doughty persisted
from time to time in filling his milk
| can from the pals of milk. To this
the superintendent had objected and
! had said he would himself ill the
| can when he had finished milking
| The superintendent was undoubtedly
| right in this, but he admits that he
! seized Doughty pretty forcibly.
| The overseers have forbidden the
/ superintendent very positively from
| ever again using physical discipline,
| and they say that Doughty has ed
mitted to them that his first story,
| that the superintendent struck him
| was not correct In his nervous con-
| dition no doubt Doughty was con-
! siderably wrought up over the Incl
| dent. No doubt also the superb
| terdent was very much perturbed by
Doughty's complaints to the over
seers. 1t is admitted that afterward
at the railroad station he threatened
to thrash Doughty and that by
| ISLANDERS interfered.
Doughty is now practically. acne
in the world. He is living apart from
his wife and children. The merits of
| this do not enter into his treatment
at the town farm. He has brothers
and sisters reputed financially able to
pay in full for his support if they
desired. One of them, or his father
is paying the town for a part of the
cost OF his care. The father has only
small farm and a pension with
which to care for himself and his
| aged wife. Doughty cannot get along
i, with his own family, so that there
may be some excuse for the superin.
tendent and matron.
The camp in which he is living is
comfortable as camps go. He is
doing his own cooking and caring for
himself in every way He gets what
vegetables and milk he desires at the
farm and is permitted to buy his own
groceries at the store. He mas plenty
of wood. Complaint has been made
| to the inspecting officer that the wood
was green; this is not SO. The super
intendent assured the inspector that
| he would see that Doughty did not
have to saw his wood unless he fe.t
able to do so.
Rumor had it that Doughty was
suffering from some communicable
disease. This story is refuted by his
physician, who states that he has no
disease which is infectious. He SUI