The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1853-08-06
Correspondence of tho Cleveland Plain Dealer
4 Tale Of Awful oyime..Ttsnlish Cruelty


MAcKiNAc, June. 1853.
send you tho result Of n preliminary
Examination had at Grand Traverse. n
newly organized county. formerly attached
to Mich''mackinac. for judicial purposes.
in the matter Of the people against O. p.
r Hoghson. charged with murder. rape. and
assaults without number. The annals Of
crime have rarely presented a more cold
hooded and vindictve series Of atrocities !;
and were the more direct evidences not
amply corrobornied by such ar array Of
damning circumstances, ono 0ight well
doubt il the revolving narrative could find
evee foundation in fact. 1t appeared that
tugh>on had formerly been teacher OF
the common schools at Mackinsc. but by
various little tyrannies, and An occasional
outbreak Of more or less btu,silty, had so
far estrsnged his patrons, and excited the
Indignation Of the community. that he
found il convenient to change the scene of
his educational labors.
For this purpose be selected Grand Ira.
verse, on Lake Michigan, where his cons
duct nigh, be ,ess open to scrutiny or con
demnstion Among others, his own sis
housed and instructed by this unnatural
relative. For months. as il appeared by
the testimony Of witnesses, he had pursued
system Of ruthless cruelty to these unof-
Tending little ones. by starvation, burn'ngs.
and other Establishments Of the mos, agra
waited description. For GAYS he would fur
nish them with an ear OF corn. to be eaten
from the cob with the swine. And after N
days labor he would fog md brulse their
, bodies to aid digestion, and then send them
shivcrng and supperess to their beds.
Thus these unfortunates soon became OBJ.
Jec,s Of public attention and commisserA
ton. Their features, pale and wan, their
; frames dwsrfed and attenuated, their looks
, and gestures covering and evssive - all
told of some home mystery, which a few
weeks We're doomed to unravel
t Suddenly, one Of the children, lad OF
! abou. eight years. died and was buried.
The villagers, suspecting foul play, mp
pointed committee Of investigation, and
removed the other children from under bis
care. The history Of their uncxampled
suherings was now brough, to light In.
awed by the immediate presence Of their
tormenter, and his threats OF further cruel
- ties and death, they told OF long nights OF
;, bitter cold and darkness, OF blows, kicks,
\ pinches, bruises, OF tosstings on the back
hips, and under the armpi.s and Of the
1 cravings of hunger, almos, terminating
> their wretchcd lives. They exhibited iheir
emaciated bodies, scorched and eycoria,ed
IN proof of their statements, and spoke oil
their little brother in the grave. VINO had
only escaped further punishments ia death
llushson had remained in the mean time
a, Grand Traverse. Stunned and forsaken
but evidently suspicious and alarmed, II,
, even v,ntured upon the desperate expert
ment Of inviting a meeting Of the citizens
,, to inquire into his conduct, and sten to
his explanations. But his ehrontery could
no, abide the test. In the evening of tina,
' day, he suddenly disappeared, carrying
= with him portion OF a slaughtered hog
which he had killed and quarteted with M
axe and in this plight he started, in mid
! winter, to accomplish journey of several
hundred miles, through SHOWS and rivers
I aud the untamed forest, His mex. appear,
ance WAS in company OF officer TYLER OF
Detroit. who brough, him in irons to Mack
mac. abou, the end Of May last, and even
tual, lodged him with the sheriff Of Grand
D Traverse county.
After IIughsons escape from the latter
place, the body Of the murdered boy wa,
cxhumed, jury of 'nques, summoned, and
careful post mortem examination held II
, resulted in an exhibition OF the still un.
tainted body. frigh,folly bruised and black
ened with kicks and blows and in yer.
diet, from the opinion OF a skiliui physician
that death had undoubtedly been accustomed
by cruel treatment. hong continued, and
: divers severe bruises inflicted few hours
before death
SO ended' the tragedy, n, least for the pre-.
ent. II appeared, moreover, that this hend
in human form, had lain with his little
niece, child of about II years Of age,
, and attempted to accomplish his horrible
purpose. partly by promise. calculated to
alnr. unsuspecilng childhood, and by
threats, in case of refusal or exposure, Of
| torture BY fire. and bloody death Hugh.
, sons sister. The mother of the children, had
, arrived IN Nackinac, on her way TO the
Traverse. but resolu,ely persisted in her
refusal to be seen by him. HIS wife. also.
! delicate and intelligent woman. was n
principal witness against him. She told.
in a simple tale, Of her constant fear tha,
her husband would murder her, and that
ever since her unlucky marriage. he had
t continued to abuse her by threats. s,arva.
ton and blows
tinghson is shout five feet nine inches in
: height, Of spare make. light and active.
and with fur,ive but by no means repul.
sive aspect. HIS demesnor is quiet. but
! sufficiently self possessed; aud. on the
whole, he seems not over fearful for the
future
His only explanation TO his counsel, ~
understand. il. that he is the inventor of a
new system Of medical Treatment, pecu>
; rnatly adapted to muscular agiiatlons,
consisting, in the main. Of abstinence from
food, abundance Of cold wster. md an un
limited supply Of Graham bread. or Indian
corn in ANY shape, The murdered child.
he Avers, wss subject to epilepsy, and. in
this WAY. bruised and Iscers,ed his body.
rs the WAY, he informed his VII. $50 she
swears) tina, he intended to place III. body
10 the yard, in order tina; the hogs nigh,
roo, il and ordered her, on pain Of death,
, to inform any too curious person who might
, notice the msrha Of violence that they were
thus occaaioned.