The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1854-02-01
Emanuel Damon.


ilEssRs. EDIToRs: have just seen your
paper Of yesterday, in which is touching
history from the pen of my esteemed friend
i}eriah. Brown, OF the boy martyr. whose
murderers were tried before me at the Mar
quette Circuit. That history is in the main
correct, though not quite so in some i'm
portant particulars.
When | first saw the account OF the
death OF the little Chicago Hero, my raind
at once reverted to the case above referred
to as an instance Of truthful iortitude, if
anything surprising that OF Knud Iverson
And you may well say, that il, Chicago
erecis a monument to commemorate the
virtues Of her son, Hero who suffered the
comparatively easy death by drowning
because he would not steal, how much
more should we commemorate in fitting
manner the heroism of Emanuel Damon,
who bore for two hours the most exquisite
torture because he would not tell a lie.
The facts, as they were elicited on the
trial. were as follows:
The detendants-husband and wife
were respectable farming people, residing
IN Marquette county, and were clildless.
They had two orphan children bound to
them-one a little girl about ten years Of
age, and the other the boy Emanuel, eight
years of age. | have no means of ascer-
tanning anything Of the previous history OF
Emanuel. and only know that he was ia.
ken from the Milwaukee poor-house. lie
was fragile child, and had never been in
robust health. Those who knew him spoke
of him as an intelligent, bright blue-eyed
boy. and very winning in his playful little
ways.
1t appeared from the testimony Of the
little girl-who was the sole witness to his
torture-that Emanuel was charged with
having told lie. What the lie was, we
could not, by either persuasion, or by the
fear Of punishment, induce her to tell.
The counsel for the State exhausted their
wits in vain; nor could |, drawing her TO
me and by soothing words endeavoring to
quiet her fears, induce her to tell what the
! lie was. The child had evidently been
intimidaied by threats of personal injury
This was afterwards ascertained TO be the
fact when the trial was over, and the foster.
parents safely lodged in prison. She then
said that Emanuel had by chance discov.
cred the woman in a criminal act, and had
| told her, and she had told her wicked pa.
rents. Hence it became all important to
the woman, (who succeeded in quietine
her husband, } that the lie should be whip
ped out of Emanuel. Accordingly the
man procured six whips-the toughest kline
of swamp-w willow which by his own con
/ fesson were four feet in length, and a.
large at the butt as ones little finger, ano
about 8 o'clock at night took Emanuel
who still persisted in telling the truth-te
the loft oil the cabin, and having stripped
him to the shirt, wound that around hi
neck, and tied him up by cord by boti
wrists TO rafter, so that his feet but rare
lily touched the floor ae9
Here he whipped him for two hours, only
resting al intervals to procure fresh whip
!. or to demand Of his victim that he shoult
own that he had told lie. The boy
only answer was, "Pa, ] told the truth,
PA, told the truth" The girl said tha
Emanuel did not cry much; and it is prob
} able that he tainted during a portion of tn
, time. as the injuries on his body showed
torture under which the physical strengt
Of an adult would have sunk. The physi
clans who examined his body. testife
that there was not a spot. from the armpit
10 the ancles, large enough for you TO plac
!, your finger upon, but was covered wit
livid welts; and that in very many place:
the skin was broken. 5
e !, And still the brave boy held out! H
. must have had sainted mother, for tn
teachings of none other could have S
!. planted the truth in every fibre.
!. Yes. still he held out; and when he we
: taken down, with the cords cutting dee
: into his little wrists. and the warm bloc
trickling from his limbs, with his head upo
i his murderer's shoulders. his last WORD
J, were. so Pa, I'm so cold!' And the
e his pure spirit fled forever, beyond III
e reach of torture and inhumanity, to TIL
k bright world. where-wrong and oppressio
+ can never be known. .
He unquestionably died with TRUTH SIT
i in his heart, and was martyr 10 it.
The whips were quite worn up, {
! the splinterad fragments were alterwart
= found. The trial, as you may imagin
!? was one Of deep and painful interes