The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-03-11
Horrible Cruelty towards a little Boy.

The Philadelphia Register of the l4th ult
gives the following arecmnt OF tho cruelty of
man and his wife. towards a little son aced
about SIX years. The case was before the
Ncnr' on haheas corpus From the testimo-
ny De:ore the court, it appeared that C. r.
Hammer and wife were the parents Of a
s''richily little 10y about six years Of age.
named Charles John Hammer. lie was born
out OF wetlocs,and at tie are of few months
Wa abandoned i,v his parents and placed in
the aims house. From this institution Le was
taken bv family in Bcrh, county. total
Strangers to the tl.;i'i- WHO KEEP; him until
lat Chri.tni1F- The parent, Of the little bsy
MARIE! >Aor :ii"c @i.rr l.i> birth. b,.: ma.2
10 a:.o:ai'; b reclaim, ;l.cir oil*I ring IVA! 4
-: ~roi7 20 Wien ,!.cy obtained Linn ro.a
l. faulty ",o ha.! t'.,.- lar n,:r.rrc. an!
@.uo:;ci LIN.
y so1" : the parents obiaircd hi5 c:.s:o-
T. = : ;'i.aa:i,: couisa OF torture was Gem
netre J '':i''l' nal - cycrv .tc...- of hu
".an:'. i'll wi;h.n OR nature. II. vi
'aT'cl: . :::el '!aercc. .l;l.a-i-h l.is I.aicn,
"e7t y! a., ,:.gi.:.. ;..i?tc>. :..:t IA, picked
ur i!.c crumbs of bread all scc,,e tai FL
upon tii" l,oor,~iilc thr ci,i> wlo wo.ssci for
Mrs Hammer were eating their dinners. IL
won!d "a. thc hard c.r-., f,;inl in The ,ard.
and when spoken 10 abou: i; woull reply
hat 10 was 90 l.rn-ry Ia; he could eat any
;hia.-. IItwaS whipped 50 numerically that
l'a~k ,'ri.cS ar:,.iei. a. wo.nan'> fore fin
- weru all over Iii loly'
llowaS taken into a Sled. stripped naked
n TIE sevcre-t weather ot the season, and
'.o':-r.! "ih co,l wa!'r !.,am a hy,iran.. until
Ar va, a'ino>' p'ri,l,;:,. AMI then whipped
-rvcrI; AZ. ;'ut io!.:ni tie stove. wrtpo5s {.
=, in A >'io,t Ter hours His mother ::ru l.
li..' t:.e heal with : lap ',o,r.l with sucl
t'icr as 10 9.:;>c lump a h;- AZ walnut
Y, iithcr u: lin OF, Of led ~hilc asleep
Al i.o-ce, Lin severely with .l.o2.
III n.o.l.,r wou.! take him liz the head
,l:n LIN round ike top, until he become
-. 'ion psrmi, him to fall with his head
aca:n>; III, wall, and ST. ike him first on on,
>i,a ct the face and then the other for cr,inc
TIE same mother had ru, him ont of door
in III" Scvc-c>; weather. hu, thinly clad. an
compelled him 70 STAY in the ward for an hon
an! lalfat time. until he became 50 ccl,
a. TO he unable 10 walk. She would t..rcate,
to beat him 10 death Cor calling her mother
and would ircqncn:lv knock him down.
Bu, the mos, horrible torture inflicted up
on the poor little fellow was by means OF ho
Hat iron. According TO the testimony. Nj,
Hammer picked mp hot Nl.iron. and said
Come here. johnny. ill iron You out" =
Tie cliIl RED! -! Oh no. mother. it vii
burn nc" Sc ;hen paced TIE iron frs
against ore chcc!. and then the other. ru.
a"a::.>t lis head. ian il ur and down his leg:
ana '"nt!udcd tv opcnin" his rlnta.oonS. an
holding ii against his max ed flesh until
burned the skin of. This being reported b
SOM taiiorcS>cs. who witncssc | it. came to til
ears OF a kind lady hv the name Of Levi
who procured a writ of hahcas corpus, an
. got The child ont O: the parents hands.
The Court offered her the cnar,liansii
oithc child and. thcu.', an entire stranger ,
e the parties. she accepted the trust. tt
Judge decided the parents had !ivcs,,
4. ..a>ev~s q: al LEGAL li.!.t to the child
Il Their cwn ccnn>c, after hearing the tc>tin,
: uv. d. ar2i tia. ic did no. think they we
= 1T .o i.a.c ,hr care of the chi'd. Tlic mci
: hei~ o;'ih lar Immediately :o.k up 81
e >rri;,:ion for TIE hencit of Tie li;!c io:-. a,
D. l. ::c:l. on: oi court happy in his rev :oa'
n friend and foster mother