Western Reserve chronicle and weekly transcript of the times. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1854-1855, 1855-02-21
From the New Orleans Picsyune.l
WHIPPING A SLAVE TO DEATH.

FIRST DISTRICT OOUkF-JuuSo hOoeIt-
son-State versus Aimee Dietz and Eliza
Dimitry, wife of John Dimitry. indict-
ment for murder.-The prisoners are
charged with causing the death of the
slave girl, Ida, the property of LOchan-
mette, on the 18th of November last, by
cruelty beating and whipping her, when
already in feeble state Of health, from
previous ill-treatment, with cowhide,
on various parts of the body, on the 10th
of the same month. Mrs. Deiiz is the
mother of Mrs. Dimitry, and resides in
the house with her daughter, and the
slave Lida was servant in the family.
Attorney General Morse and District At
torney Tappan appeared for the State,
and Judge Larne and Judge Bermudez
for the prisoners.
The counsel for the accdsed moved a.
severance Of the defence, in order that
the husband Of Mrs. Dimitry might ap-I
pear as witness for Mrs. Dietz. This
motion was oyerruled, and the taial pro-
ceeded.
Mrs. Caroline Constant, German wo-
man, testified that she lives near The ac-I
cused, and that for period of six weeks
or more up to within a few days of the
death of the deceased, she had known the
deceased to be, whipped by the accused
every day on an average as often as ten
times day, there being each time some
five or six blows inflicted.
Mary Clark, servant in the family
from the week prior to the death of the
deceased to the present time, testified
that she had known the accused to whip
the deceased for stealing, but not in a
cruel manner and that when the slave
was taken sick, they were very kind and
attentive to her up 10 the hour of her
death.
Another witness testified as to the whip
ping of the deceased.
DIR. Mercier, who attended the post
uortem examination, testified that he found
several worms in the deceased that the
deceased was afflicted with the worm dis
ease that this disease was the immediate
cause of the death that there were many
marks, bruises and flesh wounds on the
body of the deceased, apparently caused
by some instrument of punishment that
the punishments which caused these
wounds might accelerate the termination
of the ditease which afflicted the slave,
but that they were not in her case the
immediate cause of death.
Drs. FACET and Velete, who were also
present at the post-nlorteDs examination,
testified as TO the numerous marks and
bruises and flesh wounds on the body of
the deceased, and also as to the existence
of worm disease, but they differed with
the previous witness as to the worm dis
ease being the Immediate cause of the
death. This they considered e mistake.
They thought the injuries were the i'm
mediate cause of the death.
DR.. Turpin was called for the defence
and testified that he attended the deceased
slave during her illness; that she had
convulsions; that her sickness was caused
by worms and that she died of the worm
disease; and that he gave his certificate
of her death 10 that effect. At this stage
of the trial, nearly 7 O'Clock one of
the Jurors was taken suddenly i'll, and
being removed from the Court room, was
found to be in 50 critical state that it
would be impossible to proceed with the
trial. Accordingly, the Court discharged
the jury, and continued the cause to
future day.