Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-05-04
4 HARD CASE OF WIFE-BEATING AND
STARVATION

The Orleans (Albion) Republican has COM
munication signed 81. r. F., which contains
a statement relating to the alleged ill-treatment
of a wife, by a man residing near Murray, Or
leans county, which is quite too shocking for
belief. If the Republican has not been i'm
posed upon by some person who has sought to
crafty personal spite by accusing a neighbor
of infamous conduct, this case is a marked and
shocking one of wife abuse. The article states
that John Fullerton, the owner of a comforta-
bic dwelling in thickly populated and wealthy
neighborhood, and worth some $1,000, has
been known to cruelty treat his wife and
daughters, often turning them out of doors
One night about the first of March, attention
was directed to his house by groans proceed.
ing from 1t, and the neighbors, not having seen
Mrs. +. IN some time, suspected that she was
suffering.
Mr.. Birch neighbor, called al the house
the next day, and was reluctantly permitted by
Mr.. Fullerton to see his wife He found her
in chamber destitute of furniture, save mis-
cradle bed in which she lay-buried in the
straw, with a dirty feather bed as covering, and
apparently without particle of clothing upon
her person. Still more shocking was her ema-
ciated condition. She was reduced to a mere
skeleton-her hair matted and clotted with
blood, and her face badly bruised. The scene
was so sickening that Mr. Birch speedily
sought the open air. The ladies near were
soon enlisted, and repaired the following morn
ing to the house, where they were met with re-
peated threats Of violence from Mr.. Fullerton,
but they finally proceeded to put the skeleton
form in more tidy and comfortable condition.
Their representations Of her situation are too
revolving torrepetition. In some places the bones
had worn through the flesh, and all her BODY
was covered with stripes and terrible bruises.
When nourishment was given to her she ate
like one furnished, and her mind seemed TO be
in condition bordering on idiocy. There
was every indication of her having been kept
for a long time without food fire or clothing,
and subjected to frequent beatings by this in
human legal proprietor of her person.
Through the interference of the poor au-
thorltles, Mrs. Fullerton was at length remov-
ed to more safe and comfortable quarters, and
is now at the residence of james Bnrnet one
mile west Of Sandy Creek, where she is ten
derry cared for. Her attending physician DR..
Nicholson, attributes her present reduced con-
dition entirely to brutality and starvation.
Mr.. Fullerton is of Irish birth, about sixty
years of age, and somewhat educated He is
not strictly temperate, but cannot be called an
inebriate, nor has he generally committed his
brutalities under the influence of strong drink.
Mrs. Fullerton is an American woman, forty
seven years of age, and is said to have poss-
essed fair abilities before they were demented
by lnhuman treatment. She formerly resided
in Penfield, now Webster, Monroe county.
where they were married twenty-seven wears
ago. She is the mother of eight living chill
dron; most Of the elder ones being residents
OF another State. One, born twenty years
since, and few months after the mother had
received terrible whipping from which she
fled through the snow in mid-winter to house
Of relative for protection, was a Hfe-ionq IDIOT
The only children at home are two BOYS
but so fearful are they of their fathers wrath
that it is difficult to learn much from them.
Sometime during the past winter, another
brother yentm ed to carry his mother food, in
his fathers absence, for which he was severely
whipped. He then ran away, and has not
since been home. Fullerton is excessively pc
nurious, and is, l understand, contemplating
bringing his wife () back to his house to avoid
paying for her keeping.
Why, if this be true, do the neighbors hest
tate to lynch the monster There are no hui
man laws for the punishment of such inhuman-
ity. The "higherlaw" applies to such a case.