Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-03-14
Horrible CFEelty--A Man starving his
Mother TO Denth.


Mother TO Death
Within the past few weeks tho neighbors Of
Mr. Willis Graves, who resides at No 237 Prospect
street in this city, have had suspicious that his
treatment ofhis aged mother, who lives with him,
was far from being what It should be- and those
suspicious have 50 far strengthened into reality,
and the grounds for them have become SO apparent
that we would not be justified In Withholding long,
er from the world all the particulars OF the horr-
bic and unnatural crimes Of which this man is
guilty, that diliaent search has brought to light
In short, Mr.. Graves stands convicted by those
who have had opportunity of Judging, of wilfully
neglecling, abusing and starring his aged mother.
Mrs. Graves, the old lady referred to, is about
70 years DID, and has lived with her son for seveli
years Until within year past she has been out
to church, to the nei hb Ors, &c. A lady who at-
tended the same church with her became acquaint-
ed with her year or two ago, and took an interest
in her calling upon her at her sons house. where
she then occupied front chamber. Some months
ago she confessed to this lady friend of hers that
they did not live happily at home, her son and
his wife treating her unkindly, She said that
former wife Of this son had treated her well, but
when Mr.. Graves married again the Affairs Of the
house were very much changed, and her new
daughter-in.law was unkind toward her. About
this me she was removed from her former cham
Der to a small back one in which she has been ever
since, and here she would have shortly died in
destitutiOn and want had not the community been
so reused up as to compel a change for the better
The furniture of this room has been bed, table,
and one chair, aud these of the cheapest and COM
mOnest kind. The stove has been 50 long neglect
ed that it was as rusty as an anchor, and every
thing was Of the meanest possible description
Some six weeks ago, Mrs. Graves was so redu ced
as to be confined to her bed, and there she was
suffered to lie, day after day, with no one TO sit
with her, no one TO cheer her, no one to care for
her. She said to friend 81 love little children
dearly, and want to have them up here to see
me, but they will not allow it,"
She had lain on this bed too weak to move or
help herself, day and night, totally neglected ex-
cept once day, at noon, when she was tended
for few minutes by two German women, and a
bit of dry toast given her to eat and with this bit of
toast as her only meal in twenty -four hours, she
has wasted away until she is now a bare skeleton.
1t will seem incredible that q son and daughter
could so forget all the principles of love, Affection
or common humanity, as 10 thus Systematically
drag an aged parent down to the grave, aud were
not the evidence too strong to be disputed, we
would credit no word Of it, but when one person
tells US Of coneeaing an orange in her pocket and
giving piece 10 the old lady, who seized and
swallowed it as ravenousy as a wild beast; and
ba1 cir Of
Sheet but that she lay on the bare straw bed until
fostering sorts covered her back and limbs; and
another that she was totally neglected in her bed,
when too weak to move, for three days; and that
when her son was demonstrated with for bis un
natural enna-st. sneeriDgly asked, whats the
use OF taking bread from the iyiUg and giving it
to one threequarters deadl-then it is surely time
tha. the world knew it.
Lately no one has been permitted to see the old
ady. Mr.. WI. Warner was applied to to go and
investigate the matter, and went accordingly. Mr..
Graves declared to him that not person except
him (AIr. w } should enter his house. We UNDER
stand he confessed to Mr. W. that they gave the
old lady but one meal day. He was required to
provide persons to take care of her, and see that
she is properly tended Mr.. Warner will now
keep watch Of the matter, and see that something
is done for her relief There is no doubt that this
son and daughter intended by their cruel proceed
ings to put the old lady out of the way, and to
get lid of her. Too nearly have they succeeded.
Mrs Graves is described as an intelligent, Christ
ian woman, AID this outrageous treatment by her
heaihenish and unnatural children, is fearful to
contemplate. In certain Indian tribes, the old
people are knocked on the head with club, and
as they grow old, they expect it, but that such
things should be in christian land, is too horrible
to think Of calmly. Our space fails US to tell Of
the half we have heard from reliable sources Of
the systematic barbarism manifested in this trans
action, and we fOrbear; but the end is notyet