The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-03-06
ASTOUNDING DEPRAVITY.
Hearthless Cruelty to Girl Only
Seven Years Old--A Mother
R0asts Her Child's Hands Com
peIs Her to Eat Excrement--The
Father ChOkes Her Until She is
Dumb.
From the Ohio Statesman. |

We doubt that If in the entire annals OIL
brutalized humanity, anything so terribly
brutal and heartless was ever recorded as
the case We give below. Thomas Black
bnrn, living in Middletown, Or West Co
lumbus, when he left the army, married, II
is said, q widow with one child, little
girl of now about seven years. He and his
wife have, for long time past, pursued Q
system of beating and torturing for this
poor little thing the like of which was new
er before known. They had a systematic
arrangement, seemingly, by which the tor
lures were never to be ceased, the mother
beating her during the day, and the step
father continuing it at night.
On one occasion, for some little act o.
disobedience, the mother whipped her with
rolling-pin, and because the child cried
out loud, this she devil roasted the child'i
hands upon the red hot stove until the flesh
was charred black to the bone. The faith
er coming home that same night whipped
her most brutally for moaning, and because
she cried, choked her dumb.
At another time, when from the contin.
ued punishments she was 80 weak as to be
unable to rise from her bed, she did void
her excrement as she lay, and this fiend--
this unnatural mother compelled her to
get up and cat the filth.
Can the mind conceive anything more
horrible? Would any of our readers believe
such mother had existence outside o
hell?
For some three or four weeks the neigh
bors have had their suspicious that all was
not right in the family of Blackburn, and
that they were trying to murder the child
though nothing could be learned from her
for her mouth was closed through fear. On
Saturday, suspicion of wrong became Ger
tainty, and some of the humane ladies o.
the neighborhood determined on an inves
tigation, during the absence Of the father
The result was the arrest of the parents
and the developments above given.
The appearance of the poor little thing il
horrible. Not an inch of its body has es
capped, and exhibits mass of sores, scars
and welts, and the slightest movement eau
SEES the most exquisite agony. When Mar
shall Murphy, who arrested Blackburn, was
moving the child to the Sisters Hospital
where it now is, he was obliged to get ;
woman to carry it in her arms; its condi
ton was such that it could not endure ever
the iolting of the carriage.
Drs. White, Boyle, and Flowers were
called in an rendered the little sufferer eve
ry assistance in their power. 1t is thu
opinion of the last two named physicians
that the skull is fractured.
So indignant were the citizens of Middle
town when the fearful truth was made
known, that Blackburn narrowly escaped
his well-mefited death at their hands. Az
it is, they left marks Of their honest indig
nation upon his body that he will carry tt
the grave.
Blackburn, it is said, was formerly
Lieutenant in the Sd Ohio battery.
What punishment should be meted GU
to such devils incarnate? Hanging is Ger
tainly too good for them. " May their per
niclous souls, rot, half grain day."