North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1867-05-22
Inhuman Treatment OF a Child.

of charity and chanted;
That mercy 1 to others show, -
That mercy show to me-" Fis-
A case of this character took place in
this city, which if the statement of the
child Is credited, is one Of the most inhu-
man acts we have ever been called upon
to record, and stamps those engaged in il
IS monsters void of the common instincts
of humanity.
An interesting little boy aged eight
years, son of Mr.. David Bailie, living in
thelEiglth Ward, went into the store Of
George Blake IL Co., dealers in Sewing
Machines, No 322 Lackawanna avenue
on w ednesday, for the purpose of getting
ball. What transpired after that We
prefer to narrate, as near as we can, as II
was told US by the child and his parents,
who are intelligent, pious ank respectable
people.
THE cHILD's STORY.
He said he took two balls from box
and was going to show them to an older
playmate to know which one was the
kind to get. Gerge Blake, or clerk by
the name of Holgate saw HIN with the
balls, bnd Blake took them from him,
cuffed and shook him very hard, dragged
him down cellar where it was very dark
and shut him up in a stone hole, and
Blake told him if he cried he would put a
stick in his mouth. He said he begged
and asked them to let him 20 home and
his father would pay for the ball. 1t was
muddy and dark, anu water falling on me
in the hole, and l cried A boy came
down and struck me in the face and hurt
me. was afraid, but did not make a
noise for fear they would put the stick into
nv mouth. In the night the rats run over
me and made queer noises. / got stick
and struck them and male them squeal.
Ikaet dorm and prayed to God not to let
the rats eat me up, and | guess He sent
good angel to keep them away.
This is the substance of the child's state
ment.
Mr.. Bailie searched for the lost child
till midnight. Mrs. Bailie, a nervous wo-
man, was nearly crazed on account of her
Charles absence, and at four o'clock the
rext morning was searching 70: him.
About five o'clock he crawled out of his
prison through the coal hole in the side
walk and started for home His moth er
saw him coming down the avenue and
called him He seemed hewiIdered and
lid not know her. She spoke to him
again when be recognized her, and with
cry of agony sunk to the ground, the ef-
feet of exhaustion and fright, She, took
her pale and trembling child all covered
with mud aud filth and carried him into
the house, and after bciag washed, warm
ed and the proper restoratiyes administer
ed, he became calm enough to tell h 8 ter
rible sutfcriDgs alone in stone vault dur
ing the long and dreary hours of that fear
full night
We shall make no comments, for if the
child's tale is true they are not needed; if
untrue, the legal prosecution about being
commenced against George Blake and his
man HoIgate will bring the facts to light
and exouerate the parties. But we will
close with the remark made to US by the
father. My son is subject to the chronic
Group. Had he been taken and died
with it and his little body mutilated by the
rats, my God, would it not have been aw-
full
We have subsequent information that
the above very strange and unfortunate
case has been settled for $500-and the
suit Withdrawn. 1t will be seen that We
have the story upon one side only, with
out explanation.
LATER.
We have since received through the
Register, Mr.. Blake's explanation, as fol-
lows:
10 the Editors of tie Daily Register:
An exaggerated account, entitled "Inhu-
man Treatment of a Lite Child" having
appeared in your columns, you Will confer
a favor by inserting a few lines from me in
reply.
The boy in question, having been de-
tected stealing, and charged with the act
confessed the fact. Thiukjng that slight
punishment wonld do him good, ,aftertalking
with him, he was shut up in the cellar, and
to impress him still further, a stick was
gwen him, and he was told to defend him
self against the rats. This is probably
what made the boy supposeshe was overrun
with them aflerw lrd. There was no cutfing
or shaking whatever. This occurred after
eight o'clock in the evening, and | left
word with Mr.. Holgate, TO release the boy
at nine o'clock, Mr.Holgate did bring him
up at the time directed, but thinking that
he did not appear at all repentant, confined
him again on his own responsibility whore
he remained till he escaped. In the morn
ing. the parents being informed of all the
facts, expressed themselves entirely salts,
fed with the proceedings, had they been
informed of the whereabouts, of the boy.
This all occurerd on Wednesday and
Thursday morning, and would have ended
here cut that some persons with whom