Smyrna times., 1867-05-15
The Child butChery.
APPOoUINTMINK. May 13rr

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Mr. Editor: The child butchcry which wa
taken up at the eleventh hour, some weeks az,
In this hundred, seems to attract very lttl,
public attention in Smyrna and its vicinity
and as | have acquaintanceS in the neighbOr
hood where the deed eliminated in the arrest
OF the perpetrators. have had the horrible
and disgusting particulars repeated in my
hearing until L have come to the conclusion tO
otler you the following remarks upon the
affair for the SMYRNA TIMES. There was q
bret notice of this terrible matter III the
SMYRNA Times few weeks ago; copied, [
believe, from some other papers, but giving
no names and but few particulars.
The man and woman who did the ficndish
work of beating, burning and otherwise abus-
ing helpless orphan girl, were Benjamin
Alanncnng, Tor Manning, and his wife, (so
calld.) The latter being the Aunt of the
injured girl, and if report speaks truly, one of
the most Infamous huzzieS that ever disgraced
| he name OF woman.
n sample OF her character is shown in the
fact that when Constable Woods went to her
house to take the girl, the she whatever-you-
Inay-cali-her attacked him first with kettle of
boiling water and then with the axe. but
being rathermuScular and possessing plenty of
nerve, he succeeded in getting both away from
her, before much damage was done. And |
hear that Mr.. Woods (who has a glass eye, J
SAID she cursed him SO, that he began to think
one eyed son --" was his name.
The nelghbOrS say that no one dared to pass
her house, without being reviled and insulted
In the most abOminable manner.
A young man remarked last Sunday that
whenever he went by there going to meeting,
she always cursed and blackguarded him until
he was beyond the reach of her voice. And a
great many others could tell the same tale.
Mannering is good natured, easy going
softly sort Of chap, and it is currently believed
IN the neighborhoOd where he resided at the
time OF the arrest, that he had nothing to do
with the i'll treatment Of the girl, and had not
sufficient courage to interfere with the wench
ne called wife. Said an old man in my hear
ing yesterday; She was boss over all, and he
was as good natured as the day was long. II
was impossible to make him angry, and it Is
not likely that he would have hurt the girl. or
have tried to prevent her from doin: SO, for
he Wasas afraid Of her as if she had been
wild tigress."
Upon being told these things, when indig.
nIantly inquire, why didn't some of you make
It public long agO?' the invarabe answer is
Well, We didn't know whether we could do
anything with her or not. Folks were afraid of
getting themselves into trouble, and besides.
people were afraid of hcr; she was 50 dyilish j
Mrs. Mapnerlng would lift the child up, and
hold her over the fire and burn her until She
could mt stand. And the neighbors say that
they have heard Mrs. Mannering beat the Girl
for hours at time. 1t is said she would wRiD
the girl until the poor wretch would below
ike calf. Manncring resided at the time of
MS arrest IN IhOrOughtare Neck, in a tene-
lnent men house belonging TO Ayes Stockly, l,s,i.,
II am not mistaken, and last winter at
funeral In the Neck, a Mr.. Staats spoke of |
THIS case to Esquire Deakyne, telling him OF
some OF the horrible crueltieS to which the |
glrl was subjected, and asking him as a JUS
uce OF the peace, to take the matter in hand. |
nothing done without proof.
~ " But, said Mr.. Staats, " the girl herself
will be proof enough" "
No, answered the Equire, 1--WE Shouldn't
neddle with our neighbors' affairs, and il is
not worth while to interfere here, tOr there
can be nothing DONE
young man passing the house last winter.
says, the girl who was fourteen Orfiteen years of
lge, was standing at the wood pile cutting 4
wood. lie said he couldn't help stopping and
staring at her IN utter amaZemGnt, for it was a
old day, there was snow on the ground, and
he glrl was as naked as she was born As
Don as she noticed him however, the poor
wretch calculated, ooh! good God +" and
umped into bank Of snow to conceal herself.
" hereupOn, one of Manning,s children took
p pole and began beating the girl and
'lrs. Manning came to the door and said,
that's right give it to the d b"
The woman ought to be tarred and feathered
nd burned alive. But as | suppose that
oula not well be done, even in Delaware,
0 sincerely hope that for once our Delaware
Iw-ma kers will shoW justice to woman. by
intenclng her to at least sixty lashes at the
hlpplng post, and imprisonment and the
1ost laborious seryitude for life. As for
they ought to try and whip little
lanliness into him, and let him 90. For.
ON what can learn, the poor devil is quite
much to be pitied as blamed.
APPOQUINIMINK,
DEcEAs;Ep1;-Joseph Shipley, Esq, died at
lockwood, Brandywine Hundred, on the 9th
ST., in the 72d wear of his arc (Vhon - ,