Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-02-08
a Shocking Case Of Seduction and Cru
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From the Cairo Democrat, Jan. al

From the Cairo Democrat, Jan. "a
A well known family, resident for the
past twenty years in Ballard county,
KY, within thirty miles of Cairo, con-
sisted two months ago, of the father,
step mother and one child-a girl just
turning into her fifteenth year. A
young man of the neighborhood com
menced paying attentions to the little
girl, and finally seduced her. The
youth and extremely small stature OF
the girl, screened her from detection
until within few days of Ter confne-
ment. Ragged and barefooted she was
compelled to do household work, and
ignorant of the great trial she was
about to undergo, she subjected herself
to hardships and exposures that would
have killed hundreds of far greater
strength and powers of endurance than
she possessed.
About a month ago the step-motheI
and q servant girl engaged in the house
heard the child groaning, and watching
her movements saw her pass across the
yard, enter thicket near by, and fall
to the ground. Although suspecting
the nature of the child's visit to the
thicket, the heartless step-mother re.
NAMED indoors. After the lapse OF
two hours the little girl returned to
the house wearing most CHASTITY
and corpse-like appearance, with
scarcely strength enough to
stand upon her feet. She succeeded,
however, in reaching her bed, where
she laid down and tainted. When she
awoke to consciousness her step-moth-
err, perfectly inflamed with passion.
applied to her all the insulting epithets
her foul tongue could command, and
ordered her to get mp and leave the
premises on the instant. The moor
suffering child tried to obey, but fell
back upon her bed exhausted. The
step-mother then went ont to the thick
81; the servant girl, watching from the
house, saw her stoop. pick mp some
thing and toss it upon brush pile.
Shortly afterwards the step mother re-
turned to the house, repaired to the
room of the suffering child and accused
her Of the murder Of her own bastard
child, and declaring that she would
have her indicted for the murder. The
wicked woman then commanded the
servant girl to bring the body of the
child to the house, and to take particu-
lar notice how it had been killed, as
she would want her to testify before
the Grand Jury. In a few honrs q
knowledge of the shocking occurrence
spread over the neighborhood. The
girls father secured a physician, and
directed that not only his child, but his
child's child, which was yet living,
should be duly cared for.
The girl recovered, but in the course
of two or three days the infant died.
Persons interested in the matter visited
the scene of the little girls labor. Her
barefoot tracks, both going and com
ing, were plainly visible In the sand;
the tracks to the brush pile, where the
infant was found, was made by some
one wearing shoes, and the size of the
shoe correspondent with that worn by
the heartless step-mother. She was
duly informed of this, and consented,
inasmuch as the infant was not dead,
to forego the fendish pleasure of in
dieting her husbands fallen child for
murder
Nearly a month has elapsed since the
occurrence above detailed. The
wronged girl has mysteriously disap
peared from the country ! The story
is told that a family of refugees. en-
route for their former homes in Ten
nessee. passed through that neighbor-
hood, and the girl left the country
18th them. If this solution OF the
y4ys tery satisfies the father-well and
good. We shall have nothing more to
say respecting it.