The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-03
SHOCKING CRUELTY.
Horrible Treatment Of pnupcr Girl in Mass

Horrible Treatment of a pnuper Girl in Massn-
From the Boston Herald, sent. 1.
Last week, a girl seventeen years OF age, named
Sarah Maria McKeering, died in Lawrence, Mass,
VINO IN her earlier years was made the victim OF
farmer and his wife well known in tnat Wei
mty. Her sad story, in brief, is rs follows:-
an early aye she Was taken by MIR. Sah5or1, BORN ~
childess father to his happy and pleasant home in
age While there she enjoyed all the happiness
OF WhlCh child was capable until her kind protector
died and left his wife in poverty She too also ell
SICK and soon the only support Of the two was wnpt
Sarah, then but four five years OF age could baE
upon the streets in cold rain, and snow. Some gem
tltmen found out the state Uf things, and took
chhfge OF Mrs. SanbOrn, and Sarah was taken 10
Tewkshuy AT the age Ol six years this mere infant
was taken by wealthy family in the vicinity of
Lawrence, and it was naturally presumed that she
would be kindly treated and educated. At the
Iews6nnry Institution few years since it was
thOught proper TO appoint an agent TO inquire into
the welfare OF the waits who had been
taken from the institution In the
given bonds to educate and bring her up in a re
spectacle manner reported to the agent that after
living with them for four years she had run away
Further search resulted In finding Sarah with a re
spectacle family in Lawrence, who had taken her in
on me day after she left ncr place, and who were
led TO DO 50 by hearing of her being at the house
OF neghbor, where she had obtained shelter over
night, and where she came the afternoon before IN
pltiabe condition, with arms black and blue from
apparent recent ill-treatment. When found she
was sick ana helpless-a beautiful girl, some sixteen
years Ol dgt-cIldClaIeu, anu pronounced to be in
consumption by four different physicians, who had
been called to her aid, and she told a sad story
of abuse and shameful ill-treatment
concerning the family into whose charge
she had been given by the State ten years before.
she alleged substantially that one occasion,
having not enough to eat-being fed for days
in succession on nothing but cold potatoes
and salt-she took piece of apple-pe and
ma it; but her master found it, aud, to punish her.
took her to the barn and compelled her to eat moist
COW manure from a large spoon held to her mouth ;
that on another occasion her mistress dragged her
to the Kitchen stove, and put her hands on the hot
iron, holding them there until they were blistcred ;
and at another time held a chamber vessel to her
mouth and forced her to drink urine; that another
day, when she was discovered eating u piece of
pie or cake, her mistress made her take dose
Of EPSON salts, saying that the would "physlc
1t out of herr that, while the family always
allowed the hired hcp-men and wOmCn-tO sit and
eat at the same table with themselves, she COM
PEELED to eat her meals alone, and from a tin plate
sitting on a stool in sink-rOom leading out Of the
kitchen. And she further alleged that, for some
slight misdemeanOr, her mistress took her into the
attic and tying her to post having first stripped or
every particle of her clothing terribly beat her bare
flesh with bunch of four sticks, till they were nearly
used up; and she alleged that the reason why she
left them was that they had threatened to give her
another beating which threat put her in such great
dread that she ran away. clothed so shabbily as is
said 10y those who first took her ill., that it could not
lie judged from the medley of her garments whether
she was boy or girl.
such was the girls story of her cruel treatment,
ana she adhered to it in the presence of those who
had so fOuly abused her.