The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-07-14

TIE MALTREATMENT CAsE.-The con-
| tinued case of Alva and Bette Lefond,
| charged with maltreating and abusing Mary
Anna Stevens, was called before Justice
White yesterday morning.
Miss Stevens was first examined, and tes-
| titled that she had been very badly treated
by her aunt, Mrs. Lefond. She had whip
| ped her with cowhide two or three times,
and filled her mouth with salt because she
did not remove some bricks from the gar
| den. Mr.. Lcfond had nothing to do with
| this. She whipped her last week with Il
board. The skin was broken by the cow
| hide. One Sunday morning she had her
hair curlet in papers. and Mi. Lcfond's lit
tic girl had tried to pull them out. She
| pushed the girl away, and Mr.. Lcfond
smackcd her Jaws. This was was the first
| time he had ever struck her. Mrs. Leiond
had locked her mp every day last week. She
| very often didn't get enough to eat.
| Examined by Mr.. Noise for defence
She had been in Mr.. Lefonds family for
three years. Had lived eight months in
| Fredericksburg. She had been kindly
| treated by them in Fredericksburg. Her
| guardian had driven her from his home,
and Mr.. Lelond had given her Il home when
no one else would take her. She had been
| blind for four months in Fredericksburg,
| and the Lcfonds had treated her kindly and
provided for her during that time. The
| unkindness she spoke of was about month
ago. Her aunt had sometimes to restrain
her from doing things which she considered
improper. She would then accuse her ol
maltrcating her.
| A letter from tho witness to her aunt was
produced. In it occurred sentence to the
effect that her aunt took the dress from her
back and her shoes from her feet. When
asked what this meant, she replied that
| Mrs. Letond had given her her shoes and
dress to wear. When the policeman came
to the house with the warrant she stated
that there was nothing in this complaint.
The witnesses testimony elected no further
facts save that Mr.. and Mrs, Lefond had
taken her through Kindness, and that she
had regarded Mr.. Lefond as her best friend
I'D to the time he smacked her jaws. Her
| evidence was full of Inconsistencies, and
contained little or nothing to sustain the
charge. $685..
Mrs. Gatewood, the complainant in the
case, gave no evidence either to sustain the
charge or throw much light on the case.
Mrs. A. Pine testified that she had heard
| Mrs. Lefond choke and beat Mollie. One
day she choked her with salt because she
wouldn't say eyes" in responce to some
question she asked her. She then took her
|
Mollic food. She had known Of this NAL
| treatment for some time. but had concealed
| it for Mr.. Lefond's sake. She had never
seen her beat the girl, but she had heard q
noise as though she was choking her.
DR.. Wexford testified to the good charac-
ter and responsibility OF the accused. lie
knew the plaintiff when q child, and re-
| garded her of weak mind. 49,.
Mr.. William S. Gilman testified to the
pcaceabe character of Mr.. and Mrs. Lefond.
From what was publicly known Of the girls
| characteristic being of weak mind-he
thought she would require the same control
rs child. .<.s. ... ...
Other evidence was taken, which showed
the good standing and responsibility of the
accused, and especially was it shown that
Mr.. Lefond was thoroughly kind-hearted
man. " .''
Captain Epps testified that when he
went to serve the warrant at Mr.. Lcfond'
house Mollie told him that she had never
been treated unkindly. She said that she
never had been treated better i'll her life.
Policeman Hulce corroborated the state
ment Of Captain Epps.
The Justice sent the parties on to answer
Indictment for assault and battery-Mr.
Lefond on the 10th of July and Mrs. 1efond
in the spring of the year. They were al
lowed bail.