The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-10
A PATENTS HNHUMANIry rN
ILLINOIS.
Corones's Inquest Over the Lynehe.s
Man. Martin Mera-Testfmony of
His Wife and Daughter.

CHICAGO, ILL.,, Jnly Sat the coroner's
inquest over the body Of Martin Mera. who
was lynched at Watsaka, ILL.,, for killing his
son, ten years old, Mary Mera, the mother
Of the child, testified as follows: "My hus-
band, Martin Mera, whipped my son Mar
tin, aged ten years, two weeks ago Tues
day night. My babe was born that day,
and l did not see the whipping. It
was done in another room. heard the
blow, and + heard the child beg for mercy.
The child went to bed about 10 o'clock.
The next morning the child came to nv
bed, followed by MS father, who was whip
ping him very hard with a black-snake
horsc-wbip.
The child lodged around the room to
avoid the blows, and begged for mercy.
He was completely naked, his father having
compelled him to strip himself. His face
was swollen from the whipping he had re-
ceived the night before. His father whip
ped him very hard for ten or fifteen min
iltes, and at last he stopped and told the
child to put on his shirt. He made an eff
fort to do so and failed. His father repeated
the order, when the boy said, i can't
see | can't see.'' "You can't see it," re-
sponded his father. "No, father, can't
see you; / can't see you; feel dying"
The father then rubbed the boy with
spirits and forced some down his throat.
The child raised his hands, moved his lips,
and then expired"
Mera then took the body and put 1t un-
der the bed where the mother was lying,
and it remained there until evening, when
he buried it. The testimony Of the boys
sister is still more horrible.
Sarah Mera, the daughter of the murder
er, aged. fourteen years, testified that her
father often whipped her brother very Sc
verely with q horsc-whip. Tuesday. two
weeks ago, "he brought my brother In,
and said he had not worked, and whipped
and knocked him down twice. Father con-
tinued TO whip him, and said he would whip
him until he could not stand up. He would
whip the life out of him. Two or three times
he said this, and brother would plead with
him, Father, don't whip me any more
oh, don't whip me any more Brother
went to bed about 10 O'Clock. He said he
did not know why father whipped him so.
He never told stories only when father
made him. Father would say it he didn't
own up he had done so-and.so he would
whip him, and to avoid it brother would
own to things he never did.
Wednesday | got up and got breakfast
ready. Father rose when breakfast was
ready, and brother got up, but felt so badly
that he went back to bed. Father made
him get up and 20 out and feed stock, and
when be came back whipped him and sent
him to the field. He went for him and
brought him, and made him take off his
clothes and then whipped him, and picked
him up and laid him on the stove, which
was hot enough to heat irons. was baking
biscuits. Father put him on the stove
twice, brother pleading all the while,
Father, don't burn me- He screamed
very loud, and his skin stuck to the stove.
His skin came off his back and his feet. 1t
smeled so bad that Iopened the door, and
father Immediately shut it, while brother
was pleading. Father said he would burn
him till he worked. have seen father
strike mother with his fist many times. He
knocked brother down several times with
the butt end of the horse-whip. never
saw my brother after he Went into mo-
theirs ROOM"