The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-07-10

FIENDIsH CONDUCT BY FATHER-In Sat-
urday's paper was published an account of the
hanging of Martin Mera, at Onarga, ILL.,, by a
body Of citizene, for the causing the death of
his son by whipping. Iftuere is any class of
offences where the exercise of lynch law is par
donabe, the fiendish and revolving crime of
this man, as given by his own family, this case
would certainly come within its limits. The
following testimony was given at coroner's
inquest by the boys mother and sister,
Mary Mera, the mother of the child. testified
as follows:
"My husband, Martin Mera, whipped nv
son Martin, aged ten years, two weeks ago
Tuesday night. M baDe was born on that
day, and did not see the whipping, as it was
done in another room. heard the blows, and
heard the child beg for mercy. The child then
went to bed. About ten O'Clock the next
morning the child came TO my bedroom fol-
lowed by his father. who was whipping him.
He whipped him very hard with black snake
horsewhip.
The child lodged around the room to avoid
the blews, and begged for mercy. The child
was completely naked, his father having com
PEELED him to strip himself His face was
swollen from the whipping be had received the
night before.
His father whipped him very hard for ten or
fifteen minutes. At last he stopped and told
the boy to put on his shirt He made an effort
to SO and failed. His father REPEATED the order,
when the boy said 81 can't see it; can't see
you can't see it?" responded the father
NO, father, can't see you, father-I can't see
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 it under
the bed where the mother was lying, aud it re
manned there until evening, when he buried
Sarah Mera, daughter Of the murderer, aged
fourteen years, testified that her father often
whipped her brother very severely with a
horse whip.
On Tuesday he brought my brother in, and
said that he had not worked, and whipped aad
Snocked him down twice; father contin-
ed ktO whip him, and said that he would
until he could not stand up; that he would
whip the life out of him; two or three times he
would say this, and brother would plead with
father, "Father, don't whip me any more, Oh!
don't whip me any morep'
On wednesday got up anC 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 go out to feed the stock, and when he
came back father whipped him and sent him
the field.
He went for him and brought him in add
made him take off his clothes, and then whip
ped him and then picked bin up and laid him
on the stove. The stove was hot enough to
heat rn iron. 1 was baking biscuit. Father
put him Oh the stove twice, brother pleading
all the while, Father, don't burn me! don't
burn mer'
He screamed very loud and the skin stuck to
the stove. The skin came off from his back
and his feet stuck to the stove. 1t smeled so T
opened the door aud father Immediately shut
1t. While brother was pleading father said
that he would burn him until he worked.
l have seen father strike mother with his
fists many times. He knocked brother down
several times with the butt end Of "a horse
whip never saw my brother ritter he went
into mothers room.