The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-07-18
NUMBER 2l
A Horrible story Of Cruelty and
Murder In Illinois. z
A Father Beating, Roasting aud
Wandering Ills SOn-.The Brute
Is Lynched. Il

A Father Beating. Roasting and
Wandering Ills SOn--The Brute
Is Lynched. Il
CHICAGO, July S.-The testimony be.
fore the coroner's jury, at Onarga, Illi..
nois, by Mrs. Merea aud her daughtef
Sarah, in the case of Martin Mcrea, I'M.
der examination for whipping and 9TH
erwise tdrturing his sob to death, shows
the crime of Merea to be one of the
Most fehdish and revolving in the histo-
ry of the State, Merea, it will be re-.
nembere'l, was hung by mob Of citi.
zens on Wednesday, the 5th inst. Mrs,
Merea, wife of the fiend, and mother of
the dead boy, testified as follows: NV
husband whipped Martin two weeks ago
Tuesday night; my baby was born on
that day. / did not see the whipping, it
being done in another room. / heard
the blows and heard the child beg for
mercy. The child then went to bed
about 10 O'clock next morning the child
came ihtd MY room; followed by hia
father, who was Whipping Hit. He
whipped him very hard, with a black-
snake horsewhip. The child dodged
around the room, so as to avoid The.
blows, and begged fof mercy. The
child was completely naked, bis father
having compelled him to strip himself;
his face was swollen from the whipping
he had received the night before, his
father having whipped him very hard
for ten or fifteen minutes. At last he
stopped and told the child to put Un his
shirt. He made an effort to do so and
failed. His father repeated the order,
when the boy said. 81 can't see it; i
can't see it." "You can't see it." re.
sponded the father. "No, father, can'f
see you" ''father, can't see yeu;" and
fell dying.
i The hell fend rubbed the boy with
spirits,and forced some down his throat.
The child raised his hands,, moved his
lips and expired. Merea then took the
body, put it under the bed, where the
sick mother was lying, and it remained
until evening, when he buried 1t, as pre-
viously stated. a
i Sarah Merea, daughter of the mi,utrr.s i,trs
derer. aged fourteen years, testified that
her father often whipped him very Sc
verely with horse whip On Tuesday
two weeks he brought brother in and
said he had not worked, and whipped
and knocked him down twice. Fathef
continued to whip him, and said he
would whip him until he could not
stand; he "would pound the life out of
him. Two or three times he would
SHY this, and brother would plead with
him, "Father, don't whip me any ffiJfe :
oh, don't whip me any more" He was
good boy. Brother went to bed about
ten 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 if he didn't own thai
he did so and so he would whip him
!. and to avoid it he would own to things
he never did. On Wednesday got ur
: and got breakfast ready. Father rose
I when breakfast was ready. Brother gol
! up, but felt SO badly that he went back
. to bed. Father made him get up ahd
= go out and feed the stock, and when he
. came back father Whipped him and sen.
!, : him to the field. He went for him
: brought him in, made him take off Tlis
clothes, and then whipped him. He
= then picked him up and laid him on she
stove The stove was hot enc ugh to
: heat an iron Father put him on The
= stove twice, brother pleading all the
: while, "Father, don't burn me-" ''don',
: burn me-" He screamed very loud, ans
:. the skin stuck to the stove; his skin
> came off from his breast and his feet
. and it stuck to the stove 1t snielled SC
l opened the door, and father inimedi.
!; ately shut it While brother Mas plead.
ing, father said he would burn him till
he worked. / have seen him strike
mother with his fist many times. He
knocked brother down several times
: with the butt end of the horsewaip.
n never saw my brother after he went inte
mothers room. .Ess,s,4.sa s,t4.u,,