St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-07-28
THE CALEDONIAN.
an InHrii,Un Rather.

IN fnHNfllUl Rather.
The most revolving murder ever commit
ted was that for which Martin Mcra OF
Douglass, IIoquois county, ILL.,, was TAX
On from iai and hung hy mob, last
"Wednesday ni.ht, and if the cnormity Of
the offtn-r will ever justify the popuiacc
IN tax ia" vengeance into their own hands
there could hardly Ire Il case in which
Ivnchiu@ wunlI he more eXcuSablr. At
The coroncr's inquest, Mary Mcra, the
mother Of the child, testified rs follows
My husband Martin Mcra, whipped nay
son Martin, AGED 10 years, two weeks
ago last Tuesday night; my babe was
Lorn on that day, and | did not see the
whipping; it WA, done in another room
! heard the blows, and heard the child
beg for mercy; the chill then went 10
bed. About 10 o'clock next morning
the child came To my bedroom, follow
cd by his father who WAS whipping hlm.
He whipped him very hard with u black
snake horscwhip. The child d"d9cd
around the room f. avoid the blows, and
Lrnocd for mercy The child was com
plctcly naked. his father having compel
led him to strip himself lis face was
swollen from the whipping he had re
cci,,d the night before. lis father
whipped Ina very hard for ten or fifteen
minutrs. At last he stopped, and told
the child to put on his shirt. !c made
AN effort TO do 50, and failed lis faith
CT repeated the orirr, when the boy
SAID, Il cant see It; / can't see it,
"l'uu can't see it - responded the faith
cr ''No father, can't sec you father
can't see you, father" ami irtl, dying.
The Gcnd then rubbed the boy with
spirits, and forced some down his throat.
The child raised his hands, moved hi
lips and expired. Mcra then took the
body and put it under the bed where the
SICK mother was lying, and it remained
there until evening, when he buried it
near u hedge in his Garden, where it was
discovered after the boys disappearance
lad aroused the suspicious of the ncgh-
bprS. Sara Mrra, the diu"htcr Of
the murderer, aged II years, testified
that her father often whipped her broth
rr very severely with the horscwiip ON
Tuesday, two weeks ago, lac brought my
brother in; said he had not worked, aud
whipped and knocked him down tw ice
Father continued TO whip him, and said
he would whip him until he could not
stand up; hc would whip the lie ont Of
linn. Two or three times he world say
tli-, and brother would plead with faith
or: "failrr, don't whip me any more
oh, don't whip me any more" He
WAS Il good boy and liked him BROTH
rr went 10 bed about 10 o'clock he SAID
lie did not know why father whipped
HIM 50 he never told stories only when
father made him. father would say that
If hc did not own up that lac had done
50 and 50, he would whip him, and to
AVOID it, brother would own up To things
lie never did. On Wednesday, got up
and got breakfast ready. Father rose
when breakfast was ready, and brother
got nP, but felt 81 badly that he went
back 10 bed. Father made him get up
AMI 90 out and feed the stock, and when
he came lack father whipped him and
sent Iim To the field. He went for him
and brought him in, and made him take
eli his clothes, and Then whipped him,
and then picked him up and laid him on
the stove the stove WAS hot enough TO
heat IN non; WAS baking biscuit
father put him on the stove twice, broth
cr pleading all the while, father, don't
burn me. don't burn me" lie scream
ed very loud, and the skin stuck 10 the
stove; it smellcd 50 ! opened the door,
and father immediately shut it; while
brother was pleading, father said he
would burn HIM until lac worked have
seen father strike mother with his fists
many time. lie knocked brother down
several Times with the butt-cnd Of the
h"rscwhip. never saw my brother
after lac went into mothers room.