The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-07-12
Whipped to Death.
The relation of a Host Horrible Murder.

I
niyen before the coroner's jury on Sun
day last, at Onarga, Illinois, by Mrs.
Mera and her daughter Sarah in the
case of Martin Mera, under examina-
ton for whipping and otherwise tor
turing his son to death, shows the
crime of Mera to be one OF the most
6endish and revolving in the history OF
the State. Mary Mera, wife of the
man, and mother of the dead body,
testified "My husband whipped Ma
tin two weeks ago Tuesday night. My
babe wa born on that day, and ] did
not see the whipping it was done in
another room ; I: heard blows, and
heard the child beg for mercy; the
child then went to bed. About ten
O'clock the next morning the child
came into my bed room, followed by
his father who was whipping him. He
whipped him very hard with a black
snake horse whip. The child lodged
around the so as to avoid the
blows and begging for mercy. The
child was completely naked, his father
heving compelled him to strip himself
His face was swollen with the beating
he had received the night before. Hi
father whipped him very hard for ten
or fifteen minutes, at last he told the
child to put on his shirt. He made
an effort to do so and failed, his faith
er repeated the order, when the boy
said, 81 can't see it, I can't see it,
"You can't see it?" responded the
father, "No, father, I can't see you,
father, and fell dying. The fiend then
rubbed the boy with spirits and forced
some down his throat, the child raised
his hands, moved his lips and expired
Mera then took the body put it under
the bed where the sick mother was
dying, and it remained there until
evening, when he buried it as previous
ly stated. Sarah Mera, daughter OF
the murderer, aged fourteen years,
testified to the most brutal details of
the treatment of the murdered boy By
his father, showing that the man was
in the habit of forcing the boy to tell
lies and then cruelty torturing and
beating him for it.
| CHICAGO, July S.-Sarah Mera's
testimony in regard to the death of her
brother, among other things was -
"On Tuesday, two weeks ago., father
brought brother in, said he had not
worked, and whipped and whipped
him, and knocked him down twice
Father continued 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
would say this, and brother would
plead with him :"Father, father, don't
whip rue. any more; oh, don't whip
me any more" He was a good boy
and we liked him. Brother went to
bed about ten O'clock. He said he
did not. know why father whipped him
so. He neve told stories: only when
father made him. Father would say
that if he didn't own that he did so
and so he would whip him, and to
avoid it he would own to things he
never did. On Wednesday I got up
and got breakfast ready Father rose
when breakfast was ready. Brother
got up, but felt so badly that he went
back to bed. Father bid him go out
and feed the stock, and when he came
back father whipped him and SEM him
to the field. He afterward went for
him and brought him in, made him
take off his clothes, and whipped him.
Hetthen picked him up and laid him
on the stove. The stove was hot
enough to heet an iron. I was baking
biscuit Father laid him on the stove
twice, brother pleading all the while,
'tFather, don't burn me, don't burn
me-" He screamed very loud, andthe
skin stuck to the stove. His skin
came off from his back to his feet, and
It stuck to the stove. 1t smelled so |
opened the door, and father immedi-
ately shut it. While brother was
pleading father said lie would burn
him until he worked I have seen
him strike mother with his fist many
times. He knocked brother down sew
horse whip. I eve saw my brother
after he wen: IN mothers room.
CHICAGO, July 9.-The following
are the particulars of the lynching of
Meara the child murderer, at Watseka
Illinois, on Wednesday last. The
crowd at first numbered about one
hundred, led by DIR. Daniels of Ona-
roga. When they demanded the
prisoner the sheriff refused to
give him up, and upon Daniels
attempting to enter, he discharged his
revolver at him. Daniels struck up
his arm and wrenched his pistol from
his bands. The crowd then with a
sledee hammer battered down the door
of the cell where -Meara was confined.
The poor wretch begged for mercy,
hut nobody gave heed to his appeals.
The crowd then seized him, pin:oned
his arms, and carried him into the
street. DIR. Daniels then addressed
the crowd saying that he had sworn
not to return home untifth murderer
was executed ; and asked the crowd if
they would stand by him. All said
they would. Meara was then placed
in a wagon. which was drawn by the
crowd, and tied to a tree a short dis
lance from the Jail. A rope was put
around his neck, the other end at
tached to a limb of the tree, and he
was told he might have twenty minutes
in which to prepare for eternity. He
spent the FIRST halt of his time in pit
eous appeals for mercy. While he
was doing this he was derided by
many of the crowd. One man offered
to pray with him, but he replied that
he could not pray without a priest =
then called on the Masons to help
him, but no N responded, and he
cursed the Masons. He then called
upon the Catholics to rescue him.
One of them shouted, "Call upon God,
for He. alone car save YOU" He