The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-07-20
A Shocking Affair in Illinois.
I From the Peoria (Ili.) Review, July e.

age, five feet eight inches in height thick
set and muscular, with a forbidden count
enancc, 4 restless. impatient eye. and Il
deep. cultural voice. He owned Il place
containing eighty acres about two and a
half miles from Onarga, in lroquois county.
His house shows considerable degree Of
refinement, and the number of books and
papers indicated that its owner was per-
SON of considerable intelligence. He was
known among his neighhors as honest, u
prompt paymaster and q hard working
man But he had dreadful temper, and
when under the influence of it would
whip his horse numerically, cut out the
eyes of his hogs and indulge in other acts
OF brutal and tiendish passion. His family
consisted of his wife. an intelligent lady,
aged about forty years; six children, the
eldest about fourteen years and the young-
est about twenty days. The eldest boy
was named Martin, and he was eleven
years of age.
On the 18th of june Mera came to Gil
man and posted two written notices, stat
ING that his boy had run away from home,
and offering Il reward for his return. lie
stated loosely that he did not know why
the lal should leave. rs he had always
treated him well. A few days after some
of the neiShbors began to suspect that
something was wrong, and on the 3oth,
Messrs. McCourtie and &. b. Winters, Of
bnar9a. and others, sWOrc ont n warrant
and started for Mera's house. On their
way they stopped at a school which Mera's
Oldest daughter was attending and ques-
toned her. On promising to protect her,
she said her father had beaten her brother,
and after beating him had put him ON the
stove. and she had never seen him since,
but believed he was dead.
The account then states that the suspi-
cions Of the neghhors being aroused, they
made search tor the boys body, and found
ii buried in the garden. An inquest was
then held, at which the boys mother tcsli-
fed rs follows
live two and 4 half miles from Omar
ga; Martin Mera is my husband; have
resided there six years; Martin treated
his children kindly at times; he has not
whipped much lately; he whipped our
boy Martin on Tuesday night, two weeks
ago last Tuesday; he whipped him very
hard; ! did not see him; my babe was
born thai day; did net hear blows, but
heard the chiid's cries; was in my bed
room; the parlor was between the two :;
heard the child cry, Yes, sir, YES. sir !,
no. sir" the whipping continued some
time; my husband would ask him. "NVill
Won work >" the child did not scream. +
do moi know what time the child went TO
bed Mcra cot ND between four and five .
was under the influence of some now
dcrs. and did not awaken mill breakfast
,,-a., o,o, ma "a. .,oo,, ,,,,,,L l,,;,,l. a.,
,,i1rht tI,a l;t,la c,;r1 ,i' =; u . .'''
' If MA nnt ant sn'o !" ,'i.' a9N''
t,1a I,nr al VA ,,-,,,t l,,.o,i,t:'Nt' !
nnt hoar anv d;y,,,.'a,oo. aIort t ta,'
n,nlonl, Cha nh;,1 nan'a ;n+ 40 i LoJ,o ~,
Ca1iowa5 l,, h; f ti,r i''' III; ''f f,,l
,,j,;,,,,;.,,- I,;,,' h| I,i,;,,,l t'i,I, "'',
orl Yin horsau, ","ip' i1a al,i,i
ninr, onn ad hanf ;l, ~ M
nj M, soo XIV h;u, st;i ,'>' ~, a.,t nu.,
,,naS, Oh snu Of ~ ,', nh,in ~. r's
Inv hedroom he ala not WIZ Rim Vii; y,
The J,ntt end Of tbe Win tho 1ash was .,.
Lrol,nn oa On a. to ,oa,.a tho ,,,h;n nh m,'1
:, varl lono he dodged ahont tbc roon
- as 70 a7n;J ,hn Ilnus ,,rn,, r a', ~
work and asEinm tor mercy no d;J7 no If
hoIl the child the cbill Wow aro,,na
ma aro,nl Tho roon, an1 NV br,,,a,J
ravc HIM Soma vow ha,1 hlo,n l"'' ,l,o
Ghila nIn,dnd uDon', ,uh;', NO f,,ha wv +,
l,,,,+ ,,,hi,, mo a,J 7 Iii ,,,a,.,. d.,
Gon,tt oh dnn,t ,rh;a W., m' e.tha, at -
viii work ~ NO vos nal-aJ ,rhn,, ho ''a,.
;,tn NV roo his fathar ,,aI ln h;, '''ll|
~ his ro,bns taxa OF ou l, il'l- ' ,I
how had inst como in r,on, tho faII IL,
face was swollen from thc whinnin1 no
received the night before; no ,raa not
CRYING when he came into my room; his
father whipped him very hard for about
ten on fifteen minutes, the boy all the
time begging for mercy and promising to
work; his father at last stopped, when
he told the child to put on his shirt: the
child made an effort, and failed; his
father again ordered him to put on his
shirt. when he said, Il can't see #.
can't see itr "You can't see il You
can't see it ?" No, father. I can't see
YOU, | can't see YOU, father. | can't see
youn' and fell diving; nv husband said.
aHave | killed him P" and | said. Eyes.
YOU have; YOU have finished him - he
then took him in his arms and bathed him
with whiskey, and tried to get him to
drink some; he tried to pour some down
him; he then threw some liquor over him.
and tried to revive him, and, having fail
cd he cried. "Have killed him ? have I
killed him ?N He rubbed him with spirits
half an hour; the child raised his hands
once, and moved his lips, and it was
over; his last words were. 81 can't
see, | cant scc;n he then pushed the
body under my bed. where it remained
until a little before midnight: after NIGHT
Mera went out often. STAYING for a short
time. and then would returns he took thc
body out the front door: he said he would
give his light arm and leo rather than had
Il happened; he would suffer any torture
10 have him back again; he generally
treats his family wcll2he is a GOOD pro
wider; the only trouble was the boy would
tell lies; he would tell the bow 10 tell the
truth and mind his lessons: he is a very
high tempered man and never knows
when to stopi if I was on nv feet could
have saved my boy, but my babe was
only one day Old; | was on my bed; he
has not ALWAYS treated me wen; he cave
me q crack aside of the head one or two
times; did want to leave him some time
since, but he promised better, and we cot
along very well afterward; he has had