Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-07-12
POOR LITTLE MARTIN.
TIE SadsIest .Demestis Tragedy of
the aga Chtfd Tortured 20

ID
CHICAGO, July 8.--1he testimony that
was gwen before the Coronpr's jury on
Sunday last at Ohnga, Illinois, by Mrs
Meara and her daughter Sarah, in the
case Of Martin Meara.i under examiha-
tion for whipping and otherwise tortur-
ing his son to death, shows the crime of
Meara to be one OF the most iiendish
and revolving in the history Of this
State. MARY Meara, wife Of the man
ana mother1of the dad boy test iied
as follows: "My husband whipped Mar
lin two weeks ago Tuesday night. Ny
babe was born on that day aand 1 did
not see the whipping; il was done in an.
other room heard the blows and heard
the child beg for mercy. The child then
went 10 bed About ten o clock next
morning the child came into my bed
room, followed by his father, who was
then whipping him. He whipped him
very hard with a, black snake horsewhip
The child lodged around the room. so
as to avoid the blows aud begging for
mercy. The child was completely naked,
his father having compelledhim to strip
himself His face was swollen from the
whipping he had received the night be
fore. His father whipped hinrvel ylhard
for ten or fifteen minutes AT last he
stopped and told the child to put on his
shirt He made an effort to do so aud
failed, His father repeated tho order
when the boy said, I cant see II; ]
can see it; ! can't see i'll ." You
cant see i'll responded the father.
No, father cant, aud fell dying tol
the loo" The iie1d then rubbed the
boy with spirits, and forced some down
bis throat The child raised his little
hands, moved his lips and expired.
Meara 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. 1t is presiously stated that
Sarah Meara, daughter of the murderer
aged fourteen years, testified that her
father often whipped him very severely
with the horsewhip. " On Tuesday,
two weeks ago 2 said she, She brought
brother in and said he had not worked,
and whipped him and knocked HIM
down twice. Father continued TO whip
him, and said he would whip him until
hecould not stand up; he would whip
the life. out of him. Two or three times
he would say this, and brother would
plead with father, saying, Father, don't
whip me any more-oh, don't whip me
any more He was n good boy, and
when 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 thatif he didn't own
that he did do so and so he would whip
him, and to avoid it he would own to
things he never did. Wednesday | got
up and got breakfast ready Father rose
when breakfast was ready. Brother
got up, but felt so badly that he again
went to bed. Father made him get up
and 20 out and feed the stock, and when
he came back father whipped him and
sent him to the field. He then went for
him and brought him in and made him
take off his clothes and then whipped
him. He then picked him.up and laid
him on the stove. The stove was hot
enough to heat an iron. | was baking
biscuit; father put him on the stove
twice. brother pleading all the while,
/" Father, dom burn me- don tburn mel
He sereeehed very loud, aud the skin
stuck to the stove. His skin came of
from his back and his feet, 1t stuck to
the stove. 1t smelled so | opened the
door and father Immediately shut it,
While brother was pleading father said
he would burn him until he worked. i
have seen father strike mother with his
fist many times. He Knocked brother
down several times with the horsewhip.
| never saw my brother after he went
into mothers room. le,