The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-06-13
From the pecornh nornl Yeniilaior.

From the Deeorah CIOWal Ventilator.
The good old universal doctrine
that all viii be saved may be q good
thing to live by, and may do to die
by, but we sometimes think there
ought to be a "lske of fire and brim-
stone" and a regular fre-eating,
fork-tailed devil, whose business it
should be to snatch bald-headed
such recreants and brutes in human
forms, as we are about to describe.
It seems that there lives in Wash
ington township, this county, q man
named Wertzer-a German-(not q
Bohemian as the papers have ii, }
who has a wife, a good farm, and is
surrounded by all the comforts of
life apparently, and it also appears
that this man and YOm2n mad a
foolish child, Fho ten years ago, was
known in the nsignborhood. Ali at
once the child was missed by the
neighbOrs, and finally she was for
gotten by all Of them save one Mrs.
John Stefes. Mrs. S. has kept her
in mind for the last ten years, and
upon inquiry about her a few days
ago, and getting an eyasive answer,
her suspicious were aroused, and
she made affidavit before the proper
authorities, sufficiently strong to
compel legal investigation of the
case. Sheriff Thompson accordingly
called on the family, and made in
quiry regarding the missing child.
After some hesitancy, the father led
the officer to an upstairs apartment.
and pointed to a rude box three and
q half feet long by twenty-five inch
es wide, which contained q human
being-agirl now twenty years old
-wallowing in her filth, and q sight
which beggared description.
Suffice it to say, the officer return
ed, and the Insane Commissioners,
consisting of DR.. Coleman, Hon. G.
R. Willett, and S. E. Tubbs, Clerk
of the District Court, repaired to
the house Of Wertzer to examine
into the case.
The report Of the Commissioners
has been made, but we learn that the
girl is not insane, or does-not exhibit
sufficient signs of insanity to place
her in an asylum-thus the Insane
Commissioners have no jurisdiction
in the case.
The girl is described as 8 poor,
little, helpless, crippled up thing
her lower limbs being half bent, and
her arms likewise crooked; she has
laid in her little box on her face, in
a doubled-up condition, until she
appears more like an animal thsn a
human being. The appearance of
the child indicates that she was first
jammed into the little box, and COW
cred up or nailed up, until she had
grown ill-shaped-in fact, until she
became a frightful defOrmity, and
then the inhuman parents were
ashamed to let people see her, so
they kept her confined in filthy ht-
tie pen or box for ten years. These
are the indications presented by the
child and her cage.
The human mind cannot contem-
plate the suffering and misery this
human being has endured-the long
cold winters she passed in that mis-
erable den-the starvation and pri-
vations she has suffered, and the
wicked, demon-like and outrageous
treatment generally, which her ap-
pearance indicates she has received.
These facts, and the differences
drawn, are given us by description
of the child and the place of her
abode, by the Sheriff Of the county,
and a prominent physician of our
city, who saw for themselves and
know whereof they affirm.
This report will cause the matter
to be be taken up by the Grand
Jury, and humanity demands Of
them a verdict that will be a lesson
in moral depravity and human bar
barity, and warning to human dev-
/ lis, that a great sin cannot 90 un-
punished, even in Winnesheik eoun-
ty.
The entire German population Of
the county feel aggitated, and their
sense Of honor and humanity is
shocked at the development of this
barbarous conduct on the part offs
German family.