The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-06-29
AN iNruuuAN HUSBAND.
DiabOiicai Outrage Upon "a Wife
a woman Chained sn n Dungeon
for Over n year-t'Iight of Her
Husband and Daughter.

a DiabOIicai Outrage Upon "a Wife
Woman Chained sn n Dungeon
for Over n year-EIight of Her
Husband and Daughter.
About year ago one A. W. Fullie
moved into frame cottage ut Atkinson,
Kansas, aud for several months was en-
gagged in "tinkering" about the premises
He was about forty years Of age, was quite
reticcnt, and lived the lite of hermit, ex-
cept that young woman was frequently
seen about the place. The neighbors be-
came curious, then interested, and finally,
according to the Atkinson Gampion, one
or two of the women living in that vicinity
went over TO the house to see the new
comeis. The man met them at the gate
before they entered the house, and asked
them who they wanted to see.
Mrs. Asbach. who was one Of the callers,
informed him that they had called over to
see the ladies. In the most polite manaer
he thanked them, but told them he was
living there with one daughter, whose mind
was not very strong and who was subject
to epleptiC fits whenever stranger came
into the house and knew it would he
unpleasant for them to see her. OF course
this satisfied the desire of the ladies who
came to call, but it did not in the least
satisfy ,heir curiosity, and ever since the
house has been kept under surveillance and
a watch as close as only curious woman
can keep was kept upon the house and its
inmates. In the course of two or three
months the man went off to work, it
seems, as a stOnemason or hricklayer, he
working quite while last summer in the
employ of Owen Seip, aud by him was con
sidered a good workman and a steady, sober,
quiet man.
One day a woman living in that vicinity
took occasion, in his temporary absence, to
run over and see his daughter. The woman
verified the mans story in regard to the
girl, who seemed about twenty years of
age, in all except the story in regard to her
fits. She was reticent and untalkative, and
seemed to be endowed with only partial
common sense, and barely treated her vis-
tor with common respect. This was carly
"a Jo""o"p. ord IT nrnved not only the first
visitor who got inside the house, but ii was
undoubtedly the last. All winter long tie
man appeared TO have nothing to do, and
was continually seen around the house
All this was regarded very susplciously, and
as occasionally, at night, a sort Of fright
full cry was heard from the house, it be-
came sort Of chronic rUmor that he was
in the habit of abusing his daughter and
that it was this cause alone that placed her
in this mental condition. So strong had
these Iumors become that Marshal Grail
was informed of them, and for several DAYS
he had the house ''shadOwed,' or closely
watched. until yesterday afternoon, when,
the man not being seen around all day it
was determined to at least see the cause,
and, accompanied by an officer, he entered
the house. The girl seemed frightened to
death, and in response to an inquiry where
her father was she stated that he had gone
to Kansas City to get work, and would not
be back for several days. After looking
around Marshal Grail approached a door
leading to the cellar. For the first time
tina girl evnced Il feeling that demonstrated
action, and she walked over 10 the officer,
and told him not to go there. This ac-
ton, of course, made the search more
thorough and careful, and of this portion
of the house particularly.
Lighting lamp. the officer proceeded to
the cellar, and there found one of the
saddest and most sickening sights that
could he imagined In one corner, upon
dirty, filthy pallet, lay half-crazed wo-
man. chained with an iron band around her
ankle to n staple in the wall The first
question showed the half craZed mental
condition in which the poor woman was,
and the cause which produced her horrible
confinement in this miserable hole But
one little aperture permitted ventilation,
and the hole had sickening, deathly smell.
that was caused 10y non-ycntilation and the
dirty, filthy surroundings.
On ahoX, in q dirty old yellow dish, Mas
some filthy looking meat and some stale
bread. The chain was taken of her LEG
by the use of a small iron bar and file,
and the poor woman stood on her feet.
The story was soon gathered from the
woman and the girl, and it is as full of
cruelty and barbariSm rs could be con
ceiyed. For one year the woman had thus
| been confined. and never once saw the
| light The girl said the woman was her
stepmother, and that she was crazy
| but the quiet manner in which the
woman acted would lead to dissipate the
story or ii it were so, the alteration of
mind must have been very slight. The
poor woman, nearly dead from the excite
ment was taken by the neighbors, kindly
washed dressed and cared for, and 10y the
change would hardly he known, She is a
| tolerably fair looking woman. and doesn't
bear the appearance of hurting an infant.
| She seems in constant dread and misery lest
she should be taken back to the hideOus
hole from which she was rescued, and is
continually inquiring il she is in heaven.
The inhuman husband has probably es-
capped, and visit to the house at late
! hour last night, to arrest the daughter, dis
covered that she was also gone The trains
| are closely watched to see That she does
not leave town by railroad, and an attempt
will be made to arrest the husband. 1t
would make the strongest man shudder TO
steo inside the hole, and the only wonder
is that the poor woman lived so long.
The woman will be cared for by the
neighbors until some disposition can be
made of her by the county. She is now
but little more than a skeleton, and can
hardly walk around. The dread of going
back 10 the internal hole where she was
discovered still seems to haunt her, and
her pathetic appeals to save her, with the
Undergraduates in regard to where she is
are certainly heart-rending.
| TIM EARNERs' N Ap-EOukI TAXATION