River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-02-06
SAD STORY.
An IiI.Treatcd Lad Eleven Yeats of
Age Hangs iimselt.
y hopes, aud my God
From the Buffalo Express, Jan. 10.

Age Hangs Himself.
From the Buffalo Express, Jan. TO-
We find in the Wellsville Free Press
Of recent date, the particulars of sui
eide which occurred near that village,
i'll which the self-destroyer was a boy
but III years of age. The story is such
an extraordinary one that we republish
1t this morning, entire:
The name of the boy is Eugene, and
that of his father is William Johnson.
1t would appear that the boy and his
sister, aged II years, have always been
objects of aversion to both their pa
rents, and that from infancy they have
been subject TO the most inhuman and
brutal treatment Kicks and blows
have been administered Tor every little
childish ofl'ense, and that these have
only been varied by cruel and
unmeIciful whipping whenever the
anger OF the unnatural father has
been more than usually aroused. 1t
is said that the boy, falling at times
to find the cows when he has been sent
Tor them, has remained in the woods
for nights and days together, rather
to return to his home and undergo the
excessive punishment which he knew
would be inflicted. For weeks past he
and his sister have been compelled to
cut from two and one half to three
cords of wood per day with cross-cut
saw, under penalty OF a severe beating.
Last Sunday the parents went to a
neighbours to supper, leaving their
children ut home; but before
going, Johnson told the boy to water
the horses. Returning TO his house in
the afternoon, on some errand from the
neighbor whom he was visiting, he
ascertained that his instructions in re-
gard to the horses bad not been com
Piled with, and at once commenced
beating and abusing the boy in the
most outrageous manner. When he
became weary of torturing the child he
left the house and went back to the
neighbours to finish his visit. Shortly
after he left, the poor boy, accord
ing to his sisters statement,
gathered mp his playthings and
put them away in a little box,
and then went to the barn. Being gone
long time, the girl followed him to
the barn, where she found him dead
Nlnd hanging by the neck to beam.
Terribly grieved and frightened, the
girl remained with her brother until
her parents returned, when her frantic
screams attracted their attention, and
their father soon arrived at the scene
OF the tragedy. Was be shocked Did
he cut down the lad, and manifest as
much sorrow for his death as a tigress
would for the loss OF her young? Not
by any means. He was not the kind
of man to indulge in any such
nonsense. Telling the girl to go home
he did up his chores, left the boy as he
had found him, closed the barn door.
returned to his house, went to bed aud
slept the refreshing sleep of innocence
till morning. He then lcisurely IN
formed his neighbors of the occurrence
and they, eighteen hours after the sui
eide, cut down the cold and rigid body.
prepared il for tue grave, and, in due
time, buried 1t. 1T the statements
made to us IN regard to the case are
true-and we have every reason to be-
lieve they are johnson and his wife
ought to spend the balance of their
days IN the state prison.