The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1875-02-27
IDAHO CITY. SATURDAY. FEBRUARY 27, 1875.
CHILD MuRDER.-The following from the


CHILD MuRDER.-The following from the
Page county. Iowd. Democrat, il used BY an
exchange as an argument in favor Of capital
punishment. but AZ we think, unfairly. While
i is true that he who committed the more than
hellsh deed deserves the severest punishment
which can be- inflicted upon him-nay. that any
punishment which human ingenuity could de-.
vise, or life endure, would be contemplate BY
to the cowardly atrociousness of
the crime described-yet, to make tho effense
q reason for retaining the law Of capital pun
ishm-nt, it should be shown that it could not
have occurred in State in which such law
was in force Unfortunately for those who ad-
vance the theory, precisely similar crime was
by father in Illinois, named
O'Meara, less than two years ago. He, like
Krughe. beat his little innocent, helpless daugh-
ter to death, and the law hanged him. In
Krughe's case different punishment will be
and every humane person will hope
his punishment will be more severe enc. Not
as means Of Furnishing him, but for the pur-
pose of lettering others from like ofenses:
A few days since Krughe started three of bis
children to school. Among them was . daugh-
ter aged about ten years aud six months. This
child it seems, never had attended school be
fore On Monday evening Krughe called this
child to him and began to question 1t. to see
what progress it had made, he says. The little
thing had not yet learned the alphabet. Its
parent tried to make it repeat the alphabet,
however, but uf course it could not. At this
krughe became enraged and sent Que ot the
other children for 4 stick. with which he began
TO beat his child most shockingly. Its inability,
through terror and pain. to even pronounce
the s,ame of a single letter, only enraged the
so.nster the more, and flying at the child with
the frrscitg of q tiger. he tore of its clothes
and began savagely beating and kicking 1t
Then be caught up stove-lid and struck the
child terrible blnw. Then he seized an iron
aud with it pounded his little VIC
tim. All the while he warned his wife and
children that If they interferred with him or
attempted to give an alarm. be would kill
them At length he procured a stick OF stove
wood, heavy knotted club, and again assault
ted the little one, who now lay crcuched, bleed
ing aud broken. under table. Driving it from
thence, after many heavy blows, he pursued it
under the bed where he struck i. repeatedly,
with nil his strength. One of the blows deliv-
erred ni this time. il is believed. crushed in the
childs tender skull just above the eye. making
IA dtprrssiua large enough 10 admit an egg.
Not yc, satisfying his trrocity. he dragged it
from under the bed now already dying, to the
middle of the roo.n. and stamped it-kicked 1t
beat IT again. At last. from exhaustion. he
ceased his devilish work and went to bed. ours
ING aud SWEARING most friehtful oaths ut his lit.
tie crushed and manglcd victim aud other cow
cring. trembling members Of the family. For
three long hours he had beat the little mur.
dered innocen:-and what terrible hours they
were 10 it, and to its mother and sisters and
brothersl And out of doors the snow was 81
len,ly filling. pure aud white rs pinions OF an
gels, and softly beating against the windows, as
if it fain would enter and cover with sPotiess
mantle what was so black within. As soon as
she dared. Mrs. Krughe lifted her little dying
daughter on the bed and bound up her little
crushed brow. In few minutes the child
died, and its spirit went up through the beauti
full snow.aakes as pure as any of them. to a fat
kinder parent than it had ever known on earth
We are glad. for IowsTs good name, that he
was taken to neiahbcring Jail in time to save
lynching, but we must express our sorrow thai
there is no chance to hang the low dog. legally
Certainly society will be benefited whca hs
becomes food for worms.
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