The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1878-06-26
THE LEDBETTERS.

lro [IIow that Lye Got on the Head Of Ledbetters
Nr. Child-A Racy statement-A 30 Pound Editor
~ comparatively "Runt."
o al
irel Inc readers OF HE BULLETIN will re-
o. member the publication made about six or
I'M eight days since concerning the treatment
I ,a,s the children of Mr.. Ledbetter received at
led the hands of their step-mother, Mrs. Led
better. 1t was charged that she had rub
son bed concentrated I've into the
1 bos scalp of the girl and filled the
50 mouth of the boy with some of the same
article. 1t was done, so it was said, while
qWl the children were asleep. That was Mr..
w. Is. side of the story. Now however, Mrs,
ter l.. comes to the front She is little late
tor in coming forward, but her statement is
an none the less good reading for that. She
WV WV says they were married on the cath of Feb
Ter ruary last, and she hadbeen his housekeep-
er from about six weeks before Christmas.
en- While she was occupying this position Led
W. better gave Ter permission to raise the chill
7 dren by hand-to wallop the young dears as
often as she thought they deserved it and
ING in her own way; but as soon as they were
.lo married he attempted to deprive her of this
y solid comfort. "Everytime" says she,
"that we (Mr. and Mrs. H. would 90 out of
WI the house the little girl, Katie, would get
Ia something and put it on her head. On one
co., occasion she got hold of bottle of ''bar's
grease" which was part of my wedding
A. toilet Mrs. L. is go or thereabouts, but the
womanly instinct still survives in herr and
III, used up that whole bottle up before was
bu aware of it. Of course stranger, that riled
sa ME Well, about the I've. Last Mon
", day week was in the garden, and Mr.. L.
tbI and Katie were at the barn. Ledbetter saw
something on her head, and asked what it
M was. Katie said she did not know. Then
eS he went to the house, to which I had re-
" turned from the garden, and commenced
cursing and abusing me. He told me to
OF leave the farm, or he would kill me. He
tr loaded up seven-shooter, and swore he
W would blow out my Id brains and called
al me, stranger, few of the most awful names
I'll you ever listened to; the worst that
hd could be raked or scraped. The box of
nj concentrated I've was on top of the safe,
ed and the girl got it, or it dripped off the top
b. of the safe on her head. never heard
z anything about the lye in the mouth of the
81 boy. His name is john Stranger, could
p put more in your paper about that Led.
r better than it would hold. He has whip
II ped me exhibiting to the editor signs on
! her neck of a recent choking had 500
when he married me- and do believe that
man married me for my fortune. He got
this money and now wants 10 leave me
without cent. helped him put in
the crop, worked hard every day, rolled logs
and labored, and now his crop being in, his
feelings have changed, and he wants to get
rid of me-" When asked how large Led
better was she looked at the editor, who
can make the scales pop at 200 pounds,
While contemptuous expression passed !
over her face, and she said: 10, my, you're
a runt compared to him. He is great |
raw-boned man; you are runt, you are"
With this personal remark she ended her
interview, and strobe from the sanctum
with the swing Of a woman who has rights, |
and knowing, dare maintain them.