The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-02-26
PARENTAL BRUTALITY.
A Father Locks Up His Daughter
for an Act of Disobedience.
Her Incarceration Extending Over a
Period of Sixteen Years.
A Fair Young Girl Reduced TO a Con-
sifttOn OF wretched Imbecilify-


brought to light IN section OF the country
few miles south of this city. which, it is to
be hoped, is without parallel in this genera
ton, il not in this century. 1t is that of
young woman named Margaret Reck, daugh-
ter of Peter Reck, a wealthy farmer of Troy
Grove, who was shut up in q room over 16
years ago, and KEEP. there to this day in soii-
tary confinement without ever having left IT,
Though the rumors were both vague and
meager, yet they were sufficiently astound-
I ing to induce your correspondent to en-
deayor If possible 10 get at the facts, and al
though his purpose was attended with much
difficulty and necessiated the interviewing of
many persons who were supposed to be &C.
quainted more or less, with the circum-
stances in the case, he succeeded, though
| the parties all assumed q certain air OF mys.
terry, accompanied with suck grave shakes of
| the head that were expressive of their re-
lrctance to tell wnat they knew, lest they
should be called upon to appear in court
| and testify against persons with whom they
| had been on terms OF intimacy and friend
ship for many years.
The object, however, was finally achieved,
ana the following are the facts as gathered,
not only through neighbors, but near rela-
| nyes of the unfortunate victim herself. As
| a stepmother figures IN the drama it is
necessary to go into
| THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE AFFAIR.
| few years after Peter Reck's arrival in
| this country. and previous to his locating on
| a farm IN Troy Grove. his wife died, leaving
him seven children, five daughters and two
4 sons. He married again, and had two
daughters by his second wife. The daugh-
ters of the first wife becoming obnoxious TO
her, and he, for the sake of peace and quiet.
having TO submit to her will, they were
driven from their homes and made to seek
| employment and shelter where best they
| could. Margaret, the girl in question, being
too young to shift for herself was, in order
to get her away from the stepmothers harsh
treatment taken to Peru and placed in q
school kept by the Sisters of Charity. While
there she is said to have given proofs of ac-
to have evInced quite taste for drawing in
which she excelled. When she returned
home she was the belle of the neighborhood; !;
full OF life and fun; courteous and kind to
all; and possessed of so beautiful voice the
| young and the old would often go to hear
Margaret sing. The estimation in which she
was held by the people was not calculated to
raise her in the estimation of the step
| mother who looked upon her with jealousy
| as possessing advantages and attractions
Il
it would be much more in keeping with her
position in life TO go out like her sisters and
work for an honest living, than to put on
such airs, which, as she predicted. would
! result in no good. Margarets education did
| not III her to do menial work for outsiders,
r though she was willing to do any thing at
, home, and the result was that she was
, SUBJECTED To ALL THE PITY TYEaSNIEs
, that some step mothers are able and willing
to heap. The offsnse for which the unfor-
tunate glrl was made to pay so dear pen.
, atty is thus described: Some 16 years ago OF
to which all the Reck family were invited
She dressed to go with the others, but on
some pretex. or other she was forbidden te
; go, and ordered to remain at home and take
, care of the house. She felt hurt, and de
? termined TO GO and visit the Sisters of Char
e | iry at Peru She wrote note to that effect
' | adding that they need not bs uneasy about
, her left it on the table and started off or
| foot The Tuesday following she was brought
back to her home, locked into q room, and
as the rumor only too correctly had IT,
:, am SHE Is THERE TO THIS DAY, 81
E without ever having left it since Through
4 all these weary years of solitary confinement
:, | save two or three inmates OF the house
| Not even her own sisters, nor her cousin, I
Roman Catholic priest, could obtain tina
privilege, Notwithstanding their oft repeated
|
neighbors, they were first told that Margare
was unwell, later on, that she was inst
| and that .as she would wear no clothes
they were not allowed to see her. That sh,
= became insane is now beyond all question q
II 4 dispute but that she was so when first coz
IS fined is not generally credited. 1t is though
i. that, being high-spirited girl, she revoltee
,s against such harsh and unjust treatment, and
!. that her father, in his obstinate tenacity o
, parental authority, determined that sh'
y 49, - - -.
ed in the discrimination not TO be the first Il
acknowledge the wrong; SO Margaret's CON
}, finement continued, and with nothing to re
lieve the motony bnt the bare whitewAshes
walls of q small room; her food paae,
in through square aperture IN the wall
,. not q word spoken. Days rolled on int
weeks and months, when at length the long
peptsgony OF mental suffering eliminate,
In bereft reason. Then 1t was too late 70
!, the stubborn old man to repent. In atone
AZ ment and to ease his troubled mind,
rs saf HE ERECTED A CHURCH ft.t
? and superintended its construction. Th
y spep-mother died last April. Peter Rec
y survived her till September, when he die
Oh very suddenly, and, among other rumors,
s. is thought that his death was accelerated b
Sc foul play. By the will the heirs were TO g
We daughter, was appointed custodian ovs
Id Margaret, with the use of the house and {
he acres Of land, while she lMargaret) shoul
no live. There were three trustees and a
- executor appointed. The trustees visite
~ the room in which Margaret was confine
We and found the unfortunate creature, whol
they had known 10 years before as the bel
of the place, crouched in a corner on tt
floor perfectly naked, save an old arm
blanket that she had drawn over her.
~ tear of compassion trickled down the
manly. cheeks ~ they contemplated tn
slckening sight and thought of the mar
~, years of untold misery she was the victi
III Of. There were no pictures, no books, I
m table. no chair or stool, no bed, no, not eve
n \ mat In law those poor weary limbs al
he The room was destitute OF every thing; the
RI were only the bare boards and, the whit
washed walls, and the barred window, al