The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-07-29
A 1O-YEAR OLD CHILD BRUTALLY
TREATED.

WesmOrelsnd county, Pa. has another senss.
tion almost Ss great as the abduction Of the Bar
kett girl The mining town of Bridgeport on the
Southwestern Pennsylvania Railroad, was thrown
into great excitement last week by the report thai
little bound boy named silas Edward Meyers
about ten years Of age, was lying chained In the
house Of man named William H. Club. The
matter was agitated among the citizens and 1t waG
resolved to investigate the rumor. Accordingly
four gentlemen went to Clubs house, where they
found the boy in the cellar with trace chain
fastened around his neck with paddock, and the
other end Of the chain affixed to ladder going
from the first floor to half attic above. They in
quired Of Mrs. Club why the boy had been
chained and she replied, Because he was bad
and would run away, Upon the demand Of the
men. however, she released the boy, and they
brought him, together with his slavelike chains
before M. N. StRuffer, OF Mount Pleasant. Here
the parties made an information before the JUS
tice for cruelty and maltrestment to an appren
tice, and both Club and his wife were arrested
and given hearing.
At the hearing q number OF witnesses were
sworn whose evidence was OF very damaging
character, One witness testified that last fall
Club had told him that he had whipped the boy
with the rsmrod Of gun. Another witness, who
was miner employed at the same works as de
fendRnt testified that the boy was compelled Ia
shovel coal In the pit with his adopted father
and that when the night came and his work was
done the boy was so tired that he could hardly
drag himself home, and then he was regularly
brntslly beaten and sent supPerless to bed.
The defendants had nothing to offer in their de-
fense and in default Of $500 bail apiece they were
committed to jail to await their trial at court
The boy after the trial gave the following account
of his case: my name is Silss Edward Myers
and was bound to Mr.. Chubb about two or three
years ago. My parents used to live around here,
but they are now living at McKeesp0rt, think
and they wrote to me once since. TWAS at Chub's
house and / answered their letter. had to work
In the pit with my pap (meaning Chub), l dug
and shoveled coal and l had to gather wood In
the woods besides. Last summer they whipped
me so that was sore for two weeks, then ran
ped me again, each time with cowhide, and
they used to whip me pretty often. Tuesday
ran away, and my pap found me In town and
took me home. They tied my hands and arms
| and fixed the rope In the ceiling so l could moi
lie down. At dark they chained me, and had
| ing they put me In the cellar where the men
found me- l had nothing to eat or drink all az
ternoon and night until l got up to this office,
| (the squire's office). An examination Of the
0hids person exhibited terrible state Of affairs
Great scars marked the effect OF his last summers
beating, and raised black and blue welts, as large
as mans finger with heavy scabs on, covered
his limbs and back, the effect OF recent whipping
The boy is about ten years Of age, bright and in.
teligent, but small for his age and slightly built
| He told his story in straightforward manner
The case has created great excitement in the COM
/ dunitV.