Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-20
A MOST INHUMAN FATHER.
Hanging a Girl Head Downward
Om a Raffer ard whipping
Her.
Ne11 York Times.


A terrible punishment was Inflicted on
Mary Lee, a little colored girl twelve years
OF age, by her father, Spencer Lee, at Elk
ridge landing, in Howard county, Nd, a
few miles from Baltimore, on Sunday even
ing Of last week, for very trivial offense.
Mary, according to her father, had been in
the habit OF taking food from her own home
and giving It to another eOlOred girl named
Mamie P8ge, who lived near by. The
children. and on Sunday afternoon de-
termined to punish his daughter.
He took the child, stripped her of all her
clothing, and then bound her with a piece
of clothes lire around the ankles and
strung her up to one of the rafters in the
roof of his house, with her head hanging
downward. She hung directly over the bed
in the room, but was unable to reach It with
her hands. After placing her in this posi-
ton her father took a birch rod and
whipped her severely upon the bare flesh.
After this performance he left the house
aud came to Baltimore, where he remained
until Monday afternoon. Then he returned
home. The child was kept in her terrible
position until about z o'clock Monday
morning, when she was cut down by her
little sister, Matte Lee, VINO is only nine
wears old During the night this little one
placed herself upon the bed and endeavOred
to support the weight OF her sister, whose
body she could just manage to reach.
The little one was afraid to cut her sister
down for fear the father would return and
fiud It out The mother of the children was
absent at service two miles away. After
usssipg the night OF torture the victim was
at length freed by little Matte, who man
aged, by placing a box upon the bed and
then getting upon the box, TO cut the cords
with q knife. Mary then fell upon the bed.
After several hours Of intense suffering the
girl recovered sufficiently TO drag herself to
the place where her mother was at work.
She told her mother the whole story, and
the mother at once caused the arrest OF the
ibhuman father, who is now in Howard
county jail, at EIicott City, to await his
trial.
When last seen Mary was still suffering
from her torture, and told a very straight
forward and undoubtedly truthful story
She said she had never stolen any food ol
ANYTHING else from her father, and that she
had given no cause for punishment She is
small for her age and very black She said
that the sgOny she suffered while hanging
from the rafter was extreme, sharp pains
shooting through her head until she thought
she would 90 mad. Her little sister, by
holding her up, prevented great deal of
her suffering and made Il easier for her to
bear her torture. When cut down she was
unable to move, and lay almost Unconscious
for q long time. She Is Sblll euHeilhs
severely from the effects OF ber brutal treat
ment. The father wss very nervous and
excited when visited in the jail to-day. He
Is about forty-fve wears OF age.
He said that he had demonstrated win
the child several times for stealing, ana
that as his remonstranees had no effect he
determined to punish her. He admitted
stripping her naked and stringing her up to
the rafter, but he says her head and shOul-
ders rested upon the bed. He also admits
dOgging her upon the bare skin with birch
rod. He, however, said that he did not draw
blood from her body. He claims to have
taken the child down short time after aud
SLOWED her to 90 to bed. This both she
and her sister deny, and nOOne believes the
story. he says his wife has left him four
different times and has encouraged his
cbildren to misSehaVe toward him, and that
he only tried to do his duty toward bis
children by correcting them when he
thought st necessary.