The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-08-25
PITY THE ORPHANS
Who Fell Under the Care of O Chi.
cago Fanatical CLONE"
whipped Because They Could Not
''Oyercome the Runaway Spirits
Babies COrpses Waiting
for the Resurrection.

CHICAGO, Aug. "a People in the vicinity
of 800 Floumoy street, this city, com
planned Friday of the peculiar doings of the
occupants thereof, and police officer visited
the place He found twelve children in the
house in the most distressing condition-half
starved and with other evidences of outrage
GUS treatment on their bodies.
OF adults there were six-C. W. Radcliffe,
Henry Mailer, James McEwan, o. E. Pease,
Mrs and Mr.. Fidelia Parker, who claimed TO
be keeping home for Gods orphan children,
and that they put their trust in God en-
tirely for sustenance They were arrested
and put in prison and the trial set for Satur-
day, at which the following testimony was
given:
The prisoners were accused of abusing little
children. Lizzie Barrett, a l0-year-old girl
living at SIS North Lowell street, testified that
she was taken to the home in November,
1882 She was with the defendants part of
the time in Brooklyn when they were there.
She said her grandfather, MIR. Me
Evan, one of the prisoners had placed
her there When she went there sixteen
children were III the place Il was
always locked up in room" said witness
TO eat. They shut me up in a room, nailed
down the windows, and set the bed against
the door | was sometimes locked up for
two weeks. When l asked why they didn't
let me out they said it was not the Lords
way. Grandpa was good man. He
didn't know how the children
were treated Cousin George wa
locked in closet for two weeks Henry
Mailer used to come to me and ask me if |
had overcome the runaway spirit. He used
to whip my brother and cousin on their bare
legs until they would bleed, and he also
whipped me because loved my Aunt Mary
too much.n As the child was telling this
part of the story she began to cry, and it
was some time before she could speak again.
They said "A spirit was up in the
heavens that shot magnetism down on
your head" continued the witness.
She also said the children had to go bare.
footed in winter and that her cousin wa,
tied up for two weeks without anything t.
eat but bread and water They brought rot
ten potatoes into the house, cooked them
and the children were made to eat them
When the two babes died they were kept in
the house for three weeks waiting for the
resurrection power to come and bring them
to life. One baby was kept in the place
until it turned black and its eyes sunk in Its
head. The little girl gave her testimony il
Straightforward manner
Other witnesses gave testimony cor
/ roborating the above.
James Peas testified that while he wa
| there he was not treated badly, but the other
! were abused most brutally. Mr. Williams
who formerly stayed there, and Mrs. Haine
claimed to be spiritually married ana livet
| together as man and wife. All the inmate
said that doctor was never called into tn,
| house to attend sick babies and that two diec
the same day. They said they did not neet
a doctor. as the Lord would heal them BY
faith.
Col Baldwin, the gas inspector, said tina
when he..was subppnaed by the coroner to at
tend as juryman on an inquest on one of the
infants, he saw great many men arounl
the place who seemed TO live without work
and this first attracted his attention. Fl
asked the matron of the place if she eve
kept a record of the children who wer
| brought there, and she answered no Sh
also kept no account of those that died
He asked them where they got til
children, and they said the Lord sen
them there. The colonel was anxiou
TO know what they subsisted on, and he mad
an examination of the place. He found
little green tea, three -fourths Of barrel o
stale, hard, mouldy, bread, about a poun,
of sugar, and on the stove was pound o
meat cooking. He smelt of it. Il got on
of that house quicker than | went in, re
| I~ol H. 80 L.
meant would beat the Chicago river
Officer Bruton who visited the house wit
the colonel, said he found barrel of rottel
meat and asked the colonel to smell of it, bu
he said he would rather be excused as it wa
too rich for his blood.
Henry Mailer, one Of the prisoners-th
one who is alleged to have done most of tn
whipping said he had been in the hous
since February, 1888. He admitted whip
ping some Of the children, but said he did
for their good. When asked why he did no
call in doctor to attend the sick, he said
1--WE felt as if the power of God would hea
them. We allowed them to go down as
sacrifice, and God permitted them to b
slain"
The other prisoners testified in the sam
rambling manner. Spectators general
looked upon them as mnatics.
Letters and papers were found at the nous
showing that similar "asylums" were cor
Quoted at Denver, New York, Little Rocl
and othe, places At Corsicana, Tex, the
/, got into trouble and We're taken into court
Justice White, after reviewing the test
mony, discharged james McEwan, the oil
man, whom he believed to be a dupe of tn
others, and held Henry Mailer, O. W Rat
cliff, Mrs. o. E. Pearl, Mrs Slater, and MI.
Parker to the criminal court. The bail {
Mailer was fixed at $1,000, and each of tn
others was held in 81 600 They will probs