Daily Republican., 1884-04-08
A FIENDISH ACT.
4 CHILD HELD On A REU HOI
STOVE BY A WOMAN YES.
TERDAY.

/
-~ss-
One of the most tiepdish acts tha
was ever committed in this vicinit
was investigated last evening in til
Municipal Court before Judge Cum
Minis, when a colored woman. Matha E
len Smith. was charg' with cruelty t.
Maggie Wesley, a 6year-old colore,
child.
The little one was, on account Ut tn
brutal treatment she has received, un
able to walk, and was carried into tb'
Court in her mothers arms. Her fac,
and hal DIS were almost covered witt
i. bandages, and her mouth was st
swollen that it was only with the great
est difficulty that she was able to
articnlate. She was so weak and
emaciated that she was unable to sit
upright.
The testimony of Keziah Wesley,
the mother, was to the effect that she
lived with Randolph Peters, and being
unable to keep the child left it about
one year ago with the defendant.
Several times when she visited the
house she suspicioned that the child
was not receiving proper care and treat
Inent, and about four weeks ago noticed
that the little one had a cut OIL her face,
and that'one eye was badly swollen.
| AS she had no other place to take the
child, she did not say anything about
1t a. the time, but afterward she was
told that the little one was treated in q
shameful manner. She went at once to
Mrs. Smiths house, and upon examin-
ing the child, found two large sores on
her back, both of which were raw, all
the skin and part Of the flesh having
been burned away. Her hands " ere also
in a terrible condition, and the child told
Der mother that the sores on her back
were caused by Mrs. Smith holding her
on the red hot stove, and that she had
burned her hands in her struggles to
save herself.
Her head was cut in several places,
and large welts on her legs and other
parts of her body showed that heavy
whip had been used freely. Her upper
lip was cut through with a knife, and |
her throat was very sore and badly in
famed occasioned, she said, by Mrs. |
Smith thrusting fork into it to stop
her speech, and prevent her telling how !
she was treated.
The mother then took her child away |
and had a warrant issued for the arrest |
OF the tiend. The prosecution was con-.
Quoted by Austin Harrington, Esq, Of
the Soc iety for the Prevention of Cruel |
ty to Children, and when the mother |
had finished her testimony, the child |
was requested by Mr. Harrington to put
out her tongue, but it was swollen SO
badly from the injuries which she had
received t).at she was unable to do so. |
Hannah Russell, colored, testified |
that the child had boarded with her |
previous to being placed with Mrs. |
Smith, and that she was obedient, clean |
and truthful. She said that she never |
had any trouble with her. Several
witnesses were examined to show that
the prisoner did not bear very good
character, and was oman of a violent
and cruel disposition.
The prisoner was allowed to make a
statement, and said that the child was
in the habit OF stealing, and that she
had punished her to break her Of it.
She denied holding her on the stove,
and said the burns on her back were
caused by the water being too hot when
she washed her. Sheadmitted injuring
her mouth, and said that she had given
her a piece of corn bread which she re.
fused to eat, and when she put it in her !
mouth spit it out. She determined to
make her eat it, and pushed ii down her |
throat with fork handle.
Mr.. Harrington, in his address to the
Court, said that this was one of the most /
shocking cases of cruelty that had ever
came under his notice, and he did not
think the extreme penalty of the law
would be punishment equal to the Of
fence. Judge Cummins said he would
like to hear the testimony of DR.. Grim
shaw, and Mrs. Smith was committed
in default of$2OO bail for further hear
ing this morning.
Immediately after the case had been
of Deputy Attorney General
Turner filed information against Charles
Hall, colored, for assault and battery on
Smith s house eandexercisest the authority
of husband. He is charged with com
plicity in the cruelty, by having struck
the child onSunday morning andknock-
ed tooth from its mouth. He was
held in $500 bail to appear before the
court this morning.
Martha Ellen Smith was again placed
in the dock, this morning and DR.. +,
testified that he had ex- ,,
lmined the child, and found several )
external wounds with d deep holes, that
n his opinion were caused by burns, !
md not scalds. He did not think it
,ossible that they could have been
,aused by hot water, as they were too
leep, being burned into the flesh. "
The woman said that she had done it
" holding q wet cloth against the hot
tove to warm 1t, when she washed >
he child. City Solicitor Turner ad- I
lressed the court, and said that this j
ase was simply horrible, and he did not J
hink anything much short of hangin & | s
would be sufficient punishment. j.
Judge Cummins remarked that this
uit was brought under the act for, the I
of cruelty to children, and
10 would impose the heaviest penalty ii
rescribed by the law, which Is 500 c,
no and costs. As the prisoner will not ol
Q able to pay this, she will be commit p
I'd to Jail for SO days. a
The case Of Charles Hall, who was o
eld to answer the charge of completely N
! the woman'S cruelty to the child n
AS called, and the City Solicitor said Ii
lat he had no evidence to hold him, 9,
nd entered q nolle pros. zpeI
Mrs. Wesley was present with the Y
hid, and as soon a. she went out In the =
rect was surrounded by q crowd, 4
hose opinion. seemed to be that the B
L lnishment was totally inadequate to :,
10 offence, and 1t is but justice to "
ldge Cummins to state that according "
fha oh q II ho Soa Uvo
Cno cuaVHos IL WAS all 10 cOulO lnnlCt. Sn
III
Mf. Huk Ill In 1874. go
EDITORS REPUBLICAN We deem
a matter ofjustice to our friend and :,
rmer neighbor, William A. Hukill, n
10 IL now q candidate for Sheriff, to IN
ny q report which, we are informed, co,