The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-04-04

if could bury Minnie beside her, '(the ehilds)
mother said the child had opened the gate for him
just the evening before he said it died of convu-
sions; Dolkey said he went to Dr. Alleman and
asked the cause of her death he said the doctor
stated "it might have died from hereditary heart
disease" DR.. Alleman reported to me that he (the
doctor had only looked at the childs face and saw
blue marks about the ears, above the right eye; my
wife and Mrs. Gebensleben went to Dolkey's on
Tuesday to the corpse; the parents hesitated to
show it, but finally consented the body was lying
in the garnet, covered with horse-blanket; even
with her familiar acquaintance with the child, she
scarcely recognized the remains because of bruises
and discoloration.
Daniel S. Hamm sworn Known Dolkey very
well; live about miles rom him; saw Minnie
once or twice; while at Dolkey's on one occasion
heard the step-mother talke very severely to the
child; told the father then that believed he was
mistreating the child; he said "no, we must whip
her fearfully nearly every day because she don't
listen; " her face then black and blue
Conrad Eisenkraut sworn: Live half mile from
Dolkey's; know the family well, and passed the
house frequently; saw the child poorly c,ad-bear-
headed. bare-footed thin clothing saw the step
mother hit Minnie on the head with her open hand;
Michael Lutz and 1 went to Dolkeys house one cold
day this winter and found him skinning a cow
winch NAG u1eQ 1Of Iuntzi we went INTO Jne mouse,
and saw the little boy playing with doll; asked
the boy where Minnie was; "up stairs he said !;
asked ifshe had doll up there to play with the
boy said she had not and dare not come down. the
day Minnie died Dolkey came to my house quite out
ofbreath and said he wanted to rest he down. and
asked him what was the matter; he said Minnie
died this morning." l asked him if she had been
sick and he said no. she opened the gate for last
evening 1 said there must have been something
wrong-she must have frozen or something else was
wrong; he said there was nothing wrong she had
got into the habit of eating corn; the child
would not listen, and he had to punish it to train
it; said ne had punished it too much Minnie fell
from the hay NOW and bruised her face
DR.. FL. Alleman sworn Knew Minnie Dolkey at
sight; called at her fathers house after she was
dead; the body was in the loft had gown on ;
observed nothing particular, except bruise over
the right eye and discoloration of both eyes and
both ears; her fingernails were black and blue ;
made no examination of the body except feeling
the feet found them tumerfied family said they
kept the child very close because they did not want
it to associate with certain characters said they had
not whipped her for two weeks; the living child
seemed afraid and suppose they had their children
trained not to speak to strangers.
After the examination of witnesses was conclud-
ed DR.. Spangler handed the autopsy to the jury.
After consultation, the jury rendered the follow
ing verdict
"That the said Minnie Dolkey came to her death
that one Charles Dokey, and Mrs Charles Dolkey.
having not the fear of God before their eyes, and
being moved and seduced by the instigaton of the
devil did feloniously and violently the death
of the said Minnie Dolkey by starvation and mali
cious and violent beating, and other cruel treat
ment"
On the strength of this verdict F. S. linn made
information against Dolkey and his wife before Jus
tice Sell who caused their arrest at once. Officer
Gebensleben served the warrant, and the Squire
committed them to Jail.
The greatest excitement prevailed throughout the
town and community when it became known that
the coroner had made an examination of the body
and its condition revealed. Saturday morning there
were about 200 persons in and around the 'Squires
office, eager to hear the testimony, and numerous
threats of lynching the parents expressed. large
crowd of people followed the party to the lookup
on the road to which Mrs. Dolkey became violent
and struck Constable Gebensleben several times in
the face. She also attempted assault several of
the witnesses. When taken from the lookup to the
railroad station the crowd was even greater, aud
before the train left which bore the man and wife
to JAIL there were, perhaps 400 people present to
get look at the person who could inlct such pun
ishment upon child. AS the couple entered the
car, there were loud expressions of lynch the
fends," "hang them up" "they ought to be hung,
&c.
The case will be presented to the grand jury at
the converting of the Quarter Sessions court this
month.