The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-04-04
TWO HUMAN FIENDs.
rhe Starvation and Torture of a child

$500
From the HanoceF, Pa, Citizen, ApriI q
About o'clock on Tuesday morning of last week
Minnie Dolkey, aged years, died at the home OF
her father, Charles Dolkey, near Krentlers school
house, on the Black Rock road in Penn township
214 miles from Hanover. After her DEATH or even
before bruises and other presumed evidences
OF illtreatment were noticed on the child's body
and there was general belief in the neighborhood
that death had been caused by ill-treatment The
body was, however, buried in Mt Olivet Cemetery
on Thursday morning
The rumors having reached the coroner, DR.
Spangler he, accompanied by Dr. s. j. Rouse OF
York, arrived in town Friday noon, went to the
cemetery, had the body of the child disnered, and
impanneled jury ofinquiry.
Drs. Rouse and 5panger made q most thorough
postmortem examination of the body, and the jury
after viewing the remains, adjourned until Saturday
morning at O'Clock to take testimony in the case.
The revelations show such depravity of human
nature, and such brutality, as are seldom equaled
in the annals of crime. The father and step-mothe1
are both German, he being from Prussia and she
from Saxe-Weimer Blame centres more particu-
lary on the woman is said in the favor of the
man that he was kind and affectionate father be-
fore he married his second wife
Following is the testimony as given before the
jury on Saturday morning:
Charles Dolkey Gather of the deceased sworn
said: Il was born in 1850; peddler of rags and
bones deceased was my daughter by my first wife;
ehild's name was Minnie Dolkey; she died about G
| o'clock Tuesday morning; did not see her die; she
was not sick before her DEATH except she complain
ed of pain in her side about 10 O'Clock the night
of her death; slept in room with deceased, it
was upstairs; the house is one-story with garnet;
Minnie was always well before this; her lips and
H. IA
/ whipped her often with rope about feet long
and as thick my finger on occasion went to
| the woods and got stout chestnut sprout, with
which 1 thrashed her good-until the blood ran
down on her right side; this was three weeks ago;
we rubbed salt and pepper into the wounds; she
/ born May 6, 1876; have whipped her since with the
same rope-about week ago; her feet were frozen
1 four winters ago, when 1 lived in Matthias Mum
merits house; last winter her feet were very bad;
also this winter; this winter we put her feet in
bucket of snow; she wore shoes and stockings; Fri
day two weeks ago she fell from the hay NOV about
eight feet and cut cash above her right eye,
which caused discoloration; she had a good appe-
tite; ate at table with the family; ate bread
and coffee for breakfast meat, potatoes, &C., for
dinner; never gave her corn; last whipping was for
eating corn; tried to stop her from the habit of
eating corn, and for week past had the corn box
locked; she got enough to eat; never whipped her
from the table, whipped her several times for eating
jelly after she left the table; my wife whipped her
often with the same rope; my wife wanted to leave
me, because she said Minnie would not listen to
her; but persuaded her not to go; never struck or
kicked the child; been whipping her for year,
whipped her for drinking milk she had been sent
for at Mr.. Schwartzs; occasion tied the child
down to bed. without clothing on, and whipped
her until the blood ran; "a child of Dolkeys being
ifc fnaf1u Cd
frozen penned Minnie in the stable awhile; never
tied her there did not whip her the day or night
previous TO her DEATH her last supper was of meal
soup and bread; wife and / went to York one day
and left them alone; they had plenty to eat-four
slices of bread and two pounds of beef didn't whip
her for going to Schwartzs got the beef from Daniel
Slime, Hanover; never put her i'll cave or hole
in the ground"
Mrs. Charles Dolkey (step-mother of deceased)
sworn, said: Am the step-mother of Minnie Dol
key; have been married two years in December;
whipped Minnie when she did not listen; whipped
her with a rod from the woods, with a rope and
with my hands, saw Charles Dolkey whip the child
when it was tied to the bed; whipped it often, and
so did he; about once a week; the bruise on her
right eye was caused by falling from the hay NOW
fodder box; blood ran from the cut and from
her ears; on one occasion the child was stripped
naked and tied to bed, and my husband whipped
it until he was out of breath l then whipped it
until the blood ran, rubbed salt and pepper into
the wounds; did it because it would cause more
pain for she had led we did this about four weeks
ago. did not whip her the day before she died. gave
her enough to eat-all she wanted; twice gave her
no dinner because she ate corn; did not whip her
for eating too much; never put her to bed without
supper; never went away two days and left them
alone; never stayed later than or clock in the
tn last left
the children alone; left them bread meat and coffee
to eat that day; Minnie ate meal soup the night be-
fore she died. she died at a. m, Tuesday, March
q; between u and l O'Clock that night she com
planned of pain in her side; it then subsidized but
she complained again few hours afterward; she
was dead in the morning. neither my husband nor
| saw her die"
Frank Martin sworn: knew Minnie Dolkey; did
not her often never saw the child lily treated
never talked to her it is the general belief in the
neighborhood that she was not well treated; heard
her"h ollow' and cry my neighbor Henry Schwartz
says he took the chids shoes off at his house and
her feet were so sore she could hardly walk; know
nothing for against Dolkey."
Michael Luntz sworn: Live about 200 yards from
Dolkey's; knew Minnie; she never allowed to
go among people; when anybody to their
house the child was sent to the garnet; when l
there-at Chrstmas-their dog tore loose; when
Minnie came from the garnet she had black and
blue marks about the eyes, she never allowed
talk to strangers; last Monday evening she opened
the large gate for her father; child kept
hard she was; last fall, during thunder
storm, her father sent her for dung fork; bring
ing it i'll time Though thought she quickly,
he struck her on the side of her head severe blow
and put her to pumping water during the storm;
Jew, Niema Marble, told me he stayed all night
"a .>aX Ks Xyhil
ate supper Minnie had to set by the stoye that the
compelled her to carry in wood, but
because of her weakness was unable TO carry but
little at Il time for this the step-mother struck her
over the hands with piece of firewood Minnie |
was not allowed to talk to anybody and was kept |
confined in the garnet when not at work sometime /
ago George Brown wanted to adopt the child, but |
the parents would not give her up he was there /
again for her the day before she died
Mrs. Michael Luntz sworn: Wife OF Michael Luntz |
live near Dolkeys, next neighbor; often at |
Dolkeys while his first wife lived since the present
wife is there have not been welcome; saw Minnie /
i'll treated; saw the father whip her very often and
very severely often heard crying and screaming
from hay stable; often last summer after harvest,
me and my children saw him pound the little girl
with a stick of wood until the stick worn out,
and then took another from the wood pile and
house and the windows and doors closed to conine
The noise of her screams Minnie complained to my
children that she could not lie down for several
weeks because of welts on her body she was always
hungry, and would often have given her vitcuals
but she not allowed to come out to us; when
anybody came about she locked in the garrett
,ften when the parents away, took food to
The children, but the father quarrelled with for
50 doing upon his return did not know Minnie was
dead until Wednesday morning; Minnie had to get
Up about an hour befo re the family every morning.
make the fire and do work far beyond her years;
hey never washed the child's clothing; she could
rot go to school for the want of clothing; Mr. Dol
Key kind father before he got this wife; since
hen, both have been very cruel to the child now
lead deceased was kindly disposed and smart
child for her age; had many good and womany
Qualities,
Francis Morelock sworn: Live about miles from
Dolkey's; have known the family for number of
years; knew deceased; the family very poor
sometimes something to eat and sometimes not;
had the children for some time after the mother
lied; they were good children; good other chill
lrcn whenever went TO the house since they
nave step-mother, the children seemed down
hearted and distressed; the children were not sent
o school.
Mrs. Francis Morelock affirmed Previous to some
nine months ago. got to the house of Charles Dol
icy occasionally; whenever asked Minnie "how it
yoes' she would cry and the sep-mother would look