The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-11-08
CRIME AND CASUALLY.
|HsR iNHuMAN TREATMENT.
Hrs. Caroline Breehs 10 Brutally In-
prissnsd by Her Niece In Order to
Secure tho Old WoDan's Prep
srty--Confined for Many
Years In . Room

NAV HAVEN, Conn.,, Nov. IA
very extraordinary case was brought
to light yesterday by DIR. Q. D. Adams,
OF this city, the New Haven agent Of
tss State Humane sosisty. He found
Mrs. Caroline Brooks, an aged widow
OF the pensionary of tho war Of 1872.
and in her day one Of the most bsnsv.
olent ladiss OF Cheshire, In most pit.
liable condition, suffering from cold,
hunger and fright, in room in the
house OF her niece, Mrs. George Peek,
where she has been confined q close
prisoner for three years. DR..
Adams was informed of the
case by a letter tom a Che shi, g
woman, and yesterday he searched
out the aged victim. Mrs. Peck
IN the wife OF George Peck, jr., q young
Yankee farmer. She IL q graduate OF
the Safe Normal school. Mrs.
Brooks has no relative, then, but her.
Three years ago the old lady, bseom-
ing iufirm, decided hsr little farm In
snuthipRton aud house TO that town
on condition that she should be taken
care OF, sway from the Pscks, whom
she instinctivoly seemed to dread.
Mrs. Brooks Also received pension OF
800 year.so that she was by no means
4 psuper. Having secured her prop.
erty for their town, the thrifty select.
men OF Soulhlngt0n, William Tolls
and Michael Esgap, types of officials
that may be found all through
New Englsnd'a moral dis
trlcts, barSained with Peck and
his wife, OF the nslghboring town OF
Cheshire, tn take the old lady to b.ara
for the sum OF $l75 Psr year. Agsipsi
her will sbo was compelled TO ssek
shelter In the very family she had
hoped to get clear OF. This was three
years age. She was locked into back
room, tod Orse day, and there sh d
remained ever since. The Pecks owl
IDENTIFY did their utmost TO clsar
money on their unwilling boarder,
and the town authorities OF southing-
ton paid ne further attention to her.
Her removal from her native to WIN,
and her isolation, caused her old
friends to suppose her dead. She was
forgotten, and, according to her IL
atOry, has been starved, whipped and
otherwise abused ina
WORSE THAN PRISON CHILL,
In the heart OF ono OF the moss thickly
populated States OF the Union. A few
evenings ago Cheshire lady creased
the lots back OF the Peck residence.
She was surprised to $50 q pinched,
white face ~ q narrow back window,
for sbe knew that the family WAS
away. Then hand was extended
eEd becSOncd her u come near. Shs
approached and tho face rcappsarsd al
tho window. 1t was that Of Mira
Brooks. Her story OF suffering was
told 20 the stranger, who sfserw ard
vrots to the Humane society. There
wls no ono Mt home whom this humane
omccr and his assistant made his
whit. HS found tho house PLEASANT,
old fashioned country residence. He
found the back door open, and after a
short search came to n heavy oak door
which was fastened with paddock.
This too, was forced, and then ths
stalwart State official confronted a
Il wrinkled, dirty, blue'eved Old lady,
who tremblingly i1pl0red him TO 80
away. Tho atmosphere OF tho room
was vreaking with filth. Mrs. Brooks
y
ings and IN Old shawl, Ill OF which
were filthy. III was \ Scene,"aaid tho
doctor afterwards, "thst never saw
IN .tched before ami hope neyor viii
again. | am not given 81 profanity, but
II eyer felt like swesrlng,I wanted to
curse tha people who had brought
sucn abjecE misery upon ths. helpless
old lazy, for tho traces ofs lady were
evident still amid all the filth"
What do you want? don't hurt
me" imr,ored the aged lady pit
oouely.
81 sm an agent of the Connecticut
Humane socioty, and sm come to re-
lieve YOU" said the doctor.
"At last, at last" valid the heart
broken woman. "0h, have prayed
for this. have felt that relief wou Il
come. Don't leave me here alone, will
you? They will kill me-"
The doctor listened to tho story OF
her wrongs and ruffsrings. On STOOL
by the door Was her food for the day, a
bit OF salt mackorol and somc cold pc
tetosa. There was no fire In the roo n ,
although It was bitter cold. Sho IA d
that during tho first part Of her i'm
prisoGment with tho Pecks she had 70
peatedly been whipped, but lst,arlg
their punishment had ceased because
sne had tried not to complain. The OLE
lady was so overcome With joy az the
prospect Of deliversuce that shs
esng back faint on the bed OF rags
with sigh, and declared thu, IL, ws,
tho most comfortable coucn she h al
rested upon for many long day. with
a hoe the accunalatiOns OF filth wore
removed from thu room, windo va
optnod and a roaring fire wac built
Arrangements wero speedily com
pleted for her Immediate removal 70
tho town OF Southington, which will
no1 be compelled 81 support her IN q
decent manner. There " much IN
digns.ion over the conduct OF tho
Seuthington sslsotmsn and tho Pccks,
and threats OF tar aud feathers for
them arc freely made, and aro tx
tromely likely to be carried out. III
said that the Humane spciety con
templates criminal action against tss
xelectmeu.