Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-07-13
HORRIBLE CRUELTY TO CHILDREN.
The Shocking Record Contained I'm
the Report of "a London Humane
Society,

|
the Report of London Humane
Society.
The report Of the London Society for the
Prevention Of Cruelty 10 Children for 1875,
says the 81 James, B"dget, contains a shock
Ing record OF crueltv-of brutal assaults,
starvation. and grave aud culpable neglect.
Besides the usual Weapons OF ordinary pun.
lshmcr's which ~ one hundred cases OF as
sau,t have been used most unreasonable
such as canes, straps, whips, and the less
usual, boots, belts thongs OF rope-there have
been used hammers, pokers, cold aud hot
deliberately heated In The fire; wire toasting-
forks, the prongs hammered out, the stem I'M
twisted little up, making 4 sort OF q birch
u frayed wire; files, with which the skin on
projecting bones has been rasped off; hot
stoves, on which bare limbs have been put !;
hot fire CRATES, against which little hands
have been held. The condition In which little
victims bodies have been found may be gath.
cred from the following extracts from reports
on cases:
ION the right side OF the head (boy OF A.
was a large blister where the hair had been
pulled out by the roots, on its left side the
same, and marks OF older removals OF the
hair were all over the head. On the left
shoulder was scar, on the bottom Of the
back burn. On the left elbow and right
hand, ulcerating sores on both thighs, scars
! Burns were scattered all over the limbs, and
there were blisters Of burns on the soles Of
| the feet.n
Her back (girl Of 81 was one mass OF black
and green bruises her thighs were almost raw
| She had small Wounds on the knuckles OF
both hands, which were much swollen. There
were old marks on her arms. Her head had
| nr lrn apI h. lvaa Of h.. To-. ha.o
old marks OF blows"
"lbe child Ga boy OF years. was a skele-
ton. There were two bruises OF blows upon
the brow. He weighed twelve pounds.
There was no sign Of organic disease. He
bad bruises on the center OF the forehead
On the back OF the right hand was a tester TO
the bone. The hand was iuhamed IL had
received no attention. There were seven
| burues on the child's back, each burn consist
! Ing OF two parallel lines On the left thigh
Was blister OF burn. Normal weight
twenty-f four pounds }"
THE child "a girl OF l2) had black eve,
twenty cuts on the back, which must have
been given with stick on the bare flesh, and
burn four iuches long, caused by the appll-
cation OF some hot instrument, which mig at
have been the poker produced"
The chIldren's bodies q, d, and S years
old were little but skin aud bone; they were
suffering from great exhaustion, as In the last
stage OF consumption There WAS no disease
OH them; all the organs were healthy. The
younger one was unable 10 stand 1t panied
him to be touched. Actual weight, twenty
and one half pounds aud twenty-three pounds.
Normal weight, thirty-nine pounds and forty
seven pounds
The provocations pleaded many OF them re-
peated IN court. reveal marvellous idea OF
what is an accepted Justification OF barbar
ity
He took piece OF my bread, said big
man who had made n liitle body aud head
raw and broken shoulder and arm. Tie
child WAS A. years old. II, stole some sugar,
was the reason why child had Teen whipped
with a scourge Of wire on his bare limbs ii e
was four Years aud ten months They poster
aud cry So said fat butcher as his excuse
Tor Swapping with his lon- belt two little
motherless girls who were kept In a room out
OF the way withCu: food, save such a they
got from neighbors stealthily when he was
out They comes In SO late, was given as
proper reason for turning little hawkers'
bodies into mass OF bruises and wounds,
FIRST with IA strap and then with a piece OF
wood split off the side of packing case. L
have my dogs to feed, was grey hound-
breeders plea for con ideration In the matter
OF starving 10 within sight OF the grave his
two children. why does not the little de VII
tay what tell him, and as ! tell himp eY-
claimed a lingulst Of 81. He had mutilated a
little face With his fist TIL 1t was like no
human thing"
There are many cases Of systematic cruelty
far worse than the reckless, even II murder
Gus cruelty OF the drunkard One particular
child is its object. All II does is wrong. One
such child betor II could walk had learned
to crawl under the bed at the sound OF its
fathers approach with the little startled cry
OF dad" Que frail child was kept In q
damp, dark kitchen, while the rest sat around
the fire. Three were made TO sleep on the
floor, IN damp cellars, or attcs. Two were
made 10 20 out when suffering from ailments
TO which exposure would be fatal One In
'ant was found laid close 10 the fire 10 get
rid OF II through thirst
( Here 10 an example OF the treatment OF q
child 'for being born before marrisger
Before II wss many DAYS old he soused Il
on Its mothers knee with the contents OF a
pail OF cold water On another occasion he
teized II while sucking at her breast and
flung IL violently against the wall at the other
end OF the room. When It's mother was out
be took IT into the yard and put II overhead
In = tank OF cold water, holding IL under uu-
I'll 10 was with difficulty revived. What do
you feed the little d forf he would ask
his wife. lie was forever assaulting her for
her care OF II. Having deliberately excluded
her from the ROOM he pitched IL upon the
Goor and struck IL about with the legs OF a
chair. Ii WAS always In dread OF the sound
OF his footsteps on the stairs, and would hide
under the bed and lie breathless till he had
gone IL WAS years old. The mau's family
Was two. His other child he did not assault"
| 1t IL satisfactory TO learn that this man got
seven years penal serv!tude for his conduct.
Another case:
"The child was punished for being born al
ALL when found II was mere skeleton. Its
legs were not much thicker than 4 mans
thumb, Its arms we're scarcely more than the
thickness OF a finger. 1t had been In this
dying condition for months. The father was
In work. ana II was his only child. Yet he
obtained no medical advice. The mother did
pot suckle II, and no milk went to the house.
Neighbors said that when he came IN they
could often hear the child CRYING, and hear
that he was beating II. The mother said that
be often beat II numerically. The child Was
quiet enough when he was not In. lie beat
II within few days OF its death"
This man Is at large, partly because the
child's mother was married and partly be-
cause the doctor at the dispensary near re-
fused 10 have anything 10 do with the case.
Ii would injure his practicel"