The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-04-15
AN UNGRATEFUL SON
KICKS AND POUNDS HIS AGED
FATHER TO DEATH.

Abused the Whole Family Every Time
He Got Drunk-The Old Man Killed
while Protecting His Wife and Daugh-
ter from Il Brutal Attack
BOSTON, April ia brutal and unpro
voked assault occurred Saturday evening
at 70 Lawrence street, Charlestown, from
the effects of which Daniel Donovan died
yesterday afternoon at the city hospital.
The perpetrator of the assault, Mr.. Dono-
vans son john is held at station Is on the
charge of drunkenness, the assault not
having been known to the police at the
time of his arrest.
The story of the crime, and the facts
which led up to it, as told by daughter
of the dead man, are as follows:
John Donovan, the son who so brutally
assaulted his father, is worthless,
drunken fellow, who never works. When
under the influence of liquor, he is re
ported to be veritable fiend, and has
more than once assaulted members of his
family.
Saturday afternoon he came home about
4o'clock, considerably drunk and with a
bottle in his pocket He Immediately be-
gan 10 abuse everybody in the house, par
ucularly his sister Bridget, and his
mother, who is 10 years of age.
He Struck His Mother
several times, and her face now shows
black and blue marks from his rough
treatment. He also threw salt cellar at
her which naGowly missed her head
lie continued his abuse of them until
his father came home from work, about
$3.50 o'clock. The father Immediately inter
fered and ordered him to keep quiet or
leave 2.7 house The fathers sternness
angered him, and he threw whisky bot
tie at him.
Not content with the mischief he had al
really done, the son started to again attack
his lister, who ran into the passageway
lealing TO the front room. He followed her
and started to strike and kick her. rhe
father interfered and, getting between his
children, he received
A Kick in the Abdomen.
He is II man i3 years of age, and had
been suffering from hetnia for several
ye Irs. This kick was probably the fatal
blow, although the sGn had struck and
XII .~.'vs him iss ri ai.ay several times,
knocking him down.
When the sister saw that perhaps her
father might get killed, she went to sta
tion 10 and told the officers that her
brother was drunk aud creating dis
turbance Officers Mctcalf and Lougee
were senG to the house, but Donovan had
in the meantime left. He was, however,
arrested few minutes afterward on the
street, and was taken to the station and
locked up.
1t was not known at that time that the
assault was very serious. The injured man
was put to bed, but grew rapidly worse.
DR.. Mcdonald ordered his removal to the
city hospital. An examination at the hos
pital disclosed the fact that his body was
badly bruised, and that several ribs were
broken. His face was also badly dishgured
from the brutal treatment he received.
He died at 2:10 o'clock in the afternoon.
The dead man leaves a widow anu five
adult children. He has lived in Charles
town for thirty-siX years. He is highly
spoken of by all the neighbors as hard
working, sober, Industrious man.
His son John bears a most unsavory
and is said to be common
drunkard, continually causing trouble at
home. The members of his family have
been afraid of him, as he has been heard |
to say when drunk that he would kill his |
father some day He is IS years old.
Boston, April 12-John f. Donovan |
pleaded guilty to being drunk on Satur-
lay night in the Chaslestown district |
court yesterday, and was next charged |
with abusive treatment of his father, re- |
sulting in his DEATH to which he pleaded |
not guilty. He was held in $4,000.