Arizona republican., 1893-06-13
LIKE A DOG.
A Little Boy Secured by
Lock and Chain
In the Fierce Glare of a
June Sun
To Prevent His Contamination
by More Fortunate Boys.
The Penalty for This Sort CT Pa
rental Solicitude Is Fixed at
300 Days In jail.

under cloud and those who desire to
drink in the gospel as expounded by
Mr.. Timmins any time within the next
800 days will have to break into the
county Jail, unless perchance by provi-
Dental or human intervention he
should be released before the expira-
ton of the term fixed by Justice Kin
caid yesterday for his sequestration
from respectable society. The case OF
Mr.. Timmins was tried yesterday and
is one Of the most singular on record.
Timmins, whose wife is dead, lived
alone with his little 7-year-old boy in
cabin near the water works.
All OF Sunday forenoon a boy Was
heard crying piteously near Timmins'
cabin and some Of the neigh bors inves-
tigating, found that the crying child
was Timmins'. They found also that
he was chained in the broiling sun to
the corner of the house, unable to find
refuge from the sun and without &C.
cess to food or water.
Constable j. F. Briggs lives in the
same block, and when he returned
home after noon his attention was
called to this extraordinary instance OF
cruelty.
With two Of the neighbors he went to
the boy and found him chained as
described. The chain, which was an
ordinary dog chain, was secured about
the boys leg by paddock and also by
another paddock to the corner of the
house.
To release him it was necessary to
file in two link OF the chain which
bound his leg.
One side OF his face was bruised and
swollen as if from blow, and he was
without even q hat to shelter him from
the almost vertical rays OF the sun. In
answer to the inquiries OF his rescuers
he said his father had chained him
early in the morning and had gone away
'preachin :" his father had also struck
the blow which caused the swollen jaw.
The boy was taken to the house OF one
OF the neigh hofs, where he WAS given a
dinner which he ate voraciously.
Sometime in the afternoon the father
returned, got the boy and on Sunday
night was arrested by Mr.. Briggs. In
default of bail he was locked up for the
night. Yesterday morning he was ar
rsigned, pied not guilty and his trial
set for o'clock in the afternoon.
In gathering up the witnesses the
constable was unable to find the boy.
Though he secured the town from one
end TO the other he could find no trace
OF him and the case proceeded to trial
without him. The prisoner de.
manded jury trial.
The witnesses for the territory were
Constable Briggs, d. G. Evans, w
Gregory, A. j. Kent and little boy,
Willie Wiley. The three first named
gentlemen were present at the loosen.
ing OF the boy and described the man.
ner in which he was chained, his In.
ability to get in the shade, his want OF
hat, the absence of food and water
and his bruised and swollen face. They
also testified that it was rumored in tbs
neigh borhood that the childwas habi
tually cruelty maltreated and starved
Willie Wiley, the little boy witness
said he was passing Timmins' cabir
come time before noon and George wa.
standing in the sun near the house
He called to the witness and asked him
to bring him some apricots. The wit
ness called back that he was on horse
back and If he dismounted couldn't gel
on again, and he told the little Tim
Minis boy to come to the fence and ge
them. The latter said he couldn't ant
held up the chain. The witness dis
mounted took him the apricots anc
some water.
For the defense several witness wer,
subp9naed, not to controvert the
charge OF inhumanity in this instance
but to show that the prisoner had no
been habitually cruel.
| One witness had evidently been called
by Timmins TO his house when the lat
ter was expecting arrest, as Timmin,
had explained to him where the DO,
stood and tried to show to the witpes,
that the child could have got out of tn,
sun If he had desired. He had also
asked the boy in the presence of the
witness if he had beaten him, causing
wounds already described. In reply
the boy shook his head. This testimony
was damaging to Timmins.
The other witnesses were for the most
part religious co-workers who could
only testify to the affection always dis.
played by Timmins toward the child,
They did not, however, attempt in any
way to justify the claiming of the little
boy.
At last Timmins testified and his ties.
timony was pitiful. The prisoner looks
like an honest but unfortunate man.
He admitted that both he and his
little boy were often hungry. He
was in i'll health, and though he had
always taken the best possible care of
his motherless little one, he had fire.
quently been unable to procure sufIi-
cient food for him.
As to the claiming. he said that 1t
was his custom to secure him in that
way to prevent his running away and
associating with improper playmates.
Thus in the interest of his spiritual
welfare and in the absence of mother
to care for him while the father was
gone, it had been necessary to submit
the child to what might appear ex.
treme cruelty. The prisoner declared,
though, that the child could easily have
gotten into the shade, could have sat
down, and had access to an ola filled
with water.
The jury returned verdict OF guilty
in about three minutes.