Mexico weekly ledger., 1893-08-10
lei ACQUITTED.
The Preliminary Trial Before Squire
WinscOtt-He Was Charged with
Causing the Death OF His
Child by Cruelty.

S"scA SaS - VI AAS
Child by Cruelty.
The readers of the LEDGER will re
member that Robert Wheeler was ar
rested few days since, charged will
causing the death of his infant child
1t is claimed that he had also treat
ed his wife in a most outrageous
manner. The child was buried il
Boone county, but was afterward
disinterred and evidence taken il
reference to the death before a Coro.
ner's jury. A verdict was brought
in by this jury that the child came
to its death from bad treatment or
the part of its father. The prelimi.
nary trial opened Monday morning in
the Circuit Court room before Squire
J. J. Winscott. Prosecuting Attor.
ney Trimble, LIP. Crigler and Hiram
Moore for the State and Geo. Robert
son represented the defendant. The
evidence in brief is as follows:
The first witness was Coroner J.
r. Fritts, who testified: ~ am a
practicing physician and have been
for 26 or q years. l am Coroner.
| was present at the inquest held
over the infant child of Mrs. r. F.
Wheeler on July 26, 1898. l held
post mortem examination and dis
covered the back of head considera-
bly, bruised and other injuries. The
child was from four to six months
old. These injuries were sufficient
to cause death"
Mrs. Sailie E. Barkwell: 81 live
in Audrain county. l know Mrs. r.
+. Wheeler. / have known her ve1
since she was an infant. | knew her
child. Mrs. Wheeler has been to
see me with the child. The child
would not nurse her. The child was
at my house on the 14th and 18th of
July. She brought it to my house
on the 18th. | had it on my lap.
The child had spasms while at my
house. 1t had the first on Thurs
day. This was the day she came to
my house. Yes, sir; / am blind. |
could see the child's white hands
and white clothes. She left my house
on the morning Of the 18th between
eight and nine O'Clock. She went
to Thompson on the 14th and return
ed about night. Her sister attend
ed the badly while she went oThomp-
son. This is Mrs. Wheeler's first
child. She did not nurse it; she
fed it on milk in the bottle. The
baby died at night. She and her
sister attended it at night. The first
spasm was on Tuesday. 1t had the
next spasm On Friday morning. 1t
had two that day. Its mother was
at the Station. 1t had the next
spasm Saturday about 9 o'clock. 1t
just dropped its headdown and was
Timber and cold and its pulse was
irregular when it had these spells.
No n sent for a doctor. Mrs.
Wheeler left my house on Sunday
and went to her fathers, about FIVE
miles. They sent for my daughter
the following Thursday and it died
that evening. She was in Mexico ;
on Saturday. She saw the baby
have n spasm. MI. Wheeler came
to my house Thursday about 6 a.
m. 1t was a small child. 1t was
about a month old before | had i. in
my hands. 1t weighed about So
pounds. When they were at my
house it weighed liz pounds. 1t
was four months old. Its head would
go back so far and would fall to one
side. When the child had three
spasms it was on my lap"
Matte Barkwell: 81 know Mr..
and Mrs. r. F. Wheeler. l have
visited them twelve times in the last
six month. Mr.. Whee!er's conduct
and treatment toward his child was
not kind. | saw him slap the child
some time in July. He did not slap
it very hard. On the Fourth of
July l was at Mr.. Wheeler's and in
the evening was at Centralia. l
came back about 8 O'Clock at night
with Mr.. and Mrs. Wheeler. The
baby was along. Mrs. Wheeler says,
drive up; the rain will drown the
baby He says, i don't care if it
browns you both i told him we
could stop in some place. But he
said we wouldn't as his team had to
go home. On the 9Th of July was
at Mr.. Wheeler's. We stepped out
of the house and the child was turn
ed over in the cradle. When we
went out the child was covered with
a mosquito bar, ard when we re-
turned it was turned over. Mr.
Wheeler was in the room blacking a
stove when we went out and was
still in the room when we returned.
| am a daughter of Mrs. Barkwell
who has just left the stand; was
at home on the 18th of July, when
Mrs. Wheeler came over to our
house. She walked. carrying the
baby. 1t was always a small,
puny child. On the 18th it seemed