The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-19
WITH FENCE PICKETS He BEATS
HIS CHILDREN UNTIL
lNSENSIBLE.
HIS WIFE ALSO SUFFERED
HORSES AND Docs ON THE RANCH
EVEN FAILED TO MISS HIS
PASSION.


Machado, Mark West farmer, for assault
with deadly weapon on the person of his
son, Antonio Machado, Machado had a
preliminary examination in Justice
Browns court. The wife and two sons of
present and testified in behalf of the de-
fendant.
A witness named Murphy, who was
formerly employed by Machado, was the
first witness called for the prosecution
and testified that the Portuguese had sent
his son Antoine to round up some sheep,
and the boy not obeying promptly was
brutally assaulted and beaten over the
head and back with picket by his irate
father.
The 10-year-old boy, Antoine, was put on
the stand, but very little testimony was
evolved, as the youngster had not COM
plete mastery of the English language. If
half what is said of Machado by witnesses
be true, his is case of unparalleled cruelty.
His neighbors speak with horror of the
manner in which he treats his family 1t
is said that he is not only cruel to his wife
and children. but his dogs and horses come
in for their share of his cruelty. Although
he has hay for sale his horses are half
starved. He beats them numerically and
crowds work upon them to the verge of in
humanity. A dog unfortunate enough not
to answer his call is caught by this vicious
master and oftentimes besides being beaten
has a piece of an ear cut off or his tail
severed.
Machado lives with his wife and four chill
dren, two boys and two girls, ranging in age
from to 10 years, little distance beyond
Mark West Springs. He was arrested in
the early part of last summer on a COM
plant sworn to by NJ. w. Tarwater for
csuelty to his wife, by hitting her over the
head with a wooden bucket, bruising her
face in a dreadful manner and partially
dislocating her jaw, so that her mouth
could hardly be opened for days. He was
released, however, and given another
chance on condition that his offenses
should not be repeated, but lately COM
plants have been made that if anything
his treatment of his family was more cruel
than ever.
Machado, according to the Great Register,
has been naturalized citizen OF the United
States since 1873. He rents ranch of
William Hill of Petaluma, 600 acres, on
which he raises sheep on shares, and the
neighbors say he should be able to main
tain family in comfort. Yet his house is
said to be hovel, without chair to be
seen.
D. c. Murphy a man who chopped wood
for Machado for some time, tells a story
that he said he was unable to do justice to.
On the day after he arrived the Oldest boy,
being ordered out to herd sheep, not mov-
ing quickly enough was hit over the head
with picket and as the little fellow
scrambled to his feet another blow across
the back laid him insensible and he was
carried into the house, where he lay in
that condition for three or four hours.
A day or two afterward, says Mr.. Muir
ply, the same boy was given an awful
beating with large strap with buckle
attached, which cut into the flesh until the
blood ran through the clothing. He then
began on the second boy, when Murphy
interfered and told him he had done
enough. His wife is hardly able to move
her arm at the present time from the
effects of bruise inflicted by stick, and
another of the children now has his head
bandaged. 1t is reported that the end of
his tongue was cut off.
This treatment, which has continued for
the last two years, since Machado has
lived in the community, has aroused the
neighbors to state where there is danger
that a ropes end or tar and feathers will
be brought into requisition.
Another man who lives on an adjoining
ranch says it is a common sight to see the
children in any weather herding the sheep
on the hillside, and oftentimes the mother
with mans boots or anything in the way
of shoes, limping and crying from the pain
they gave her.
When asked why he did not swear out
complaint the neighbors said he would kill
his stock or burn his barn. Others inter-
viewed on the subject were held back by
the same fear, although they have
heard the screams of the children many a
time, and the mother driven to their doors
for fear of her life being taken. This sort
of treatment has, it is claimed, gone on for
two years without hardly a remonstrance,
until the present complaint was sworn to-
Machado was admitted to bail in the sum
of $500. William Hill, Petaluma banker,
and III. D. Lodge, Santa Rosa capitalist,
furnished his bonds