Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-12-03

| ne dSSaulUe0 Mlnnles SltpO III DCu OC
tween them in tent; begged and plead
with him because IL was hot right; he
joined Baptist church year ago last
May and was baptized same day girls
were; he assaulted one of the girls on
morning of same day; he taught them
there was nothing wrong about 1t; as
soon as she found it out she began to
resist him; he assaulted her when she
was not well.
Cross-ex: Went home December 10,
1895, from Salem sick with typhoid
fever; .was treated by DR.. Kitchen;
stayed Until February 8; went to Sa'
lem and worked out; he sent for her
to come home; he threatened lives of
mother and sister and witness; she
told no one; did not dare to; threat
ened to shoot If she told; there was a
great deal of trouble in the family;
Mrs. Shanks was a very intelligent
positive witness, and appears to be a
very bright woman; her testimony
was horrible.
A PATHETIC OUTBURST.
81 have all my child love for him,
but L want to see him punished. l
come to the law and the state Of Ore
gon to protect us. l want to see him
put where the law puts such men.
He forced my mother to go through
pelting rain storm on the 8th of No
vember to bring my sister home from
Stayton for immoral purposes
Minnie Birchard: Was II the Sth
day of August; at age of IL her father
had assaulted her; did not know what
he meant; he succeeded after a year
and continued right along after she
got older; in the tent at Mehama were
Mrs. Shanks, her youngest brother
Earle; assaulted her during night;
begged him to desist, was running her
health; he said it was no sin, was no.
body's business; seemed to have no
moral perception of his wrong dolng;
he told her if she became pregnant he
would go to the mountains and it
would be hushed up. Witness re-
cited all the horrible details as had
the other three sisters. He threat
ened the lives of all if they told on
him. He had butcherknife once to
kill mother. She had interfered and
SaYed her mothers life.
Minnie Birchard is a nice looking
girl and very ladylike in her con-
duct. OF the four daughters Min
nie and Mrs. Shanks are the
brightest looking. Minnie was
examined for teachers certificate
at the last examination at Salem, and
was so nervous from exhaustion on
account of her fathers treatment she
failed. She excited the sympathy of all
present at the trial, by her intelligent
and straightforward story. The en-
lire case is one of unparalleled enorm-
ty. Defendant seems to have sys-
Jematically terrorized and debauched
he daughters as fast as they became
I'D enough. If what the daughters
ay is all true he is a monster in
whose presence all previous criminals
n his line will stand abashed and hui
The:mildest penalty is twenty years
n for'lite in states prison. The prls-
,ner was bound over and his bail 7
iXed at 81, 900.
Birchard is man who must
'e well onto sixty, has not much
property, is peaceable as a
leighbor, pays his bills. Mrs.
3irchard is a woman of not great
She is the mother of
en- children, eight living; four daugh
ers and four sons, all in Oregon but
ne son; the younger boy Is.
THE JOURNAL must apologize to it's
eaders for reporting this most re- I
larkable case Of incest in the annals
our county. But the relations
ught to teach lesson of the crimes
ossible even among respectable
lmilies, and that even honesty, pat
otiSm and even religion may be only r
cloak for an immoral monster. /
If the testimony Of the daughters
'mains unshaken before the grand
Try and circuit court, it is to be re- =
retted that the death penalty does r
OF apply in such case, because the /
allows would be dishonOred by such
wretch Birchard.
Nnfica