The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-08-30

day morning OF last week under SuSE
cious circumstances, and on Tuesdt
morning Coroner Grobler, of Pemberto
went up to examine into the case T
found evidence to warrant a searchin
investigation, and this was made at Il
house ON Wednesday before jury con
posed of F. B. Haines, Joseph Paren
Edward DeCamp, Twins Shumard Thomi
Inlay and Joseph Frake.
The deceased was step daughter {
Thomas Test, who married Sarah
Mathis, she having three children by he
former husband
On Thursday, the 18th, Test had trou
BILE with his wife He went away and re
turned Friday evening Then he left an
did not return again until Saturday after
noon, when he was brought home drum
by his brother George Getting out 0
the wagon Test went in the house ant
asked for his supper, He became abusiv
and started in to get it himself. Coin!
to the stove in an angry mood, he PICKED
up the tea kettle and, it is alleged b.
some, that he intended striking his wifi
with it. But she got out of the way an(
the contents fell on Mary, who, with tn,
other children, ran out of the house, be
cause they said they were afraid thei
father would fall on them. The boiling
water entered the girls ear and burned
her terribly all over the body, causing
the victim to present a horrible appear
ance. The shock caused injury to the
brain and spine.
Arriving at the house the jury wa:
sworn in by Constable Shumard. The re
mains were viewed by those present anc
it is fair to presume that they never saw {
more sickening sight. After the testi
mony had been taken, Undertaken Camp
O. New Egypt, buried the body in the
Zios graveyard
Blanchard H. White was engaged t.
take down III testimony and also to LOOK
after the legal aspect of the case, and
this facilitated the work
The first witness called was Wesley
Foulks, a neighbor. He learned ON Sat
urday night that Tom had scalded his
child to death and that he would proba
bly, kill another one of them, so he wen
to the house and found Test intoxicated
but in possession of his faculties "Wha
did you do that for, Tom; you have killed
the child p asked witness. II don't care
a d-n if | have, retorted the father
In a recent conversation Test said that a.
he had no further use for his wife, witnes!
could have her Test admitted that hi
injured the girl but gave no excuse for hi
action.
Sarah E. Test, mother of the deaC
child, next testified Between her sobl
she told of what took place. Her hus
band, she said, left home on Friday, stat
ing that he was going to see his mothel
at Archertown. He was in good humor
Next saw him on Saturday Afternoon
when he was pretty drunk. Being as
sured that his wife was not mad at him
he entered the house for supper, which
witness promised to get. While in thu
act of preparing the meal, Test turned
| around and walked to the stove. HI
picked up the kettle of water, and while
the mother was walking around the room
with the baby in her arms, she heard ,
noise, and looking out of the door saw
the kettle lying on the ground. She als(
heard Mary scream and ran out to where
the sound came from The child was al
wet and in great agony. In her frigh
the mother attended to the girl as hes
she could. The clothes were stripped
from Mary in the yard and then she was
wrapped up in a sheet. My husband
seemed to be pleasant and nice and h.
didn't seem to be mad, voluntarily re
marked the witness Test treated tn,
children good, but Mary had been strucl
twice on previous occasion for using
profane language George Test wa
present and saw all that took place. Wit
ness declared she did not quarrel with he
husband. There was an evident desir
on the part of the family to suppress
facts, although Mrs Mathis said sh
would not defend such conduct.
George Test gave this testimony: "Af
ter bringing my brother home in a drunk
en- condition, Tom went right in the hous
and then / heard them quarreling, so
went in. He had his wife by the shoulder
! Tom don't do that; she amt done moth
to you. If knew you were going to d.
that l wouldn't have brought you home.
Tom went by the side of the stove ant
was talking roughly to his wife. The
he picked up the kettle and threw it ou
of the door The children were standing
in the kitchen and they ran out just a
the kettle was thrown. Mary ran aroun,
the house and caught her and tore OF
her clothes. Tom, you will go to stat
prison for this l said, and then he cried
Tom picked up the dish pan and threw
it on the floor When he picked up tn
kettle he said: Well, | guess I'll elea
house now When | came in the hous
his wife was crying and she asked him
behave himself / separated them
Elizabeth Mathis, aged 10 years, seem
ed willing to talk, but her timidity pre-
vented her from saying much. Witnes
said her father did not seem to be mac
He picked up the kettle and threw it an
sister ran under it. Some of the waite
went on Jane too. By reason of lookin
out of the window, Elizabeth did not Sc
her mother and father clinching. TIL
children were afraid of him when he wa
drunk.
Jane Mathis, little girl who didn
know her age, saw her father put h
witness could not remember what ws
said Father sat on the table, whic
tipped and caused the dishes to fall of
This also allowed some water to run int
the cradle Mary was the last one oil
and she got the water.
Mrs Susan Foulks, who was over
her own home, heard Mrs. Test cry GU
''Oh, Tom, you have killed my child
Witness went over and found the chill
badly burned and the kettle lying in tt
yard Tom was drunk and he SCENE
sullen. The wife was very much frigh
ened Mrs Test said: Tom threw IL
kettle and the water went on Mary"
Isaiah Foulks was informed that TIE
had scalded his child to death, and the
witness went direct to the house, whe
the wife admitted this to be fact. tt
mother was carrying the child with
sheet wrapped around it. The father WI
ha bo,sa Ir-ir on rrO,,n