Waterbury Democrat., 1900-12-18
A CRUEL MOTHER
Raised Welts on Body of Her
 Step-Daughter.
JUDGE BURPEE'S WARNING.

The Father and Step mother Given To
 Understand That They Must
 Chastise Their Children Properly
 Small Boys Also In Court For Not
 Attending School-After Crying
 Spell The Boys Were Allowed To
 Go.
 A story of great cruelty on the part of d Stepmother was told in the city court before Judge Burpee this morn- ing. Mrs Alice Stepney of Waterville was charged with cruelty beating her step-daughter, Gertrude. aged years The witnesses for the state were Mrs Jennie Philips, principal of the Wa terVille school. Miss Mabel Sullivan, teacher ill the same school. John D. Wadhans. an agent of the state board Of education and Carrie Stepney | sister of Gertrude. The principal story was told by Mrs Philips and sub- Stantially it ran thus:
 Reports of the little one being cruelty beaten by her Step-lnother, the principal examined her last Friday afternoon. On various parts of her body were ridges made by q whip or
 
 worst indications of severe punish 1 ment were apparent on the childs | neither limbs. which were not only | black and blue but were also full of | WeltS. The witness could not say | how many there were exactly, but was | sure there were fifteen or twenty. | Witness warned Mrs Stepney against cruelty beating the child. She had also heard that Gertrude was obliged Tn l.n 1r- h.rf at the noon recess and this she found to be true on-two occasions. This | she considered very cruel on account | of the childS tender age. Carrie l Stepncy testified that she witnessed the heating Gertrude was given last | Thursday and that her SteD-mother l undressed the child and then, after | putting on her night dress. beat her about the body and limbs with ;l 1 switch. The cause of the beating was | that while her Step-mother was out of l the house Gertrudr brought in Il neighbor's little girl 10 play with. | Carrie testified that her Step-mother | frequently beats her also for no req l son. and Gertrude stated that she had | no fellow playmatcS and she has to l run home from school at noon to lay l the table for dinner. l f she did not she would get whipped. Mrs Step 1 ney'S story was to the effect that she l is in dread of her life from Carrie. who has tried five times to poison her. The last attempt took place q short time l ago. Then she poisoned q kettle of cabbage and admitted so to Dr Rus sell. She was aware that her neigh borS were forever trying to pry into her business and she warned Gertrude repeatedly to have nothing to do with the neighbors' children. The older girls told the neiGhbors that they are obliged to do family washing Sunday | evenings and the neighborS came around and pecped in at the windows | to see if this was so. She sent a note to one woman that she need call no more at the house. The court warned 1 Mrs Stepney against beating any child | again as alleged and warned her huS- | band also that if either he or his wife beat any of the children fo. | teStifying in court they would be taken care of by the law and he hoped that if any of the neighbors hear of the | StepneyS disobeying this warning they will be good enough to so in- form him. The case was then con- 1 tinued thirty days to see how matters get along.
 Frank Smith. a resident of Water- vile. was charged with failing to send one of his children to school. | Miss Mary McGowan, teacher in the Waterville school. testified to young Smiths absence from school the great CT part of the present term. The ac- cused considered he was justified in keeping the boy from school ill order that he could attend his sick mother. but the court told him what the cons | sequence will be if he fails to keep the boy at school.
 AnOT hp,. man rOOnIl iDp1 f0 fhn court that he could not get his two boys to go to school and wanted them sent to the state school for boys. Judge Burpce showed the boys the difference between their home and the state school for boys and they cried their eyes out. and promised to be very good boys. \ complaint for theft against Toney Blake and Paola DArchi was nolled without costs They were charged with stealing