Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-03-21
IGNORANCE, POVERTY AND CRIME.
Found in Deserted Logging Shack in the
Town of Lincoln,


| There has been much said of late
years anent the subject of carrying
the blessings of our christian civiliZa-
| tiOn to the heathen of other landS-to
| far off China, Africa and the distant
| islands of the sea. The statesman
has charmed a too confding constitu-
ancy with his animadyerSiOnS on the
subject: the missionary enthusiast
has opened the purSe-StringS of many
a close-fisted believer By an appeal TO
the same sentiments and the hard
headed promoter of vast enterprises
has joined the chorus with realizing
sense Of the profits TO be derived from
| christianizing,. civilizing and educat-
ing these benighted people. Yet during
all this time in our very midst and
all oyer the land there has been ample
field and worthy subjects for the best
efforts that the christian and moral
reformer could put forth, to keep
down the weeds in our own door yards
and to extract the beams from our own
eyes before removing the notes from
the almond-eyed Celestial's vision,
This week there was unearthed in
this county as aggravated case Of
moral depravity, poverty and wretch
edneSs as the annals of heathendom
is likely to afford. A mother with
five children all in greater or less
degree of nakedneSS, was found lodged
with two men in deserted logging
camp in the town of Lincoln in the
extreme northwestern corner of the
county. Not more than two of the
children were full brothers and
sisters and it is thought that some OF
these were too closely connected to
suit the civilized idea of propriety in
conSanguinity. One of the girls is a
mulattO and the ages of the children
range from 2 to 13 years. The mother
was at one time a married woman but
it is alleged has not lived with her
husband for seven or more years or
since the birth of her three younger
children. Besides being so Scantily
clothed the family had scarcely a
mOrSel to eat and were in danger Of
starvation. One of the men has an
extremely bad reputation and the
other man is the wOman's brother, 43
years of age and unmarried.
The names of this promiscuous
family are Albert Cox, the brother;
Viola Stevens, the mother; Chas.
Payne, the young man who had
already established bad reputation:
and Anna, Luella, Lillian, Clifford and
Myrtle, the children of the outfit.
The town board of Lincoln made
complaint to District Attorney
Wipperman of the disreputable
character OF the ranch and asked him
to suppress it. Accompanied by
Sheriff Mclaughlin he started for the
scene of the nuisance week ago last
Tuesday. 1t was supposed that the
camp was an active logging camp
when they set forth on their inveStiga-
tion, and to insure the success of their
raid, Deputies Covey of PittSville and
Warinske of MarShtield. accompanied
the sheriff and district attorney. They
left Marshtield in two three-seated
rigs on Wednesday and returned with
the prisoners that night. The woman
and children were wrapped in horse
blankets and such other covering as
could be imprOViSed for the trip, and
at Marshtield the superintendent of
the poor had them thoroughly
scrubbed and put into civilized garb,
and on Thursday the party was
brought to Grand Rapids and lodged
in Jail, where they seemed to regard
their quarters and surroundings with
the greatest favor, and began singing
and dancing about in great glee. -
On Saturday hearing was had
before Judge Gaynor and on petition
of poor commissioner, P. McCamley,
the four younger children were pro-
vided with a home in the State School
for dependent and neglected children
at Sparta. The older girl is not yet
provided for as she is too old to be
sent to the above school.
Charles Payne will be tried today on
a charge of rape on the person of
Anna Stevens, the 13-year-old, or the
Oldest girl, and the family will be
retained as witnesses until after this
trial, and like serious charge may be
brought against Albert Cox, the
brother.