The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-29
CRUELTY TO CHILDREN.

CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE)
to put them into his beds. and so offered
them the barn in which TO sleep. He said
he was passing the Jones home one day not
crying. He heard the child plead with the
father not TO beat him., and further heard
the child offer the father a dollar which
he had earned picking strawberries not to
strike him again. Wonnell alluded to the
treatment of Mrs. Jones by her husband.
He said she came to his home many times
head, her face covered with blood and
clothed blood in her hair. He said, in his
opinion. she was insane, and that her con-
dition was due to the cruel treatment she
received at her husbands hands.
Mrs. Wonnell testified that she had often
dressed wounds of Mrs. Jones and her chill
dren, inflicted by Jones. She said that one
day when Mrs. Jones was at her house
Jones came there and ordered her to go
back home. threatening her with a re-
sought safety from her husband, who had,
she claimed, started TO beat her with an
AK handle.
HARRY JONES TESTIFIES.
Harry Jones, fifteen years of age. and
the oldest of the four children. was an
amusing witness, showing himself to be
rather dull or intimidated by the presence
of his father, although he said he was not
afraid Of him. He said his father had
whipped him about once a day ever since
he could remember and "ali over nothing"
later qualifying this statement by aging
that it was probably because he was mad
when he had not done work imposed upon
hin, by his father. He said he had to care
for the stock and do all the work when his
father went away and stayed a week or
two at a time. He said his father spent
most Of his time in the city, and that his
father had told hin he spent most of it at
Mock's saloon on Alabama street playing
cards. He said ne worked in the field and
had gathered corn ever since he was big
enough to walk. When questioned as to
particular abuse, he said his father had
on one occasion struck him with a chain
and knocked him off a horse he was rid
ing. Another time he said he had been
struck over the head with a heavy bride.
He said he had seen his father beat his
brothers and sisters with chains. harness
tugs, pieces of molding, brides, barrel
slaves, whips and other things. He said
punishment had resulted once from the
sale of some pigs. which his mother had
he said. because Mrs. Jones needed money
TO buy things to eat. Harry said he fire.
quently ran away from home because he
was afraid his father would whip or beat
him numerically.
Harley Jones, thirteen years of age, is
next to the oldest boy, and he was the next
witness. He said he had attended about
six terms of school. He repeated the
stories of beatings, adding that his father
whipped and beat them without apparent
cause. He said that on last Saturday his
father was down town and came home feel
ing out of sorts; he thought he had lost
some money and wanted 10 take his spite
out on the children. He said Jones be
came angry because some work he had
given Harry and himself to do was not
completed, and that his father put a strap
about his neck and pulled on each end,
choking him so that he could not breathe.
Harry had testified that his mother had
secured a divorce on March s in Clinton
county. and Harley said that since his
mothers absence his sister Lulu, twelve
years of age, had done all the house work.
including all the heavy washing that was
done.
corroborated the statement and said she
had done the work and gone TO school al
most every day.
SAW FATHER IN SALOON.
She said her father took them all to the
city, leaving them at a grocery store while
he went to Mock's saloon. She watched him
and saw him go there and afterwards
walked past and saw him standing at the
bar. She said he became angry on the way
home because he could not find one of his
gloves, which he claimed some of the chill
dren had lost, and that he threatened to
beat all of them. She said he struck her
one time with a piece of harness, inf1icting
severe bruises, and at another with a
lantern. breaking it. Both times, she said,
the beatings were such as to leave sores.
She said her father used a great deal of
profane language when he whipped or beat
any OF them.
Floyd Jones, the youngest of the family,
was called to the stand, but an effort TO Sc
cure his testimony was unavailing. Judge
Stubs said the boy seemd TO be bright
enough and was undoubtedly intimidated
by the presence of his father. He had a
large swelling on the side of his forehead,
and this, he said, was made by his father,
who struck him with a wooden whip. Ma
tron Reisner and Mrs. Gleason said they
had examined Floyd's body and found it
,-~-,r1l -s+b ~aIF Mice aFe~a gnfI that
from the top of his head TO the soles of his
feet there was hardly a place where a fin
ger could be laid without touching some of
the bruised places. The boy told them his
father had whipped him about two weeks
ago. Mrs. Gleason said the boy was black
and blue from head TO foot and that the
discolored places were turning green, as
had the place on his head.
WITNESSES FOR JONES.
Seven witnesses were introduced on be-
half of Jones. Several of them were rela-
tives, all of whom claimed they had never
seen Jones abuse his wife or children. In
the ross-examinatio Of the star witness
for Jones the fact was brought out that
the Clinton county court had granted Mrs.
Jones a divorce on the ground of cruel and
nhuman treatment and that the witness
had been taken TO Frankfort by Jones 10
testify in his behalf. The tenor of the tes-
timony of all Jones's witnesses might be
expressed by the statement of one of them.
James Hackney. who said he had never
heard that he was a desperate man"
Attorney Nelson said his case was closed.
Collins asked. What about the defend
anti" Nelson. in an obedient manner
turned 10 Jones. motioned him 10 take the
witness stand and then turned 10 Collins
and said: II beg your pardon for emitting
this" afterward banking him for the sug-
gestion. saying he had fOtgotten all about
Jones denied all acts of cruelty. but said
he had frequently whipped his children
when they needed il.
Prosecutor Collins said he had received
word that a former school teacher I'm the
neighborhood could give much VALUABLE
testimony in the case. and for this reason
Judge Stubs continued the case until this
morning. Before continuing the case he in
timated that IL looked very bad for the de-
PENDANT.