The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-27
USED A BROOM HANDLE
MRS. MARTINECK's WEAPON IN Pun
IsHING HAzEL oRME.
Testimony of Mrs. Edward McCIurg,
a New witness-Case Now Be-
ing Tried on Appeal.

cruelty to Hazel Orme. a girl the Marti-
necks had in their home TO do domestic
work. was on trial in the Criminal Court
yesterday on appeal from Police Court. In
the lower court she and her husband were
each fined $50 and sentenced to thirty days
in the ~workhouse. The state finished it's
testimony yesterday and the case will likely
go to the jury by this evening. The evil
dence was substantially the same that was
given in Police Court, there being but one
witness who had not previously testified.
and few new features were brought out.
Hazel Orme is now at the Eleanor Hospital
and was not able to be brought into court.
1t is said she has been improving greatly
under treatment, but it was thought dan
gerous to expose her to the nerve-racking
examination to which she would be sub
jected.
The first witness yesterday was John
Orme. father of the girl. He testified that
the first he noticed that Hazel was i'll was
wnen he visited the Martineck house about
Christmas time. He wanted to take her
home, but Mrs. Martineck complained of
being i'll. When he called for her at other
times he said various excuses were given:
that a dress was being made for her and
that she needed shoes. On Feb. 9 he took
her home.
George F. Young, a merchant tailor, tes-
tilted to having seen Hazel in a street car
the day her father took her home. He said
the girl was thinly clad, was sallow and
emaciated.
EXPERT TESTIMONY.
In the afternoon there was considerable
expert testimony by physicians that had ex-
aDninaH tha GIRL nr n,phano mae 49, Ct
one called. He said he found the girl in an
emaciated condition and eight or nine
marks on her back. He said her physical
condition was the result of malnutrition
due to starvation or lack of power to as
simulate food.
Lydia Haley testified to having seen Hazel
eat out of a garbage can. She said Mrs.
Martineck told her she believed Hazel haG
consumption, and she replied, Il think she
has a good appetite for that"
Mrs. Sipf, who lives in a house adjoining
whipped the girl vice in one day and that
she had heard Hazel cry at night. the
sounds always coming from an clubhouse.
She also said she had heard the girl moan.
Anna Orme, Hazels aunt, testified that
she asked to take the girl home at one time
and that the Martinecks promised to bring
her home the following Sunday. but did not
keep their word. She said all that Hazel
would say was, II want my papa"
DIR. Frank Morrison gave perhaps the
most damaging testimony in the entire
prosecution. He asserted emphatically that
the emaciated condition of the child was
due TO starvation and nothing else. He
said he had made a careful examination
of all of the internal orga rs and her hodv
wholly due to lack of food. The severest
crOss-examination could not make him devil
ate from his testimony.
DR.. Garstang said he saw Hazel at her
home on Feb. IS. and that she was ema-
ciated Yesterday he saw her at the Eleanor
Hospital and said he scarcely knew her
she had improved so much.
Bertha Haas, who went to work for the
Martinecks and stayed but one day, said she
left because the child was so cruelty
treated. She said Hazel was not allowed n
eat at the table and that all she had wnen
the meal was finished was the SOUP that
was left in her plate and a piece of bread.
A bartender named Beat. who works in
Charles Schafer's saloon on Indiana avenue,
testified that he saw Mrs. Martineck strike
Hazel twice on the back of the neck.
Georgia Woods, colored, who washes for
the Martinecks. said she ate at the table
with the family on several occasions, but
that Hazel was not allowed to eat until
after they had finished. She testified that
Hazel washed her own clothes and Mrs.
M~artineck's baby's clothes.
NEW WITNESS HEARD.
The new witness was Mrs. Edward Nc
Clurg, who had also washed for the Mar
tinecks prior u the employment of Geor-
gia Woods. She said one day Celia, one
of the Martineck children, was given a
piece of bread and butter and a banana.
When Mrs. Martineck turned her back
Hazel grabbed a piece of the bread and
butter and a part of the banana from the
child, and it began to cry. She said Mrs.
Martineck took the stick out of the wash
boiler, a part of a broom handle, and struck
Hazel with 1t across the back. and then
asked witness what she would do. Mrs.
McClurg said she advised Mrs. Martineck
to send her home. She said Mrs. Mar
tineck replied: "For 2 cents | would kill
her" and struck her a number of times
with the wash stick. Her evidence was
not shaken by cross-examination.
George McNimrey stated that he was
working on a we'll adjoining the Martineck
property, and saw Hazel washing dishes
and later combing her hair. He said Mrs.
Martineck took the comb and viciously
combed the child's head, saying: "Tll teach
you to comb your hair" He said the
woman pulled the child's head around by
the hair.
Ephraim Alberts, a neighbor. said he
heard Hazel cry at II and u O'Clock at
time he said the cries came from the back
yard. He said he frequently heard the
girl cry at other times.
w. A. Joyce. of the Board of Children's
Guardians, detailed the incidents relating
TO the case when his attention was called
TO ii. He testified to having been present
NHtn III niSI tAduilldllOH was maze DIV
the matron of the Board of Guardians and
said there were scars on the child's back,
body and limbs. He said when he asked
Mrs. Martineck about the scars she ex-
planned that Hazel had fallen down and
done other things that inflicted them. but
as to the scars on her back she knew moth
ing. His testimony closed the States case,
and O. b. Orion opened for the defense. He
began an argument and Judge Afford
stopped him, telling him that all he was to
do was to outline the evidence he expected
to prove by testimony.
The defense then put Mrs. Hunt. Mary
Watts, Lottie Millikan and Mrs. Williams
neighbors, on the stand. principally as
witnesses TO testify to the reputation OF
the Martinecks. The testimony was about
the same, all saying they had never seer
Mrs. Martineck treat Hazel cruelty. =
At noon one of the Jurors came nearly
being fined by Judge Afford for being M.
teen minutes late. The juror said he had
been caring for a sick friend. and the Judge
asked him TO meet him after court adjourn
ed. He was given a lecture.
OLICE COURT SENTENCES.