Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-11-12
SHE WORE MAN SATIRE
Girl Tells a Pitiful Story of
Cruel Treatment. In Coun-
Gil Bluffs Court
WAS MADE TO DO MANS WORK
Foster Parents Said to Have Compelled
Her to Don overalls. Plow in the
Fields and Perform the Duties Usu-
ally Expected of Hired man-other
Iowa News.
Special TO Times Republican.
Iowa News

!
Council Bluffs, Nov. IA case OF
unusual interest interest has been on
trial in the district court here this
week. The case is entitled Bertha
Quatter VS.. August Giese and wife and
was brought to enforce claim for
wages earned in the last six years
to 1892, and to secure $l,-
damages for alleged assault upon the
plaintiff by the dependents wife. The
Gieses are wealthy farmers and If the
story the girl tells is true they are
heartless and almost depraved.
Miss Quatter, who Is rather pre-
possessing but very diffident young
woman of is years, told her story to
the jury and the court and way that
seemed to greatly interest all who
heard. 1t appears from her testimony
that she is an orphan. without relatives
sufficiently able to provide for her care
and education. In March. 1897. when
she was IL years old, she was taken to
the home of the Giese's, who are reput-
ed to be wealthy farmers living in this
county. and left there with the under
standing that she was to be treated as
one of their children, and to have all
the advantages of a comfortable home
with a thrifty family. This. as she
understood it, included all the oppor-
tunities for schooling. church attend
ances, social pleasures. ETC.. that the
average country home afforded young
people.
On her part Miss Quatter was to dis
charge the usual duties that a vigorous
young person may be expected to per-
form. She testified that the farmer and
his wife conceived these duties to be
the work of a full, regularly paid farm
hand, and that she was required 10
do all kinds Of heavy. manual labor,
on the farm. The girl said that she was
obliged to put on overalls and so out In
the fields and do the work of man,
such as husking corn, driving piow
teams, narrowing and doing all kinds
OF work, which her strength and skill.
made possible. In addition to this she
had a large number of cows to milk,
night and morning, all the year around,
and that when these duties We're per-
formed she had q good share OF the
Homework 20 do, sometimes all OF It,
Including washing and scrubbing.
Miss Quatter further alleges that she
was always kept too busily employed
to find time to go to church. and could
recall only two Instances when she
was able to slip away and enjoy the
novelty of attending a Sunday school.
which she ga Ia
she was very anxious to do, and would
nave done so IL her farm work had not
been so constant and imperative, she
said she was almost totally deprived OF
the opportunity, and was permitted to
attend the country district school rev
times at irregular intervals.
AS she grew older she said she be-
came dissatisfied, with her situation,
and in the course of one of the argu-
ments that frequently ensued. the far
mer's wife undertook to enforce obed-
fence. The method used was a broom
handle, she said. and when the con-
troversy was concluded the woman had
beaten her severely. The girl claimed
to distinctly remember six blows with
the club over her head and shoulders.
1t was upon this incident that the claim
of $1,000 damages for assault was bac-
ed. She bided her time and when she
became Of legal age she instituted her
suit for wages.
In his testimony Giese denied cruel
treatment and said that he treated the
girl like all the other members OF his
family. The case went to the jury last
night.