The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-04-26
TORTURED CHILDREN TELL STORY
0F JOHN EARL'S FIENDfSH ACT.
George and Florence Migge, Who Were Subjected to Brutal Punish,
ment by Foster Father, Desert be in Their Own Words Meth
DDS Practiced by Man Who Chastised, Them When
They Could Not Perfo rm Acrobatc Tricks
He Was Teaching Little Ones
Now at 0rph ans Home.

N the undenomiational Widows and Or
phans' Home at No.. 17o1 Lucas avenue.
there il a little boy and girl. who are SUI
fering from the wounds inflicted upon them
by foster parents.
The children are George and Florence
Migge. aged s and Z years respectively.
whose treatment at the hands of John Earl,
who adopted them, was the most cruel. the
most inhuman, ever brought to the atten-
ton Of the Police Department Of ST. Louis.
Although still suffering from their in
juries. George and Florence Aigge recite
with accuracy the details of the awful
crimes by Bari and his wife.
Since the children were rescued by Mrs
Sarah Thompson, matron of the Widows
and Orphans Home. and the subsequent ar
rest and Imprisonment OF Earl, many per
sons have visited the little tots and have
asked permission to adopt them.
Candy, toys and other presents have been
sent to them and they have been gwen
much sympathy by kindly disposed men
and women.
When George Mlgge was rescued, after
having lived for six weeks with his sosIs-
father, his eyes were swollen and blood
shot and the flesh around them were dis
eolored. Applications OF warm water have
reduced the swellings. but the discoIora-
tons are still p~erceptble, and give evil
denee Of the awful treatment administered
20 the child.
Earl says that the boys eyes were in
jured by his falling on the floor while
working on the trapeze. but the nature of
the wounds clearly disprove this statement.
CHILDREN TELL OF PUNISHMENT.
George and Florence Aigee sat On a
couch in the home at No. 1701 Lucas ave
nue. yesterday afternoon and told OF the
punishment they had received.
THE first day that Earl took US TO his
house at No. 1913 Washington avenue" sad
George. "he began TO make us do tricks.
lie said he wanted me to turn somersaults
and handspriEgs and work on the trapeze.
Ne began practictng the second day. and
he began 10 whip Us that night. He whipped
rs every day We were with him. He I'D
most Of the beating. although his wife,
whom he told us to call mamma, used TO
strike US and hit US with the strap.
One day 1 was trying 10 turn a hand
spring L could turn all right, but 1 could
BOT land OF my feet. 1 tried to do IL q lot
Of times. and each time / would fan over.
1t was hard work, and ! got very tired,
and the more / tried the harder 1t seemed
/ couldn't land on my feet.
II began to cry, and the man struck me
with his fist He hit me in the eye, and It
quickly sTeIed up. Then he told me to
turn the handspring or he would hit NE
again. 1 tried and tried to do IT,, but 1
wasn't strong enough. Then he hit me
on the other eye. 1 cried awfuIIy loud, and
then he put something under my nose and
/ went TO sleep.
He made US 60 through the work morn
Ing. afternoon and night. We didn't get
anything 20 sas at noon. and for breakfast
We got bread and coffee. He gave US a
pretty good meal at night. but after we had
finished II he made US go through the ex-
erc.ses again for an hour or SO.
STUCK CHILL WITH NAIL
he had a long stick with a sharp nail
on the end of IT.. He used to take my shirt
OF. and when I was balancing on my hands |
he would strike me with the nan. Gee, but
Il hurt, but / would try 10 land on my feet
50 the hope that he wouldn't stick me with |
the naH-
when. my sister would be working on