The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-09
GLOVER LIKELY TO GO FREE.
THE MAN WHO BURNED HIS
chill DREN'S FINGERS.
He Tells How He Was Led to Try That Ex-
pertinent to Stop Them From Playing
With Matches-The Court Character
ICES Kim as AbnOrmally Foolish.


ORANGE, n. j., June s.-After a hearing
which lasted the better part of four hours
this forenoon, Police Justice Andrew s.
TAYLOR Of South Orange reserved decision
in the case of William NJ. Glover, the South
Orange man who admitted burning the
fingers Of his two little children to prevent
them from setting the house on fire with
mate hes. with which they were fond OF
playing. He said he did not believe Glover
to be a normal man. He said he had OBJ
served him carefully and had made up his
mind he was not. The Justice further
declared that if he did not think Glover
abnormally foolish he would punish him at
once. Glover was allowed to go and 1t is
not thought the Court will impose SEN
tence.
Justice Taylor criticized the Childrens
Aid and Protective Society for bringing
the complaint and then seeking to with
draw 1t. Thomas s. Crane, the secretary
Of the society, told Of the meeting Of the
board Of directors at which they had de-
cided to let the father go unpublished.
Village Clerk NJ. A. Fitzsimmons testi-
fed that after the fire at Glover's house,
which had been started by the boy, Glover
had said to him:
III l live, propose to teach that boy
such a lesson that he will not play with
matches. l propose to apply match
and burn his fingers
Fitzsimmons said he warned Glover not
to do this. Fire Chief Becker backed him
up with the narration Of dialogue be-
tween him and Glover the night OF the fire,
nj which he saws Glover said.
III am spared until tomorrow morn
ing. that boy will not touch matches again.
l am going to burn his fingers good and
hard"
Becker says he told Glover he would not
want to see him do such thing.
BENJAMIN F. Jones, counsel for Glover,
in which he tried to show that Spen er
advocated allowing a child to burn itself
"a a means Of teaching it not to play with
fire. :,
Several other witnesses testified in
Glover's behalf and he told his own story
disclaiming all intent to really inlure nus
children and expressing regret at what
.Fiye or six times" he said, "our children
got hold of matches and we found them
half burned on rugs and carpet, We talked
to them seriously. but they kept it up.
How we eSCdPeu iie ooii hiAo". H'eI
morning the children used to come and
snuggle down in the bed with us. Once
after we got up we found burned place IN
the middle of the sheet
Here the Court interrupted with ques-
ton. ..
did YOU give the children genuine
No, / didn't" admitted Glover.
did Mrs. Glover?'
aYes. When l spank my boy he tells his
mother Father gave me baby spanking.
I'm not much on spanking myself give
baby spankings, But my wife spanked
them second time"
The witness told Of going home and find,
ing his children in bed with flames around
them clapping their hands with glee,
My terror could only be known to
slider could not know it. l went to bed.
Did sleep? No, the horror =.
4Did you spank them again9' interrupted
Il Law there all that night went on the
witness. who was too deeply moved to heed
the words. Il couldn't sleep with the sight
Of those children in the fire.
1Then, your Honor. did don't hesitate
to admit i'll did say, too. l don't know
how many times, that thought Of trying
matches on the children's fingers to cure
sWhy did you not heed the advice OF Mr..
Becker and Mr.. Fitzgerald?' asked the JUS
sThey didn't know the situation" was
the reply. Il took my little boys fingers 4Sa
held a match to them. He didn't squirm.
because / squeezed the feeling out Of his
fingers. The little girls ] burned, less,
thank God! Then | was sorry and sent
them to the doctor"