The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-06-29
HBLD FOR MURDER.
john Sees, Charged with Having Caused the
Death OF His Twelve DaS Old Infant.

SOunly, dS plSlSliSu Wy hio ilhS
teen year old wife as she lay on her
death bed, can be sustained, and
her allegations are apparently sub
stantially supported, he is guilty of
one Of the most cruel, most heinous
crimes on record, and by the COM
mission of which he has placed him-
self far beyond the reach of mercy,
and should be dealt with only as
stern justice demands.
The horrible facts were disclosed
at the hearing held before Justice
of the Peace Oglesby, at Danville
Monday afternoon, and at which
the defendant plead not guilty.
The first witness examined was
DR.. o. L. Muffly of Turbotville,
who rendered surgical assistance in
the family in the autumn of 1908,
when the child was born whose
death the young husband is held
accountable for. 1t was male
child, healthy and we'll developed,
the physician testified, and was
thriving finely until the tenth or
eleventh day, when after his visits
had practically discontinued he was
informed that convulsions had set
in. He was positive that there was
nothing connected with the birth of
the child that could result in its
Death.
DR.. G.. r. Rothrock of Milton,
who has been attending the wife in
her present illness, was the next
= witness. He is well-known ply
sician of twenty years practice,
He has been attending Mrs. Sees
off and on for several years. The
family were poor, he said, but he
had given them the same attention
that he would have given a million
aire. OF the young wife he spoke
in terms of highest praise and said
that she was as bright and sweet
woman as lives in the township.
On May 20 he was called and
found her in an exceedingly bad
condition as result of a criminal
operation, which happens to have
nothing to do with this case. He
did for her what was possible, but
the case was beset with unfavorable
conditions and she gradually grew
worse. She is still living, but
there are no hopes for her recovery
and she is near her end.
Last week he informed her of the
gravity of her case. Learning that
She had to die she told her physi-
clan that there was something that
worried her very much; she pro-
ceeded to tell of her little boy, born
IN 1908, accusing her husband of
causing its death.
The child, she said, was strong
md we'll nourished. On October
81, 1908, when the baby was nine
days old, her husband compelled
Ter to take some salt to a neighbors
house, which had been borrowed.
When she left the child was we'll
md when she returned it was vom-
ting long strings OF saliva. Her
mother was called and they worked
with the child two hours, when it
seemed to improve.
She says ner husband was rough
and brutal to herself and children.
He said he did not want the baby
to get we'll and once threatened to
Kill it with poker. On the night
If the day of its mysterious illness
he would not permit the mother to
lave the child in bed with her.
Monday his cruel treatment con-
;inued. On that day he picked up
he baby and threw it several feet
)nto lounge, causing it to lose its
breath. When the mother flew to
rs rescue he forbid her to pick it
up. Later he took the mother and
;hild and forced them into a room
where there was no fire nor light
and compelled them to remain there
an hour. Again he took the child
between his knees and with his
hands pressed on its skull. The
next day the baby died and after
death the finger marks were visible
on the back Of the child's head.
John M. Reber of Milton, attor-
ney, who was called to take the
ante mortem statement on Saturday
last, was the next witness. He said
that he fully explained to the wo-
man the awful impoit of the state
ment she was about to make and
apprised her fully of the effect it
would have upon her husband.
Notwithstanding she voluntarily
made the statement and in full con-
sciousness that she has but few
days to live.
In her statement, which was read
before the Justice, the woman says
that her name is Eva May Sees and