The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-11-08
FIFE HORRIBLE FORTUNES
OF the Little Field Child by the
Shoafs of Thomasyi1le-Fearfni
Condition Of the Child. IL.

It has beer the unpleasant duty or
you correspondent to investigate 1ur-
Their into the particulars OF the hoffl
BILE outrage which was perpetrated
at brownsville, eve miles soutbVest
of the city, an account of which your
correspondent sen out Friday night
which was commented on by the editor.
of the Charlotte News editoriaiI", IL
which he hoped the facts We're not as
bad as reported. a. As0'
With this fact in view the writer
today fnade-~an Investigation for him
ser" with the hope that he could re
tract some Of the statements made,
but, oh, the horrors of horrors, We
find the facts worse than they had been
depicted!
7 To have murdered the chi'd Outri&h'
would have been more h1lnane than to
have tortured, it for five long weeks,
and causing all the suffering Lis
tchiId has gone through leaving it 4
lphvsical wreck, liable, the physicians
say to die st any moment, as the Sloaf
family nd this little child, tic 01iy
daugb1er of Mr. and Mrs. T C Field.
Ane it is said that Shoaf has children
o. his own too! '--.1 <@'.
; The writer will try and Iebict the
scene that met his Eaze as he visited
the home of Mr.. and Mrs. Field who
hive IN the southwestern part of the
city-wil1 describe as bes~ ha can with
the language at his c0tInanl-no
words can express the feelings that
came w him. Or . %. y
The little child, Jennie. is her name,
was laying on a bed screaming in az.
ony, and a fond and brokenl,earted
mother was. trying to pacify her as
best she could. Gathered around were |
a large number of neigh56re ana |
friends, there to sympathize a1d aid
IN an manner ito relieve the tired
Or administer to Che wants OF |
T.. After a5shortawhiIe bfaRditi4g to.set
a. chance to,intetvfeM She 'lf5tFer the
little one @became5 quiet and We learned
the true story. .maI01 j 1Csf
Field famiig and Shoafs had inv
at brownsville, neareneighb0rs and
good friends. The Fields moved t0lE
his place and the two families visit
I'd, each other. The Shoals seemingly
very much attached to tfIa2Iit
lie girl and had begged time and tInelt
again. for MRS. Field to allow .Jennio |
o visit them. llzn2stE Ie.13-
About Eve weeks acGItf5 shoae b
woman came here tetsee Mrs FAubzl
begged and plead fornJHnlEe 1t al
eturn home with her aud stay Z weesIq.
Nl4en the weeN@was out nthe Sh0ct i
gQmau went and. begged for the t. it'd
o~nstaysstWO. weeks longer, anG kept
his up as lorg as tfug3GhIld sta.eI
here, always saying Jennie = Ell >
5 enjoying herself so Eluc1a that tt-is [
-pitEte~take-hef~a~aF'
correspondent;fias in his pos
esslor part Of the. last Iecte.; re !.
from the -Sboaf9 Wo4l9n, which |
1alWHl reproduce to show the lynn,
unningT treacherpE of ~the:Shonfs. TIL /,
stter was written the day before AhslA
receiEed word that her cn lid :
ias badly huPts2 and came here whi'ef.
ls. Field was in Thomasvflie, ard she l.,
not get it until she had reti rneti
ONE with the child After discussing
lot of other matters she closes her
,tter as follows: T,gz-:s +,
You need not be. uneasy about Jen-
lie. | will not let her, get cold. | will {
'ess her r when L bring her home. !
wants to stay with RE. Well, :
ell, please don't let any one see S
lis Letter but your own lear self. Ely I
Use such a long letter. Write SOM. 7
rom your sweetheart, Mrs. IL B. :
It Is said that he cruel treatment OF t
e child began a few days afte: its {
rival. The Shoaf woman was seen
kick the child u of the door AID d
atch her back in by the hair of the G