The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-11-13
CHILD TERRIBLY TORTURED.
NARROWING STORY COMES FROM
NORTH CAROLINA.


Fierds and Ia Almost Dead-Ihe
Tortnrcrs are Now I'm Jall Without
Han.
High Point. ~. c.. Nov. SIT has
been the unpleasant duty Of your COR
respondent to Investigate further into
the particulars Of the horrible outrage
which was perpetrated at Thomasville.
seven miles southwest /of the city. an
account OF which your correspondent
sent out Friday night. which was COM
nnsntsd on by the editor OF the Char
lotts News sditorially. In which he
hoped the facts we're not N bad as re-
ported. with this IDEA In visw the
writer soday made sn investigation for
hinssR with the hope that we could
'rstraot some Of the statements made.
bnG Oh. the horror Of horrors we md
ths facts worse than they had been
dep1ctsdi The half had not been told.
n 1airty makes ones blood boil to
think of the terrible sufEerings this
uttls child--a mere paby-has TO an
lsr0c. fron the cruel torture fict-
"a ~ . beast In human form.
10 view the smaciatsd body OF this
little child - shs lays on bed. 70
horribly muuiassd that to touch the
bed she cries out In agony. would
ms1t = heart Of stsas. and cause
strong men--msn who have gone
through the horror Of war--to break
down and weep. 10 look upon the
phesogrsph on ths mantsl OF the hum
bIs homo at the bright-syed. plump.
uunny-hairsd iitsis siri who left here
3ust ave weeks aso. . happy and cute
llaie daughter. happy Ia innocent
ch11dhood. and then glance 1t the
poor. little. pitifui object on the bod
my God. how could any humsn being
WIN . soul commit such = horrible
dsed-a deed uneoualisd in the his
sosy ef our fair State. = blot upon civ
csa q Be possibls thst there 10 pro-
vtdsd punishment severe enough for
esoh Sends - thsssf -
10 have murdered the child out
right would have been more humane
thAn 70 have tortured Il for ave long
vsehA and eauss all the sufyerings
thfs child has gone through with.
issytns II Z physicai wreck. liable.
ne physician ssys. to die at any mo-
msnt ~ the shoaf family did this liz
tle child. the only daughter OF Mr..
and Mrs r. c. Field. And II 10 said
shoaf has children Of his own, too
The very thought II 90 hideous to
every father or mother. that they can
not ~ still and discuss this horrible
outrage against young childhood.
The writer. win try and depict the
scene that met his gaze a. ne visited
the home Of Mr.. and Mrs. Fields, who
live In the southeastern part of the
city.-will describe az best he can with
the language at his command---no
words can express the feelings that
came over him. 81
\ The little child. Jennie Is her name,
was laying on a bed screaming In
agony. and fond and broken-heart
mother was trying to pacify her as
best she could. Gathered around were
. large number q neighbors and
friends. there to sympathize and aid
In any manner to relieve the tired
mother or administer to the wants OF
the little. sufferer. After a short while
Of waiting to get chance to inter-
view the mother. the little one became
quiet and then We learned the true
story.
The Field family and Shoals had
lived at Thomasviile. near neishbors
and good friends. The Fields moved
TO this place and the two families WIS.,
ited each other. The Shoals seeming
ly became very much attached to the
little girl OF the Fields and had beg
ged time after time for Mrs. Field to
allow Jennie to visit them. About
uve weeks ago the Shoaf woman came
here to see Mrs. Field and begged and
plead for Jennie to return home with
her ard stay week. When the week
was out the shoaf woman went and
bsgged for the child to stay two weeks
Douser. and kept this up as long as
the child stayed there. always saying.
"Jennie Is enjoying herself SO much
that II is pity to take her away
Your correspondent has In his pos
session part Of the last letter receiv-
ID nom the Shoaf woman. which we
reproduce to show the lying cunning
treschery OF the Shoals. This letter
was written the day before Mrs. Field
received word that her child was bad
iy hurt. and came here. while Mrs.
a.