Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-08-14
FATHER Sent
TO PRISON
PARENT WHO LOCKED LITTLE SON
IN BASEMENT WITH COBS AND
BONES TO EAT.
DID NOT REALIZE CRUELTY.
But for Plea of Attorneys, Albert Sepin
Might Have Been Sentenced for
a Year for 0ffense.
sHACKLEs ARE SHOWN IN COURT.

MILWAUKEE, Wis, Aug 10, 1908.
To the rattle of the heavy cow chains
he had used to sha clllc his boy to the
floor of grimy, dingy basement with,
Albeit Sepin, arrested Saturday for
cruel treatment Of his son, endeavored
in vain TO explain away his medieval
methods TO Judge Neelcn this morning.
Surrounded by a crowd of curious peo-
pie, including attorneys, officials and
newspaper men, Sepin was asked by his
attorney, John ]. Niach, to tell his
story.
Father Feared Dungeon.
"A policeman told me | should whip
my boy and tie him up" began Sepin,
Il slight, dark man with rowing eyes.
The boy begs, steals and runs away,
and could not manage him. | under
stood that ] would be thrown into dun
geon if ! did not keep the boy in the
house. And | waned him to be an hon
est man." There was no virtuous ring
in Scpin's voice when he spoke this SEN
timent no fatherly pride i'll his glance
when il rested for Il moment on the
stopped figure of the little 9-year-old in
tie chair opposite, who looked over the
scene with dull, unrealizing eyes.
Tie taic of cruelty that was unfolded
when I@trOlman Carpenter and Supt.
Clayton of the Humane society found
the child chained TO the floor with cobs
of corn and Il few gnawed bones lying
about him, was added to i'll important
particulars when Patrolman Carpenter
took the stand in police court.
Found After Midnight.
Il found the boy three days ago on
Fifth and Nliet streets at | o'clock n
IL u
half to death, afraid to go home. At
other times l have known him t" sleep
outdoors for weeks on an old couch under
the rear stairway of the old building
where the people live. | sent him home
and told the father to take care of him
III the future"
The man continued to insist that he
believed that he was doing right i'll
Furnishing his boy rs he did He said
that the boy remained away from home
for three weeks. He charged his son
with stealing money from little girls sent
to the stores in the vicinity to purchase
supplies, and with stealing fruit. Patrol
man Carpenter said that these charges
were true in part. but laid the cause to
the boy being starved by his parent.
Supt Clayton pulled up the waist of
the. little fellow in court and showed
Judge Neelen the great blue welts where
the father had pounded the boy with a
piece of hose. The shaCkles which he
wore when found were also displayed,
and the iingling of the chains made grim
music during the progress of taking tes-
timony.
at is simply horrible to contemplate
the misery of the boy chained to a base
ment floor like dog, with bones and
corn thrown to him to eat" said Judge
NeeIen. The punishment was simply
harbarous."
Il acknowledge it was barbarous.
said Attorney Vlach. "and if this man
was a born American he should deserve
the severest penalty that the law al
lows. but he was brought up in Il coun
try where such things are common. He
has suffered them himself and does not
know any better. If you punish him
you will punish his family.
Goes to Workhouse.
His family will he taken care of. ;
said Judge Neelen, "by the county au
thorities. and so will this boy. but the
man must so to the workhouse without
a fine.
Assistant District Attorney Edwin
Van Nechten suggested that the extreme
penalty one year i'll the workhouse, was
too severe, and asked that the man bt