The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-01-27
Little Boy is at Rest.


brutal treatment ever administered by
human beings to a little child, the
tiny body of 3-year-old Kaurt Stehr,
covered with bruises that tell their
own Dititul story of mistreatment at
home, will follow to the grave the pair
of black and rotted feet which were
anIputated from the baby's legs last
Thursday, after they had been allow
ed by tHe inhuman mother and step
father to freeze in their own home
through neglect, and had become so
infected with gangrene before a ply
stefan was called that one of the feet
dropped off of its own weight and the
other was about to drop off when
the surgeons knife was applied.
Dies in Aunt's Arms.
The little boy, years old last July,
died at 1920 o'clock Sunday after
noon in the home of Fred Klentz, sr.,
POP Braasch avenue, where he had
been taken in order that he might
have the care of Mrs. Klentz and
Miss Klentz, nurses, during and fol-
lowing the operation upon his feet.
The child died in the arms of his
aunt Mrs. Paul Bankraht, who tells
a story which seems to convict both
Stehr and his wife of the most inhL
man sort of cruelty to the little boy
before his death. That the little fell
low was forced TO sleep in an unheat-
ed kitchen shed in the most bitterly
cold weather, is one of the aunt'S
statements.
Mother Stays Away.
The mother was not present when
the child died She had been notified
that he was dying, but failed to APP,
pear. She never calledt ask for him OF
to see him until Saturday night, three
days after his feet had been taken off
and then she only remained a short
time. When she appeared her dying
son shuddered and said, in the Ger.
man tongue, go away"
The father is behind the bars OF
the Madison county Jail, awaiting a
charge which will be lodged against
him by County Attorney Nichols as
a result of the boys death.
into the sick chamber and brought al
end to the suffering and to the
gloomy career ahead Of the little man
he asked to be allowed to stand up
He passed away without knowing tha'
the feet he would stand on, We're al
| ready gone.
~ Want to Get Up" He Pleads.
Il want to get up" the little pa
etient said.
He was tenderly lifted into the arms
of his aunt and then, with a bit of {
sigh that seemed to say his soul was
glad that it was about to enter {
world that would be brighter and hap
pier than the one he was leaving, he
Struggled his pretty blonde head anC
pitiful white face, marred only by {
bruise and a long scratch upon the
elk, down against the bosom of hi
Gnnt, closed his big blue eyes and fel
into a sleep that has no waking.
He Was BrutaIy Treated.
Between sobs as she watched owe
the dying child, Mrs. Bankraht tolC
70 a News man what she knew of thu
rutal treatment the lad had received
at home.
"He was mistreated by both Steh
and the mother, | am sure" she said
"And | blame myself a good deal be
cause did not go to the house NOR
oftener
Those bruises on his body are tn
result of blows from a strap wieldet
by the stepfather who told me tina
he whipped the boy with strap an,
that he did not look where the lash
es were falling.
"Often when ! went to the Steh
home | complained because they mad
the boy sit on the cold floor and ca
his meals, but the father told me h
could eat better there than at tn
table. When the boy went TO drin
water Mr.. Stehr would often hit hir
ov the head.
Struck Him VlciousIy.
"Once he struck him over the bac
of the neck with a stick while | wa
there and when | interfered he sal
, il had to be done. ] asked him If