The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-06-30

twice. During the lifetime of his frs
VIE a woman came to the house wher,
he lived in Camden and had little bah,
which she wanted the family to take
Ihey refused and the woman returned
the next day and said if thew did not
take the child she would leave it on 3
vacant lot. So the little stranger was
taken in and had been cared for ever
since. Abner Rogers had been a fire..
quent visitor to the Medara house and
had always been treated as one of the
family. He appeared to be fond of the
children. Medara said he had been asked
by Rogers father not to let Abner come
TO the house, and he had so told the lat
ter, who replied that if he was denied the
privilege he would make way with him.
self. On the Monday prior to the death
OF Rogers, Medara and his wife went to
Gloucester on visit. They saw an ac-
count OF the occurrence in a SUNDAY
paper and at once started for home.
lrma, the daughter, had been living at
the house of Fred Robbins, nearby. and
and she had been told to go over to her
home and open the house, feed the
chickens and attend to the flowers. The
key to the house hung inside screen
door and Abner knew where to find it..
Medara denied having whipped Irma
since the occurrence. He identified the
revolver as his, one that he kept in box
in bureau drawer, but said he had not
shot more than one or two loads from if
since he owned it.:
Irma was then called. She had taken
the stand before her father gave his tes-
timony, but she was so nervous and an
parently about to collapse that Prosecu-
tor Atkinson excused her and told her to
go to seat in a part of the room separate
from that occupied by her parents.
When she had apparently become calm
she was put on the stand. She told of
going to the house on Thursday but did
not go upstairs. She said she was not
near the place on Friday. although other
witnesses said she had told them she was
there that day. When she went over
Saturday afternoon she could not find
the key, so she climbed in the window.
Wanting some clothing she went up
stairs and saw the man lying on the bed.
She called to him, and getting no answer
went up to look at him. She saw the
revolver lying on the bureau, and not
knowing who the man was at that time.
she feared she might be hurt, SO she
picked the pistol up and started down
stairs. AS she did so she saw it was
Abner. There was blood on his mouth
and she was very much frightened. She
ran out of doors and called for help.
lrma was very greatly agitated during
her examination, and Prosecutor Akin
son expressed surprise at the condition
she was in from when he questioned her
the previous Sunday. This was before
her parents arrived home and the Prose
cutor was led to the belief that she was
being intimidated. The child gave a
very complete account of her where.
abouts on Thursday, land the nightof the
following day.
Fred Robbins, with whom Irma lived
said she had been there about six weeks
and had been help to his wife. She
aided in caring for the children and they
were much attached to her. Robin.
knew the family was away, for Irma hac
come and asked for her wages-indeec
had asked for more than was coming t.
her and it was given her, as she said sh,
wanted to give it to her parents, who
were going away. Mr.. Robbins said tn,
girl was not out of his sight Thursda,
evening, and that she. was not off tn,
farm on Friday. On Tuesday the cir
said she was going to leave, as sh
thought she worked too hard. She sal,
when she left that she was afraid to q
home for fear OF getting whipping. Oh
the day she left she was happy an,
cheerful and something seemed to hav
happened to make quite a change in heI
MIR. Robbins said he would like to hav
her back with him if he could keep he
folks away from her. She was like a
other children, needing correction occs
sionally but he had never punished he
Once she did not get up when called q
half-past five o'clock and Robbins cut
small switch which he threatened to us
on her but did not have to do it.
There had been rumors about Vincer
town that the girl had frequently bee
beaten at home, and Albert WORTH,
Howard Hancock and Harry Archer tol
of being up the creek near the Medal
house Sunday afternoon when the
!. heard screams like those of child, sa,
\ ing please stop; don't kill me |" TIL
led to the belief that the child was beir
whipped, but this idea was soon dispellt
by the testimony of Mrs. Medara, wi
said she went upstairs and when she sa
blood she began to scream, and the wor
I quoted were those used by her husbar
:. in trying to quiet her. This was al
: substantiated by the statement of NJ
! Robbins that Irma did not leave /
S house that day until about half-past fl
{ while the young men heard the screar
e earlier than that hour.
/ Rev. Alexander Bostwick, rector of t
/ Episcopal church, said he had called
7. the Medara house at the request of t
} father of Abner Rogers to request th
:. the latter be dissuaded from visiting
r place. He also talked to the young m
II and he promised to keep away, but {
u not keep his word. Mr.. Bostwick b
n heard about the whippings that w
given the child and he remonstrai
d with Mrs. Medara on that subject. Irl
lie had gone to school with bruises on
S. and had told the teacher they were {
n result of whippings. One day she We
rs to school with cut on her nose and {
rs said knife had been thrown at her a
1t hit her on the nose. Mr.. Bostwick T.
7e of his inability to persuade Abner to 81
away, and wound up by saying