The Washington herald., 1919-08-10
WOMAN SENT
TO PRISON FOR
s BURNING CHILD
Branded Stepson with Red
= hot Poker for Refus-
ing to Obey.
SISTER BURNED HER
Memory of Deed of II
Years Ago Led to Soaring
Of Detroit Boy.
SISTER BURNED HER

Detroit. Mich. Aug S-Twelve years
sEO. in a Peunsvlvania mining town.
"a yOung woman applied red hot
poker to the flesh Of her 12-year-Old
eister. That act had its reflex in the
sentencing of Mrs. Catherine Elwood
10 from one to five years in prison
today. The recommendation was that
Mrs ElWood who is =. years old,
serve three years.
Mrs. Elwood 5 sister who was act
ing as mother for the brood. branded
her with the poker because she used
bad language. Mrs. Elwood's S-year-
old stepson. Franklin. refused to obey
her on an evening when she was hur-
rying dinner that she might attend
movie with her husband and she
branded him with a red hot poker.
For that act she was sentenced.
Remembered sisters Act.
- "Nfter my sister branded me
never used bad language again" said
The woman i'm tho county jail today.
81 tried everything with Frank. coax
Hs. pleading. Furnishing. But he
couldn't obey. II he had grown up
80 be a criminal 7 would have been
blamed because was his @tcp-
mother"
\ curious study in psychology is
this woman who applied red hot
iron 10 the tender flesh OF a child.
not iu the spontaneous act OF pas
sion. hut cooIlv and deliberately.
When she told Of actually soaring the
flesh Of her stepzCn. She WAS absolute
y calm and Unconditional the impress
sion being that Of a personality de
tarhed almost from its surroundings.
Says the Bo, DIsobcyCd.
The boy has been dtSobedicut Tor
some time. she said. blaming for this
his real mother. from whom the
father was divorced. On the day OF
her crime. she saw him about O'Clock
with other children Of the rci-hbOr-
hood and called to HIM LEat She
might prepare dInuer. Instead OF
oheyiuE. Franklin turned and went in
the other direction. climbing TO the
roof OF an unfinished hous.
1t was $50 when he came in and
ho was wet to the waist" said Mrs
ElwOod- Il was baking and there
vas q hot fire iu the stove 1 sent
nm upstairs and told him to take
OF his clothes VIC had planned on
ECUE TO movie show and { had
been i'm hurry.
Tells o! Her Problem.
The. thought came to me IHat =
TTsr eur" him now ! heated the
poke and touched him just twice.
" VAT 1Er sister did to me and how
J he'd Hr.a cured Vas IN my mind. 90
'CmD- to Detroit from PennsyI-
NaHH. she obtained employment as
domestic It was while working
thar she met John Elwood. her hus-
tEud- lie was divorced man and her
rrlicOu forbade e wedding. hut she
Gav' uU her clurrh Trul r2S three
lcH~s sE0.
HI. .tameI that she srdcuvorcd to
trrsg boiH children alike. hut that
lately i, has been impossible. The
bot. she saId. was told that she was
moi hIS reaL mother and that he did
NOT have 10 obey her To bring him
urder her Will and +" make him Il
good hoy" she burned him
81 did moi intend to iDjurc him
badly" she said IL didn't even
know 7 hurt him as ! did. ! thought
was acting for his own good /
know now that I did wrong. but II
I had another chance. would be n
good mother to him"
Tho child went for two day. with
Ouj medical attention and the wound
became septic In school. he did not
discuss the matter. but was stoiCaI.
Mrs. ElwOOd says she still has the
sr.r o. the burn inflicted on her hip
lry- Ttr