Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-26
Continued from Page l2)

tlooI, IKE a uoE, as ndQ Deen ncr
habit People wondered and wept
at her mental and physical con-
dition, though these were just
about what was TO be expected.
Little Edith's legs and arms
were shrunken and emaciated
until they resembled pipe-stems.
In the hospital she was COM
pletely bewildered by the atten-
ton and kindness showered upon
her. She had apparently never
before seen a doll and did not
know anything at all about
toys, Flowers and fruit were
also a wonderful new experience.
Outside the village of ST. An
tome Able. in Canada's French
Province of Quebec, the parents
Of siX-year-old Laura Groleau.
not only forced her to sleep in
the chains of a muskrat trap on
the cold kitchen floor at night.
but made her a slave during the
day and finally tortured her 10
death, according to the testi-
uony, some of it from her Uncle
Groleau, who told what he had
seen during a visit TO her parents.
Many times he said, dur
ing my presence the child pleaded
for a drink of water. but was re-
fused, Many times she asked for
bread but it was denied her. At
night, when the other members
Of the family went up to their
warm beds, poor Laura was
chained 20 the kitchen wall. Not
even a coat or blanket was given
10 keep her warm.
once or twice a week. the
child was forced TO 60 out into
the cold and wash the clothes.
Almost naked she would stand
there shivering, wringing out
clothes in ice-cold water.
"One day it was so cold that the
men would not go out into the
bush to work, yet Laura was
forced to do the washing in the
yard just the same. She was
barefoot and when she came in
her feet were rost-bitten. Her
mother laughed and slapped the
girl for being so slow"
The testimony Of her father
Edouard Groleau, gave the clue
to the cause of the cruelty.
Laura was the youngest of eight /
children, all the others normal
and apparently not badly treated
But the youngest child was dun
- iis. s=f4 and hard to-
manage. This aroused the wrath .
OF the parents and caused the .
beatings which constantly grew
in severity.
The claiming up came from
her habit Of getting up at night,
perhaps walking in her sleep. At
these times she not only took
food but hid various things As
time went on. the evaporation
Of the parents grew into hatred
and their corrective purishments
into tortures which ended in
death.
Creed, pure and simple. was +
what made Alexander Sandickov
keep his l4-year-old niece. Cath
crime, chained in a damp, dark
cellar with only rats and vermin
for company
Sandickov, a wcll-to-do peas
ant, lived near Baku, in the rich
oil fields of Russia. Catherine /
had inherited a valuable piece OF
OIL land from her fatrer, and
after her fathers death sne went
10 live with the uncle.
Sandickov coveted her prop
erty and in an effort 20 make her
sign papers turning control Of it
over to him, he kept her in
chains for four years. But a
finally told the au-
-horities about it and Sandickov
was sent 10 prison for ten years
Files Of the Childrens' Societies
are full OF child-prisoner cases.
Complaints Of childish cries
coming from the cellar Of a house
On Marlborough Road Syracuse,
n. Y, caused officers Of the local
Prevention of Cruelty TO Children
Society TO investigate.
They found there 5-year-old
Kenneth Vernier, so covered with
coal dust, that lat first he was
taken for a Negro. He was not
chained but imprisoned in a big
iry-goods box. beside the furnace.
His only clothing was a filthy.
WOODEN blouse and he was so
by undernourishment