Year: 1871




CHICAGO.


Testimony In the Mera Murder Case.


CHICAGO, July S.-The testimony given
before the coroner's jury on Sunday last,
at Onarga. Illinois, by Mrs. Mera and
her daughter Sarah, in the case o: Mar,
tin Mera, under examination for whip,
ping and otherwise torturing his son to
death. shows the crime of Mera to be
one Of the most fiendish and revolving
in the history of this State. Mary Mera
wife of tie man, and mother Of the
dead boy, testified as follows: My
husband whipped Martin two weeks
ago Tuesday night; my babe was born
on that day and did not see the whip
ping; 1t was done in another room: l
heard blows and heard the child beg for
mercy; the child then went to bed ;
about ten o'clock next morning the
child came into my bedroom followed
by his father, who WAS whipping him
he whipped him very hard with a
black-snake horse-whip; the child
lodged around the room 80 Is
to avoid the blows, and was begging for
mercy; the child was completely naked,
his father having compelled him to
strip himself; his face was swollen
from the whipping he had received the
night before; his father whipped him
very hard tor ten or fifteen minutes; at
last he stopped and told the child to put
on his shirt; he made an effort to do
so and tailed, his father repeated the
order when the boy said, 81 can't see it,
| can't see you," cant see it, respond.
I'd the father !; mo, father, l can't see
you," and fell, dying; the fiend then
rubbed the boy with spirits, and forced
some down his throat; the child raised
his hands, moved his lips, and expired /;
Mera then took the body, put it under
the bed where the sick mother was ly-
ing, and it remained there until even.
ing, when he buried it as previously
stated.


Sarah Mera, daughter Of the murderer,
aged fourteen years, testified that her
father often whipped him very severely
with a horse-whip; on Tuesday two
weeks ago he brought brother in and
said he had not worked, and whipped
and knocked him down twice; father
continued to whip him, and said he
would whip him until he could moi
stand up; he would whip the life out Of
him; two or three times be would say
this, and brother would plead with
father, Father, don't whip me any
more; oh, don't whip me any more; he
was a good boy and | liked him !;
brother went to bed about ten o'clock /;
he said he did not know why father
whipped him so he never told stories
only when father bade him; father
would say that if he didn't own that he
did so he would whip him, and to avoid
it he would own to things he did on
Wednesday; got up and got breakfast
ready; father rose when breakfast was
ready; brother got up. but felt so badly
that he went to bed; father made him
get up and 60 out and feed the stock,
and when he came back father whipped
him and sent him to the field: he went
for him and brought himin he made
him take of his clothes and then whip.
ped him; he then picked him up and
laid him on the stove; the stove was hot
enough to heat an iron was baking
biscuit father put him on the stove
twice, brother pleading all the while,
"rather, don't burn me, don't burn me.
He screamed very loud, aud the skin
stuck to the stove, and it smelled so
that opened the door and talher im'
mediateIy v shut it. While brother was
pleading father said be would burn him
until he worked; l have seen him strike
mother with his fist many times; he
knocked brother down several times
with the butt end of the horse whip;
never saw my brother after he went into
mothers room. q


FIRES.