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Story
March 4, 1854
Shepherdstown Register
Shepherdstown, Jefferson County, West Virginia
What is this article about?
In Philadelphia, parents G.B. Hammer and wife reclaimed their 6-year-old illegitimate son Charles John Hammer from foster care and subjected him to severe abuse, including beatings and starvation. The court returned the boy to his foster mother Mrs. Lewis, and lawyers donated money to him.
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OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
Cruelty to a Child.
A case of extraordinary cruelty to a child, by its parents, was brought before one of the courts of Philadelphia, on Tuesday. The Ledger says:
"From the testimony before the Court it appeared that G. B. Hammer and wife were the parents of a sprightly little boy of about 6 years of age, named Charles John Hammer. He was born out of wedlock, and at the age of a few months was abandoned by his parents and placed in the Almshouse. From this institution he was taken by a family residing in Berks county, total strangers to the child and kept it until last Christmas. The parents of the little boy married a short time after his birth, but made no attempt to reclaim their offspring until a few weeks ago, when they obtained him from the family who had thus far nurtured and supported him.
As soon as the parents obtained his custody, a systematic course of torture was commenced. Although his parents were in easy circumstances, he picked up the crumbs of bread and the seed from pies that fell upon the floor while the girls who worked for Mrs. Hammer were eating their dinners. He would eat the hard crusts found in the yard, and when spoken to about it, would reply, that he was so hungry that he could eat anything. He was whipped unmercifully.
His mother struck him over the head with a lap-board with such force as to raise a lump as large as a walnut. His father took him out of bed, while asleep and flogged him severely with a shoe, as the mother told one of the witnesses, for five minutes. The child's cries were heard by the witnesses, and his artless appeals, "Oh father dont whip me any more and I will be a good boy," were totally disregarded.
The case was brought before court by Hammer and wife to obtain possession of the boy, but the court remanded him to the custody of Mrs. Lewis. The members of the bar present immediately took up a subscription among themselves, which they deposited in the little boy's jacket pocket, and he left the court room with his foster mother, happy in his new found friend."
A case of extraordinary cruelty to a child, by its parents, was brought before one of the courts of Philadelphia, on Tuesday. The Ledger says:
"From the testimony before the Court it appeared that G. B. Hammer and wife were the parents of a sprightly little boy of about 6 years of age, named Charles John Hammer. He was born out of wedlock, and at the age of a few months was abandoned by his parents and placed in the Almshouse. From this institution he was taken by a family residing in Berks county, total strangers to the child and kept it until last Christmas. The parents of the little boy married a short time after his birth, but made no attempt to reclaim their offspring until a few weeks ago, when they obtained him from the family who had thus far nurtured and supported him.
As soon as the parents obtained his custody, a systematic course of torture was commenced. Although his parents were in easy circumstances, he picked up the crumbs of bread and the seed from pies that fell upon the floor while the girls who worked for Mrs. Hammer were eating their dinners. He would eat the hard crusts found in the yard, and when spoken to about it, would reply, that he was so hungry that he could eat anything. He was whipped unmercifully.
His mother struck him over the head with a lap-board with such force as to raise a lump as large as a walnut. His father took him out of bed, while asleep and flogged him severely with a shoe, as the mother told one of the witnesses, for five minutes. The child's cries were heard by the witnesses, and his artless appeals, "Oh father dont whip me any more and I will be a good boy," were totally disregarded.
The case was brought before court by Hammer and wife to obtain possession of the boy, but the court remanded him to the custody of Mrs. Lewis. The members of the bar present immediately took up a subscription among themselves, which they deposited in the little boy's jacket pocket, and he left the court room with his foster mother, happy in his new found friend."
What sub-type of article is it?
Family Drama
Tragedy
What themes does it cover?
Family
Misfortune
Justice
What keywords are associated?
Child Cruelty
Parental Abuse
Court Case
Foster Care
Philadelphia Trial
What entities or persons were involved?
G. B. Hammer
Mrs. Hammer
Charles John Hammer
Mrs. Lewis
Where did it happen?
Philadelphia
Story Details
Key Persons
G. B. Hammer
Mrs. Hammer
Charles John Hammer
Mrs. Lewis
Location
Philadelphia
Event Date
On Tuesday
Story Details
Parents G.B. Hammer and wife reclaimed their abandoned 6-year-old son Charles from foster care in Berks county and began torturing him through starvation and beatings. The court case they initiated to gain custody failed, remanding the boy to Mrs. Lewis; lawyers donated money to the child.