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Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott
for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/
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Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott
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East Shore News
Pentwater, MI
February 10, 1871

         SHOCKING MURDER
         
         A Little Boy Whipped to Death
         
         A dreadful murder was committed in the town
       of Wayland, Allegan county, on Monday night. A
       man named JOSEPH WHEATON, several years ago, on
       the death of his wife, gave their only child, a
       boy, a year or two old, to a neighbor to bring
       up, making the transfer in legal form. Since 
       then he has lived with several lewd women, and 
       generally borne a bad character. He has attempted 
       several times to get possession of the child,
       stealing it from its legal custodian at one time
       snatching it from the arms of the man to whom it
       belonged, and in the melee breaking one of its
       limbs. On Monday last WHEATON stole the child
       again, took it home, and on it crying to go back,
       he deliberately whipped the boy to death. The
       screams of the child brought six men to the spot,
       but too late to rescue him from the hands of his
       tormenter. On their attempting to take him,
       WHEATON seized an axe, and declared he would
       split down the first man who touched him, and
       made his escape.
       
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