INHUMANITY TO A BABY. An Infuriated Stepmother Sets It on Red-Hot Stove.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 99, 25 April 1885, Page 5

INHUMANITY TO A BABY. An Infuriated Stepmother Sets It on Red-Hot Stove.

The name of Rose Dreyer, aged 26, of 210, Madison-street, was on the returns from the Seventh precinct at police headquarters yesterday charged with assault in the second degree. She had been arrested on Saturday night by Ward, Detectives Cornelius Leary and Creed. The woman is the wife of Louis Dreyer, a pawnbroker, who has for some time been doing business at 85, Division-street, and they have been married for two years. For the greater portion of that time, the husband alleges the conduct of Rose has been anything but that of an exemplary wife, and on more than one occasion he has been forced to remonstrate with her. Several time3 she has left home, but a reconciliation has always been effected. At the time of the last separation, Dreyer came home and found that his wife had had all the furniture taken away from the house, and with his six children by a former wife had gone to Brooklyn to live. Dreyer succeeded in tracing her out, and had her arrested for taking the furniture and leaving him. They became reconciled, however, the charge was withdrawn, and the family returned to New York to live. The woman's promises of reformation were not fulfilled, however. She neglected her family, frequently stayed away from home all night, and when she was at home made the lives of her husband and stepchildren miserable by her violent outbursts of temper and a system of petty persecutions that were almost unbearable. About three weeks ago ?he came home after having been oat all the previous night, and went into the room where the servant girl, Lena Cohen, was washing and dressing Rose's little stepdaughter, aged 3 years and 6 months. For some trifling misdeed of the child, Mrs Dreyer snatched it from the arms of the servant girl, and taking it to the stove, which was almost red hot, deliberately set the baby on it. The heartrending screams of the tortured baby did not move the inhuman woman, and the child was held on the stove till its body was burned in a horrible manner. The chances are that its injuries will make it deformed for life, even if it does not die. The servant girl and two little sons of Mr Dreyer were present when the atrocious act was* committed, but their screams and efforts were unavailing for a time to turn the woman from her infernal pleasure. They have all three made affidavits to the facts as stated above. At the time of the outrage Mr Dreyer was down in bed with rheumatism, and has been confined ever since. For this reason no action was taken at the time. The conduct of the woman continued even worse than ever. On last Friday night she was away from home all night. When she retumedon Saturday morning her husband remonstrated with her. She became enraged, and after pouring out her wrath in a torrent of abusive language, she went to a shelf filled with crockery, and commenced throwing some heavy teacups at him. He was helpless, and though he dodged the flyiDg missiles as well as he could, he was considerably cut around the head. After the crockery had been ex hausted she continued her work of destruction by breaking two plate glass mirrors, and destroying nearly all the rest of the furniture that" could easily be destroyed. After she had done all the damage she could the woman left the house. In the meantime the husband bad sent one of his sons to the Seventh precinct station-house for help. Detectives Leary and Creed were sent in answer to the call, but arrived too late to secure the woman. Dreyer told the whole sad story of his troubles, and the detectives began an active search for the woman. On Saturday night they succeeded in findirg her in the house of a cousin at 86, Norfolk-street. When the officers told her she was under arrest she at first made a show of resistance, but then concluded to go peaceably to the police station where she locked up. The officers then began a search for the servant girl, Lena Cohen, who had left Dreyers employ after the burning of the baby. She was 3 found yesterda> on, and signified her willingness - against Mrs Dreyer. It was :s > make a charge of assault in Vi o d degree against the woman for i ) • -.. .reatment of the child, making no u 3 on in the complaint of the assault on h. lusband. Dreyer has the repute; ion of being a respectable, hard-working man, and in his troubles with his second wife has the warm sympathy of his neighbours. When he married Rose he was a widower with six children. From the first the woman seemed to take a dislike to the children, and was constantly beating them. The case has been reported to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, which will aid in the prosecution of the inhuman mother. The woman will be examined in the Es.sex Market Police Court, before Police Justice Gorman, on Thursday, by which time the case against her will be thoroughly prepared.— "New York Herald, " Maich 3.