On this date in 1915 multiple articles appeared in the paper related to family relations that are comparable to family relations now. We often speculate as to whether childen were abused as much in days past as they are now or whether the news merely reports it more often.
The Oesch family lived in the area and was composed of eight small children, who were the children of Minnie Oesch, and several older siblings, who were the children of an earlier Mrs. Oesch. Mr. Oesch had died and Minnie Oesch was left to raise her children alone on the farm. On the 12th of August one of the older Oesch Siblings, Charles Oesch, swore out a warrant against Edward Myers, a farmhand, alleging that he had beaten one of the smaller children. Mr. Myers, 22, had been living in the house ever since Mr. Oesch's death. Mrs. Oesch appeared on his behalf and put a $500 bond for him, stating that if he whipped one of her children, he did it with her permission. Upon his arrest, Mr. Myers resisted and told the deputies to put their warrant " go to places unmentionable in polite society." Perhaps a stepmother would have had more sympathy than this child's true mother.
In Decatur, Isaac Mason, Sr. was assaulted by his son and was expected to die. "His face is cut until he is hardly recognizable." Mr. Mason Jr. was being held because he was also threatening his wife.
In Urbana, a foster child of Mr. and Mrs. Rox Kimball was found in a hall. He had not had food for two days and Mrs. Kimball was out of the city. The child said that Mr. Kimball had abused him. "It was ascertained that he had stolen some pennies while at large, and will be sent to St. Charles." St. Charles School for Boys was a juvenile detention home for boys accused of crimes. Who abused this boy worse?
The weather during the summer of 1915 was especially rainy and then cooler. One article in the Pantagraph was about a man sending hot water bottles to his wife in Wisconsin, who complained of the weather -- it was "as cold as a step mother's love."