Night before Noon: August 2009

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Black Sheep Sunday: Children at the mercy of the blackest sheep of all

Violence towards children is not a new phenomenon. Relatives, guardians, and silent by-standers can be the blackest sheep of all.
These tender children never knew what it was like to be a happy, worry-free child. Instead, they knew pain, both emotional and physical, at the hands of their caregivers. Only one of these children had an advocate, her big brother. In another's girl's case, her big brother was her harshest perputrator.
Please be aware that these are very distressing stories.

I can't locate a newspaper online that tells me the end of Aggie's story or the disposition of James Flemming. Did Della's brain trauma slowly heal after she was removed from her tormentors? Was Marvie better cared for after the court appointed him a guardian? So many fearful questions!
If anyone comes across any of these answers, please let me know what you've discovered. Meanwhile, I'll hope for the best.

PATHETIC STORY OF A WAIF WHO WAS ABANDONED BY HER BRUTAL GUARDIAN.
Oakland Tribune
7 Oct 1905
page 1, column 4
A BRUTAL FATHER.
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle
24 Jan 1873
page 4, column 6
SON LOCKED IN A CAGE.
The Washington Herald
13 Aug 1910
page 1, column 3
CRUELLY BEAT LITTLE GIRL. [in two sections]
Waterloo Daily Courier [Iowa]
2 Apr 1903
page 1, column 4

Henderson v. Rockwell: Biography of a cemetery plot

A small portion of the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.

The Green-Wood Cemetery (it's actual spelling), founded in 1838, is located in Brooklyn, New York. According to it's website, it is currently a spacious 478 acres of history, sculpture garden, and wildlife with 560,000 permanent residents. "By 1860, Green-Wood was attracting 500,000 visitors a year, rivaling Niagara Falls as the country’s greatest tourist attraction."

Quoting from the cemetery's website:

"A magnet for history buffs and bird watchers, Green-Wood is a Revolutionary War historic site (the Battle of Long Island was fought in 1776 across what is now its grounds), a designated site on the Civil War Discovery Trail and a registered member of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System.

On September 27, 2006, Green-Wood was designated a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior, which recognized its national significance in art, architecture, landscaping and history."

The biography of the William Henderson burial plot, located in the Green-Wood Cemetery, is given in detail in this newspaper article: from Mr. Henderson's purchase in 1855 through to the Supreme Court of New York's ruling in 1887. The case is similar to any real estate tug-of-war with the added wrinkle of being the resting place of two bodies.