The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1888. INHUMAN MOTHERHOOD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1947, 18 September 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1888. INHUMAN MOTHERHOOD.

At the inquest on tho body of the female child of Elizabeth Carlotta Allen, alias Phemistcr, alias Wong See Quo, who died of starvation at Bound Hill tho other day, and the mother of whom was committed for trial for manslaughter, the doctor's evidence ivas as fpllowe: — '♦ I made a post mortem examination of the deceased child. The body generally was greatly emaciated, tho skin was dry, shrivelled, and dirty ; the muscles 'were soft and free from fat. Internally the liver and kidneys were freo from fat, small and bloodless ; the heart also was freo from fat ; all the internal organs were shrunken and bloodless ; the stomach was almost empty and shrunken, the intestines were contracted and almost obliterated m places owing to want of anything passing thropgh I consider the cause of death to have been starvation. I could not detect any disease m any of tho organs." When it was stated on oath that the inhuman mother was a dweller m tho vile dens of i the Chinese diggers, and vras co often intoxicated th#t the infant was neglected for hours and hourß together, it was impossible for a jury to return any othjer verdict than one of manslaughter against such a parent. In such surroundings perhaps it was as well tho wretched infant did not live to realise its parentage, Begotten m infamy, filth, and debauchery, its future could not be at best a hppoful ono. There is something strange m this eamo depraved mother's name which leads to the belief that she herself is only following tho footsteps of her mother. A few years ago the name of Mary Allan was notorious m the Dunedin Police Court. Hundreds of convictions were recorded against her, Sometimes her name was given as Phemister, rather an uncommon namo, and now this Riverton woman with a list of similar names may bo, and is m all likelihood, a daughter of the once notorious Mary Allan. If so, and the circumstances are most favorable to tho assumption, it will be eoen that tho bad blood was transmitted from mother to daughter, arid bad tfro grandchild lived it would doubtless have inherited those tendencies to crime whiph aro transmitted from father to son and from mother to daughter as tho penalty of tho breach of that law which visits the sins of tho parent upon tho children unto the third and fourth generation.