MOTHER AND SON

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2241, 29 August 1914, Page 5

MOTHER AND SON

PITIFUL STORY OF NEGLECT. In. tie Slagistrate's Court yesterday, the case of the young man Joseph Dowling, who was arrested, at Auckland :on a charge of failing to contribute towards the support .of his mother, was continued before Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M. Mr. H. F. O'Leary appeared for accused's mother, Margaret Dowling, and Mr. P. W. Jackson for acoused. . Defendant'e mother in her evidence told a pitiful tale. For the past 30 years she had worked and kept hersolftill she could work no longer. With her savings ehe had bought a small home where she thought she could end her days. Her son m the.dock came to live with her, and after a time eho agreed to hand over the deeds of the house, to her eon. Later her son'sold.the house and had got £150 cash ( down for it, but she : had never seen a penny of it. Then her son had put her in a little room and had paid 65. , a week rent. Later he had sent her vp to Hastings, but on account of her health she had to come back to Wellington. Her son had treated her worse since then, and. three weeks ago had cleared out to Auckland, leaving hor with nothing. The old lady wound up her pitiful story in tears. "Have you any other sons?" inquired Mr. Jackson during the courso of his cross-examination. • "He is the only one I had," replied the. old lady, "and I wish I had never seen him." In reply to another question, witness eaid shehad six 'daughters, and that none of them would recognise her in the street. v ■ The Magistrate remarked at the conclusion of the case that as accused's mother was about to ;get .the old age pension he would order accused to con: tribute 10s. a week towards her maintenance. . ■