ALLEGED CRUELTY TO A CHILD

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 267, 7 August 1919, Page 5

ALLEGED CRUELTY TO A CHILD

FATHER IN THE DOCK

SEQUEL TO A RUNAWAY TRAGEDY , • 'By Tol6(rrapn--Preßß AMoo!».t!o» Auckland, August C. Tho death 'of • a boy named Trevor Calder, aged 7, on Juno 16 last, after ■nis admittance to tho Auckland Hospital suffering from the effects of exposure duo to hiding in n shed, allegedly to escapo punishment by his father,had a sequel in Police Court, when the father, Angus Calder, was charged under the Infants' Lifo Protection Act, before Mr. Cutten, S.M., that:— (1) Between January and March, 1916, when the child was 1 years of age, he ill-treated him in a manner likely to causo unnecessary suffering by frequently and repeatedly dipping him into a bath of cold water, and holding him in water; and (2) that ha ill-treated the child in tho same way when G years of p.ge, 'between October, 1918, and June, 1919.

Chief-Detective M'Mahon, in outlining tho case, said that tho evidence at the itquest showed that tho boy had remained hidden for three or four days, and when found by his father, lying in a shed, had sores on his feet and body, and was in an emaciated coudition. The child had hidden through fear of his father, who had practised systematic acts of or'uelty on him, after dipping him in cold water, and sometimes, holding him immersed for several soconds. Tho. ChiofDetective said he could give two reasons only for such treatment: Tho father believed that the child was addicted lo a certain objectionable l ' habit liable to injure his health, and ho considered that tho punishment would net as n deterrent. In the second place, the accused's wife bad died at the birth of Trevor, and thus Calder might consider the child responsible for the loss of his lifemate. Dr. Gould, house surgeon at the hospital, said that when tho boy' was admitted on June 7 his feet were severely frostbitten. There were several breaking sores on his body, and ho was generally in a very low condition. His sores were sc-ptic. He died of tetanus ami heart failure.

Dr. Tressider, of Onehunga, who was called to the accused's home, said he saw the child in bed. The accused pointed to the hoy, saying: "Look at tho dreadful condition he is in. lie ran away on Sunday night, and I didn't,find him until Friday, morning. Ho lias had no food." Tho accused 6eemed very upset, and remarked: .'"You would have thought, fne. little beggar would have ccmo in for food." The little chop's feet were black and blue and cold. They were dead. I asked the father what ho had done for him, and he replied that he had fed him up and bathed him in hot Water. Cross-examined, Dr. Tressider stated that in his opinion Gilder was greatly concerned at the child's condition, and after, fiuding him had dono what he thought best. He told witness ho felt it his duty to punish the. boy. An eleven-year-old kother of tho de. ceased gave evidence that shortly after Trevor's return' from his grandparents he was ducked by his father.' The bßth was -usually about half-full, and tho water was sometimes warm and sometimes cold. Trevor was not held under the • water. "Before we thought of-ducking him;" said the witness, "we used to give him hiding?." His toother often struggled and screamed and cried after being taken out. Sometimes he was dipped twice in succession. The Chief-Detective: Did Trevor ever protest against being dipped ?—"Ye3, ho cried, 'Don't dip me. Give me a thousand hidings instead.'" The boy said his brother was ducked about six times at Mangere about a month before he died. His father threatened to dip him and he ran away. < ~ .Cross-examined,, the,child ..said that •Trevor after being dipped-was dried and put by the fire. \ . Geoffrey Angus Calder, aged 10, gave similar evidence. ■ After further evidence aocused was committed for trial.