CRUELTY TO BOY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10318, 29 January 1927, Page 7

CRUELTY TO BOY

ALLEGED TO BE TETHERED WITH DOG CHAIN. BEATEN AND HALF STARVED. AUNT COMMITTED FOR TIDAL (United Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received Jan. 28, 10.45 p.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 28. An amazing story of cruelty to a boy was related to the Wollongong Police Court, when the boy’s aunt, Andrina Thompson, was charged, with assaulting, beating and ill-treat-ing him. The boy is pale and emaciated, and though he gave bis age as twenty years, he looked about thirteen or fourteen. He said he was chained up with a dog chain at night, was beaten with a stick and was half starved.

A neighbor gave evidence that the boy was sometimes muzzled with a long tapering funnel, made of something like canvas, and was cruelly beaten. Witness had heard the boy pleading for food. Police evidence showed that the boy slept in a room which was used as a bathroom, laundry, and lumber room combined. It had a cement floor. The bed consisted of a board about four feet long- and two feet wide, with a chaff bag tied at each end, and containing foal-smelling straw. An old coat served as a blanket. The boy had tcld the constable he had plain porridge for, breakfast plain potatoes for dinner, and dry bread for tea. A medical man testified that the boy was slightly mentally deficient and had numerous scars and bruises about his body. The boy’s father was manager of a shop in Goubourn. The aunt was committed for trial. —U.P.A.