INHUMANITY at WINCHESTER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XL, Issue 202, 17 August 1876, Page 2

INHUMANITY at WINCHESTER

(South Canterbury Times.)

A ca_e of inhumanity bas come to light in South Canterbury, that, when our readers becorae acquainted with the facta of the case, will cause them to wonder whether the perpetrator will not get a flagellation, whioh he so richly deserves. It appears thot a littla girl, nine years of age, daughter of Mr Todd, residing near Winchester, has been altering the public school at that township, and that of late she had appeared vrry unwell, and gradually wasting away, iv f ao ., ahe looked as if she waa even more than half starved. Her condition was more than once observed by Mr J. A. Young, the chairman of the Winchester School Committee, who at last communicated his suspicions ns to her ill-treatment to the police in that township. The latter, however, did not consider that it was a case in which they could interfere, but Mr Young, ia compassion to the girl, took her lo his hotel yesterday, ani on being examined by Mrs Young and himself, tbey discovered that she waa a mass of lacerated bruises, iv fact that so bad is her condition that there 19 scarcely any sound skin left oo her body. He therefore brought the child into Timara this morning, and took her to the Resident Magistrate, who caused her to be ex. mined by Dr. Maeintyre, who corroborated the deplorable condition of the child. During her examination it was elicited that she is a child by a former wife of her father, the latter having been twice married. He has been in the habit of continually thrashing the girl, and has, we learn, threatened to put Bait in the wounds inflicted by her unnatural parent. A warrant has been issued for the man's apprehension, and on hia appearing before the bench no doubt full particulars as to his atrocities will be brought to the knowledge of the public. Surely such a wretch ought to be tortured in a like manner himself, a lingering death would be too good for him. The child has been taken to the Timaru Hospital for medical treatment. The ease will bo heard in the Resident Magistrate's Court, Timaru, on Monday next, at eleven a.m.