SHOCKING CASE OF PRIVATION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 213, 7 September 1880, Page 4

SHOCKING CASE OF PRIVATION.

The London police lately investigating a case in which a child has been discovered almost starved to death. It appears that Mr. Drake, who owns some property in Lissongrove, went to take possession of one of the houses, when he found locked up in an empty r,oom a little girl, about six years of age, vi a fearfully emaciated state. The' room was empty, and the child said it had to sleep on the floor, with only a piece of sacking to cover it. A woman , said to be the person in possession, and against whom Mr. Drake had issued a summons for wilful damage to the house, was in care of the child, it having been left in her charge some weeks ago. In tpe house there were no visible means ojf subsistence for either the woman or the child, or any furniture, and : Mr. (!)verton, the relieving officer, was called in, and the child was ultimately removed to the workhouse infirmary. There it was seen by Dr. Randall, who gave the following certificate: — " Annie Smith lias been neglected and has been subject tp privation, and nearly starved. She is very thin and emaciated.'.' The child was then in a most shocking state, those seeing her described her as a "; living skeleton." The subject came before the board of guardians on Wednesday, but they decided that they could npt proceed against the woman, as she was not the mother of the child, and Mr. Overton was instructed to seek the assistance of the policp.