A FIEND IN WOMAN’S GUISE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9087, 4 March 1908, Page 2

A FIEND IN WOMAN’S GUISE.

An almost incredible story of fiendish cruelty to children was investigated by the Eastern Ainstey Petty Sessions magistrates during the second week in January. The accused were a solicitor named Kush worth, of York, and his wife, and their alleged victims two adopted children—Olive May (aged fourteen) and Dora Orees (aged thirteen). The case against the accused rested mainly upon the evidence of the girls themselves, and that of an inspector and a doctor of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, which undertook the prosecution of the Rushworths. In opening the case prosecuting counsel said that the girl May came under the care of the Rushworths as the result of an advertisement, and Orees as the result of negotiations with the mother, Mrs Rush worth undertaking that the children should be'jWell educated and well cared for. At that time, five years ago, May was bright, intelligent, and in good health. Only on one occasion since M sM Men seen outside **^ o ‘ lloll g e> *2" that one occasion a neighbour saw the child miserably clad, with only one stocking on, kneeling on the front doorstep on a cold, frosty day. Mrs Rushworth came out, demanded to know why the work was not done, and struck the girl on the face, causing her to cry bitterly. The N.S.P.C.O. inspector and doctor investigated matters in November, and found May in a miserable condition, undersized and anaemic, scantily clad, and wearing men’s old . shoes and stockings. The doOcor found many scars on her legs, and the child’s'' statement that they were produced by kicks from Mrs Rushworth, Burn scars were discovered on the right calf and underneath the foot. The child said she rarely wore boots or stockings whilst doing house work. One day wmlst she was kneeling on the hearth Mrs Rushworth seized the red hot poker, drew it across her calf, am. them across the sole of her foot. The marks on the girl were entirely con sistent with this. Lpop .the leit thigh was a scar 7m by om, and tiie child’s explanation was that it was produced by Mrs Rushworth taking a flat-iron and putting it underneath her skirt against the naxed flesh. There were twelve scars upon the left foot and calf, and six across the buttocks,- obviously caused by violence" "and the girl alleged that Mrs Rushworth was in the habit of using a dog whip. On May’s forehead was a mark which the child said was caused by being struck with a saucepan and upon the mouth a burn, caused, she stated, by a hot poker. The doctor further discovered that Die child slept on a filthy mattress. long, on the kitchen floor, and, on many occasions slept on it naked, save for a piece of old blanket thrown over. Part of her body was necessarily on the stone floor, The child’s physical health and men ml balance had certainly been seriously affected. Dora Gxees had undergone similar treatment, but in a less degree. When she first went to the bouse in 1905 sbe was treated wifcb kindness, and on many occasions encouraged to ill-treat the girl May. The doctor having given evidence supporting counsel’s opening, Olive May was called. She said she did not know her age, nor could sae read or write, neither she remember how long she had been at the Rushworth’s. For some time she was treated kindly, but after Dora Crees’s arrival Mrs Rushwortn began to throw water over her—sometimes slops. it was boiling cabbage water, which scalded hex - arm. ‘‘She burned me with a poker and a flat-iron,” continued witness, “I was going somewhere, and she ran after 'me with the iron. I had very thin "clothes, and she lifted them up and put the iron underneath on my left thigh. My skin frizzled, and ic was awfully sore. It must have been my bare skin, because she said there was skin on the iron. ” Continuing, witness said : . Mrs Rushworth put the poker underneath my dress. I had no shoes or stockings on. She took the poker and put it on the calf of my leg, then she put it under my foot. There are still marks. She tried to put the poker into my mouth. She burned my month. I screamed. It was awfully sore.” Describing another scene. May said she though Mrs Rushworth was going to burn her, so she ran behind the bed and pushed her. Mrs Rushworth said: “I will burn yon for that,” and burned her on the bare back. Her food consisted of potato skins, and sometimes fruit that was not good. Occasionally she had dry bread, and sometimes bread and butter. As a bed she had an old mattress, and she had to rest her head on a dog’s box. The'evidence of Dora Orees corroborated’ that of poor little Olive, and cross-examination failed to shake their testimony. Evidence was also given to show that Olive had been reduced to picking tit-bits out of the pig tub to satisfy her hunger, one dainty morsel she was seen to appropriate and hide in her blouse being the remains of a herring. The defence was a general denial of all the charges, but the Bench were fully satisfied with the evidence for the prosecution, and awarded the woman the wholly inadequate punishment of nine months’ imprisonment in the second division. The husband, who had merely been a passive witness of his wife’s brutality, was fined -650.