A BRUTAL BEATING. A FATHER FINED FOR THRASHING HIS TEN-YEAR-OLD SON.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 247, 17 March 1888, Page 3

A BRUTAL BEATING. A FATHER FINED FOR THRASHING HIS TEN- YEAR-OLD SON.

Invercaiu-'ill, March 14. What appears to be a shocking case of a father ill-treating his son came betore the Kiverton Police Court yesterday. Anne Stone deposed that she saw Charles Roberts, the father, strike the boy several time* and kick him. Barbara Boniface deposed that the fathor, after dragging the boy to the bouse, began beating him with a heavy walking-stick. The boy fell to the ground and the father continued flogging until | Mrs Watt carried the boy into the house, and Constable Buchanan deposed that after conversation with the boy he took off his jacket and saw the bruises on his body. He afterwards took him to Mrs Boniface, where he examined him. From his shoulders to his thigh was one mass of bruises. His back was all swollen by the whacks, and he was in agony from the bruises. He brought the boy to town to show him to Dr. Nelson. He afterwards rofused to go home through fear. He took him to an hotel. Dr. Nelson and S. G. Instone, J.P., gave corroborative evidence. Defendant admitted beating the boy, who is only 10 years of age, but said it was for his own good. The Bench imposed a iine of 40s, with costs £2 Is 6d, or 7 days. William Herbert, a coloured man, was charged at the Police Court to-day, on the information of Inspector Goldie, with allowing an earth closet on his premises to remain uncleaned for a period of fourteen days. Defendant admitted the offence. Mr Goldie said the closet was not cleaned for some months, and was in a disgraceful state. The case was the mo3t flagrant breach of decency and the laws of health that had come under his notico for some time. The defendant deserved severe punishment for his neglect, especially seeing that the charge for such services wa3 very nominal, being only 2d a week, or 4d a fortnight. Defendant said he had been very ill, and had a groab deal of debt. He asked the contractor to clean the place and ho would pay the money when he could. Their Worships, Messrs Moody and D. G. MacDonnell.were satisfied that the case was a flagrant one and fined defendant £5 and costs, £1 Is. In our Sydney cables yesterday we published tho remarkable confession of a man named Carroll of tho murder of his sweetheart near Woolwich, England, nineteen years agd, for which crime a young man named Pook was tried and acquitted. A gentleman resident in Auckland states that he recollects the circumstances of the crime thoroughly. The girl had been a servant at the house of young Pdok's father, and there wa3 a very, strong chain of circumstantial evidence against the accused who had a narrow escape I from conviction, and popular feeling was so strongly worked up against him that the I mob smashed the windows of his house. ! Our informant says that a year after i Pook'ft acquittal a soldier, while in a state ! of delirium tremens, confessed to murdering the girl. He was arrested on hia own confession, and tried ; but as he denied his guilb on recovering his senses, the charge could not bo sheeted home, It is possible that this soldier and Carroll are one and the same person.