A Brutal Mother.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 244, 13 November 1903, Page 4

A Brutal Mother.

liideford (England) sessions, Frances Mary Day, o£ Nortbam.near Bideford, who is stated to be a person of good social position, was chargvd with assaulting, ill-treating neglecting, and exposing l her two children, Joan, aged fourteen, and Phyllis, ten, in a m turner likely to cause tbern unnecessary suffering and injury to> health. The principal witness, Joan, stated that one night in June her mother took her by the hair and shook her until it caaie out. On another occasion she was taken to a loft and to a beam, and whilst in that position her mother struck her across the mouth and made her nose bleeuT oTie was left in that position for about seven hours, and when she ,was able to release herself her aims were black and blue, and the rope Beamed to be buried in her flesh. About nine the same night she was permitted to enter the house to have a bath, and because it wus alleged that she was too long about the operation she was sent back to the loft without any clothing, and there she remained the whole night. She found an old skirt and put it on. Witness said she slept on the back-door mat on another occasion, and on the following nigiit she had to make her bed on the stone floor of the washbouse, and water was thrown over her when she las called upon to wake. That was done by her sister Hope. When at Wimbledon her mother put witness' hand on the bot bar of the kitchen grate and burned it. On another occasion, because she rooted up soma weeds, her mi ther took a knife and chopped two pieces out of her ariu and several pieces out of her hand. Several times she received a hundred strokes .with a carpet-beater, when all herl clothes had been taken off. she was put to lie on her face on the btd, ami if she struggled she whs strajjped ;and at times she was ben en ,with a Malacca cane, and ut others with a slipper. Once or twice she had a stocking tied around her r.eck toy her moLlier, and pulled until she was nearij choked. J ler mother toad said to her : "What a trouble you are I wish you were never born," and had twisted witness' left arm till it broke the elbow. fcjJie had many times been put in a dark cupboard beneath the stairs, where there was no room either to stand up or lie down. She had bread to eat on Christmas Uay. On Jan* 14 her mother cut oft nil her hair, and in the night stripp.Ki her and pat her into the garcUu. Witness remained there till foi.r o'clock in the morning, when, the light in her mother's room going out, she crept into the ion. it was a frosty night and she was airuid to leave, because someone at intervals looked out to see if she was still where she was told to remain. In February last she was tied all night to the orchard gate, but she had 011 all her clothes. She wus tied by the arm in rather a crouching position, because the gate was low. On the following morning, at eight o'clock, her sister released her. She cried during the night, ami her mother told her "to stop her beastly noise." She did not like to say she had sears on her hand who 11 1► r. Valentine examiuvd her, so she told him they were the result of scratches from the hedge and washing up, and the big one from falling down the steps. On the first occasion she ran away she had been quarrelling with her sisters,and her mother threatened to keep hgr in her bedroom. She ran away on some occasions because she was afraid of her mother, and sometimes of her own will, because she was cross. The first time she ran away her mother was ill in bed. On that occasion her mother said she should go te Ivd. She did not always obey her mother.

Dr. Valentino stated that the marks which hw saw on the Ijody of Joan were con<-latent with the ciriitl s story. Thv injuries must have iK'en to huve remained so long. The Bench committed the defendant to the next quarter sessions at Exeter. Defendant pleaded not gujlty, and reserved her defence.