REVOLTING CRUELTY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1003, 12 September 1882, Page 3

REVOLTING CRUELTY.

An old woman named Harriet Barlow, at Lambeth, has been committed for trial for allocking cruelty to her two grandchildren, a boy and girl. Dr Simmons, who examined the children at the police station, said on the boy's head was a swelling, the result of -violence ; a number of bruises nearly all over the back and down to the haunch bone ; and several on thearms. On the right hand were marks likely to hav« been caused by a bite. The girl hnd a scar on the temple as from a cut; marks on che left hand as from a bite, as well as bruises on the arms, back and legs. There was also injury to the lower part of the body. Serjeant Dean •aid when the prisoner was charged she said, " I know I did it. I hare hit (hem hard.'' The boy afterwards showed him a poker which he said his grandmother had struck him with. The girl, 12 years old, described the ill-treatment she had been subjected to afc the hands of her crrandmother, with whom she had lived since her father went to America two years ago. She did not know where her mother was. The prisoner had knocked her about with a boot, and forced her head down on to a basin with such power as to break it and cut her head. A short time back the prisoner, because some fork-R were not properly cleaned, siezed lier hand and hit it in such a way as to produce the marks shown to the doctor. She a'so knocked her about with a poker several times. The witness then described an assault upon her of such a nature as to be unfit for publication, and which accounted for the appearance described by Dr Simmonds. Once prisoner took np a hot poker and said, " I'll bum you if you don't mind," and shortly afterwards put the poker to her chin, burning it. The scar she had was the result of the burn. Grandmother used to stuff a handkerchief into her mouth to prevent the neighbors hearing her cries. Harriet Salsbury, a married woman, laid the children had often complainud to her, and at last she spoke to the police about it. On one occasion she saw the boy's left ear had been partly pulled out of its place Both children had complained of blows and kicks, and on one occasion she saw the girl's mouth had been very severely torn and injured, which she said ' hady been clone by the prisoner, The

prisoner, on bviu: committed for trial, declared she liad only punished; the children because they a< ted badly.