ILLTREATING A CHILD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1643, 6 October 1887, Page 4

ILLTREATING A CHILD.

Dunedin, Oct. 4. A serious oass of child beating was heard at the Police Court to-day, Augusta Margaret Powell being charged with wounding, , assaulting, and iiltreating Violet Powell. A neighbor deposed to being called in on three separate occasions when the child was in a fit, She was shown marks on the body which were said to be the results of falling. A hoy four-' teen years old, said that while looking through the fence ha saw the child being made to walk by being thrashed with a strip, and when she foil down she was thrashed to make her get up. Dr Marlin said that he had first seen the child on the 18th September, and was then informed that it had had a fit the day before, but was then bei.Ur. There was a small mark on its nose and upper lip, said to have been caused by a fall when in a fit. Witness considered that it was quite possible, and as the child was better no further treatment was required. On Saturday he was called again, and observed bine and black marks on the child’s face. On asking the cause, he was tol I it was a fall the child had had (he day bsfore. Seeing bruises on the other side of the child’s face, ho doubted that statement. There were black marks all over the child’s body, more especially on the left side, on the arm, leg, and thigh. Ho a>ked the cause of the marks, and prisoner said she hud had lo beat the child owing lo her dirty habiis. She said that some <f the marks on the thigh were done hy her, but the other marks she c n’d not account for. Ho did not notice any marks ou the head, but it was so marked all over that it was hard to find a p'aco where thero was no mark. He had seen the child again this morning, and found that the left forearm had been fraoiured at no distant dale. Blows would produce tho maiks he saw. The effect of these injuries win tint the child was extreimdy nervous. Very i reliably tho heatings were the cause of the fits. In cFOSr-'-xamination lie said that other causes alone rn'ght account for the fits. The arm might have bon bp. ken by a fall against some hard substance,' hut for ibis injury there was no gri vous bodily harm. The child was well’ nourished and fed. Mr Dennjstoun, for, the defence, contendt-d th’-t the only “Krievoiis bodily harm" sustained by the chi d,'"as the fracture of llm aim, and .here was no evidence lo show that this U-as caused by the prisoner;'or to show any direct violence on ht r part, or to show that she had any i Iwill inwards the child, or any desire to do it an injury. she op'Uitycabed in neighbors and voluntarily stripped the child f r the : r insuretun. A reprimand pr fine would meet the c se. The Bench found that the chihl bad Iren very grossly i.lt'eated, and would fine th- accused £5, and order her to' find ‘ sureties' herself m £2O, ami (.pother in tho same sum, for her good ebodoct for •s x : umn'hs. Inspec or ■Weldon applied fop costs, which wo-e granted.