ALLEGED INHUMANITY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1929, 13 August 1889, Page 4

ALLEGED INHUMANITY.

Yesterday’s Press says:—A case, the details of which are of a most revolting nature, has just come under the notice of the police, in which a girl, about 14 years of* age, has. for about twelve months past, it is alleged, been subjected to systematic cruelty and starvation. The persons accused of the crime are George Abbott and his wife, Alexandria Frances A bhott, both residents of St. Albans. The facts of the case are said lo be these ; —The girl, whose name is Esther Pondridge, is an orphan, and has since ■he can remember been an inmate of the household of Mr Godfrey, who was an employee at the Sunnjside Asylum. Mr Godfrey left the asylum about twelve months ago, and the girl was taken by the Abbotts as a servant. Since then she has undergone a course of systematic cruelty, especially at the hands, it is said, of Mrs Abbott, The child states that she has been beaten with a stick, her head held in a bucket of water, and on occasions kept without food foy days. No reason has been assigned for the inhuman conduct, except that given by the child, namely, that the Abbotts apparently wanted to get rid of her. Mr Abbott does not appear to haye taken any active part in the cruelty practised upon the child, though it is said that he has threatened her. The child has been kept in constant fear, and this is probably the reason why she never complained sooner. On Friday night, however, she ran away to some neighbors, who took her to Constable Flewellen. He took her to the police station, and she was subsequently taken to St. Catherine’s Lodge, and placed in the kindly hands of Miss Torlesse. Dr Symes is also attending her. The poor child is in a dreadful condition. * Her body is reduced to a skeleton, and covered with bruises. Apart from the marks, her body has the appearance of that of a child who had come through a severe turn of fever. Though ravenous for food, she has to be fed with great care, such is her weakness from want of food. All day yesterday she constantly uttered a plaintive cry for more food. “lam so hungry,” she said. She is also full of fear, either that she will have to go back to the Abbotts or be taken somewhere else where she will receive similar treatment The child must have originally had an unusually strong constitution to enable her to go through what she appears to have done, but there is a fear now that she will never thoroughly recover from the effects of the ili-treatment and fright. The accused are about thirty years of age. They have three or four young children of their own. Abbott is English, but his wife is said to be French, and a native of Alderney. The accused were arrested on Saturday night by Constable Flewellen and Detective R. Neill. They were lodged in the lock-up, and not admitted to bail. They will be brought before the Police Court this morning.