NOT CARING FOR HIS OWN.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 190, 18 May 1872, Page 3

NOT CARING FOR HIS OWN.

Instances not unfrequently occur of the Melbourne charities being burthened with the maintenance of persons whose relatives are perfectly capable of supporting them. A gross case of this kind was brought under the notice of the committee of the Benevolent Asylum lately, and was dealt with at their meetingonThursday. For thelast three or four years an elderly woman named Eleanor Montgomery has been an inmate of the institution, and up to within the last few weeks the committee were not aware that she had any relatives in the colony. She was addicted to drunkenness, and a fortnight ago the superintendent had occasion to report her to the committee for this oli'ence. She then mentioned to him that she had a son in a good position. Mr. McCutcheon inquired into her statement, and found that her son was K. B. Montgomery, C.P. S., at Maryborough. He wrote to him and received a reply dated the ‘26th ult.in which the writer said that it had pained him very deepty when he learned that his mother had reduced herself to the necessity of becoming an inmate of the asylum. He declared that it was quite impossible to have her in the same town with him. Ten years ago she.came to reside with him, and after a few weeks her conduct was such that the police magistrate found it necessary to request her to leave the town. She disgraced him so much that he could not bare it again. He then requested the committee to suggest some meausby which he could help his mother without letting her have disbursment of money which would only be immediately wasted in expensive dress and drink. He .enclosed £l, and said he was not in a position to contribute much towards his mother’s support as yet, being in debt and paying large interest on borrowed money. The committee agreed to let Mrs. Montgomery stay temporarily in the asylum, her son to pay 10s. a week towards her suppoit. They wrote to her son to this effect, and received a reply dated 3rd April. He accepted the arrangement with thanks; and promised as soon has he could get an opportunity of visiting Melbourne to endeavor to arrange for her in some other way. In the meantime however, the committee became aware of the position occupied by the son. He was stated to be in receipt of a salary of £6OO a year from the Government, being the holder of several offices. They considered the case to be a very bad one, and passed a resolution directing the woman should be r oved within one month. Sim is said to be the widow of a captain in tin army. Leader.