A VERY PAINFUL CASE.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2981, 8 July 1878, Page 2

A VERY PAINFUL CASE.

A very painful case was fried before Mr Justice Lawson, in the Commission Court, Green street, Dublin. A woman named Slevin was indicted for wilfully neglecting her child, a boy five years old, and thereby causing or accelerating his death. In support of the charge, anoth-r child of the prisoner, a boy 13 years ola, was examined, and told a pitiable story. The mother and three children, of whom he was the eldest, occupied a single room iv a house iv Bride street, for which she paid 3s a week. Their re- ( puted father is a professional gentleman,' named .Butler, holding a municipal appointment, who was implicated in Ue charge by the verdict of the' coroner's jury, but has not since been made amenable to justice. The mother was in the habit of going out at the instance of But* ler, as alleged, and remaining away for two or three days at a time, Tearing the three children at home with small quantities of food, which they had.to cook for themselves and divide as best they could. Tiie deceased was in a consumption, and on the Friday before he died, about nine o'clock at night, Butler came to the room and insisted that the prisoner should go away with him, telling her that if she refused he would - not give her a farthing. While there he felt the sick child's pulse and said he thought it wan dying, but he still required the mother to go out with him. "She, accordingly, went away, leaving two loaves and some tea with the children, and saying that " Georgie," the sick child, would be all right when she came back. She returned about nine o'clock on Saturday night, and gave the eldest boy half a jugful of broth for the invalid, a piece of lean meat, a head of cabbage, a quarter of a slone of potatoes, two loaves of bread, lib. of sugar, and a penny for milk. Next morning the boy was making some breakfast for his brothers and himself, when George said, "Oh, Johnny, I think J am dying," and he expired in a few minutes, Jhe mother did not return till mid-day on Monday. She had also been away from the previous Saturday week until the following Tuesday, and had left three chops, which was all the meat the children had in the interval. On the Tuesday the woman in whose house they lodged heard the sick child complain of being hungry, and brought him a slice of ; bread and some tea, which he had to share with his brothers. His eyes became large, the witness said ; he was all skin'and bone, and could not walk. The , children all occupied one bed-room after the death of the youngest. This evidence was supported by that of another brother eight years old and the landlady of the house. For the defence it was contended that the mother had gone away to procure means of support for her children, and Could not be held to have wilfully neglected them. The jury were unable to agree and were discharged. Mr Justice Lawson offered to admit the woman to bail, but none was forthcoming, and his Lordship expressed a hope,that the next trial would be more satisfactory.