CRUELTY TO A CHILD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4163, 14 July 1892, Page 2

CRUELTY TO A CHILD.

A SUing Case.

i At the Dunedin Police Court on Thursday morning last, before Mr Carew, R.M., a respectable-looking married woman named Surah Lucas was charged with neglecting her child, Barah Lucas, aged seven and a. half years, in a manner likely to cause injury to her health,

Sergeant O'Neill prosecuted and Mr A. Hanion defended,

Ah Lie, a fishmonger, residing in Stafford street, said that at about 7 a.m, on the 25th ult, he saw a girl lying underneath the floor of Ah Pong's house in Stafford street, She was lying down with a scanty garment on, and looked as if she were dead, He went towards her and Bhe ran away, He afterwards caught her, and saw that Bhe was very wet, fle took her into his house, when his wife sat her by the fire aud gave her some tea, It was a very cold morning, and it had been raining and snowing, To Mr Hanlon: Ho could not tell how much clothing sho had on. ! Jane Williams, residing in Melville street, said the mother of the child lived near ber, On the 25th of last month the child came into her house about five o'clock in the evening. Witness said to the mother that ifshe would not beat the child she (witness) would take her home, She replied in the affirmative, and when she told the child. what her mother said tho child ran away, Witness thought Mrs Lucas was not sober when she asked for money, She informed the police of the matter. To Mr Hanlon | The child appeared not to be properly nourished, She did not think the bruises on the. child could be made with a strap; there must have been a buckle of some sort,

Mary Jane Robs said eho lived next door to the defendant, in Melvillestreet. She took the obild in about two weeks ap,o for two nights. The child ran away, but witness found her again in a fowlhouse, wet and cold. The mother came for ber, and when the child saw her she said: "Don't give me to my mother j she will beat me." Mrs Lucas then walked away scolding her (the witness), ghe found the ckild a few days later in the street crying, and when witness asked her wjjat was the matter, she said that her mother had sent her for beer. To Mr Hanlon: It was. not true that she struck Mrs Lucas when she came for the obild, but Mrs Lucas struck her on t(]e face, Mary Jane ijoss, daughter of the last witness, knew the ohild Lucas, At the end of last month she saw Mrs Lucas beat tho child because she had lost some money, Mrs Lucas then put the child out of the house into the street.

• ; Sergeant Guerfo said on the 26th of last month he. found the child in lire Williams' house. Constable Gleeson and ho took the child hoine. He asked the mother why she allowed the child to roam about on the street, and she replied, that the child had j tun away. He asked her why she didn't report that fact to the police, and she replied that ebe had,. and asked for

nothing more to be said, ab.out the matter, He oonld not.say.whether i Mrs Lucas was a temperate woman ornot, .; :' .:; '..

Sergeant O'Neill stated that that was the case for the prosecution. He didn't think it would be right to put the child into the box owing to her being so young. Sarah Lucas said her husband was a butoher. She had had sixteen children. There were six living with her now,, and there were two younger than the child before the Court, This child went away one morning about a fortnight ago, and when she didn't came home she (the witness) went out searching for her until twelve o'clock inthe evening. Ihe child bad received no beating before she went away, She went away on the first occasion at half-past eight in the morning, and wbb away for three days. She had never beaten the child since itwas born. It was not true that she was herself addioted to drink, She had sent the girl for beer once. One of her boys, aged 13, ran away sometimes,- but that was not her fault. To Sergeant ONeill: It was not true that the.child had been repeatedly away from the house at night, She had never neglected her ohildren. A girl aged fifteen did associate with Chinese, but she could not control her. His Worship said ho was quite satisfied that the child had been neglected. Defendant in her cross-ex-amination, had admitted that she had neglected one girl, who was an associate of Chinese. She would be convioted and sentenced to fourteen days'imprisonment. Defendant looked quite surprised as she was removed from the dock and exclaimed " Is it .me, sir ?"