CRUELTY TO A CHILD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4189, 11 August 1892, Page 2

CRUELTY TO A CHILD.

1/lrandMrs Goodgame Before the Count A Terrible Case,

On the Court resuming yesterday afternoon, Elizabeth. Erickson deposed; I know the accused and the girl Maud Thomson, I was in tho house once and saw Mrs Goodgame hit the girl over the head with a rolling-pin,' I have also seen her strike her with a tablespoon. She once rolled, her down the bill and when she g'ot tothe bottom struck her with a stidk, : The child was obedient to her mother, I have often been in the house at meal times, but have never seen the child have her meals with the rest. She was once nursing the child iwd could hardly raise herself from the chair owing to the pain in her back, I felt her back and there was a big lump there. I have never Been the girl give provocation to her mother, She has' worked bard;

Louisa Rossitter deposed tbat she had seeu Maud Thompson lying underneath the table jn tho evening with nothing to cover her. She had seeu Mrs Goodgame strike the girl with a stick. The clothing she wore was insufficient.

By Mr Skipper: Mrs Goodgame told her that thegiil's bed had to be destroyed owing to a complaint of hers.

. Henry Eagle, junv,, sworn, stated that about six weeks ago ho saw the girl with ber head bleeding terribly. She said ber father had struck her over the head with a stick. She had asked witness several limes to shoot her and put her outjof her misery, uud had threatened to drown herself. Witness had seen Mrs Goodgame kick the girl. On one occasion she was standing outside tlio door in the frost with nothing but a sleeveless dress on. She was shivering in the cold, By Mr Skipper: He had never seen Mr (ioodjjame knock tho girl' about, Henry Erickson depoved that he had seen the girl struck over the back by her mother with a tin dish and kicked down the bill. She bad been dressed in rags, William Erickson, on oath, stated that Mrs Goodgame had said she had giveu the girl a hiding that she would remember .oil tho days of hor life,

Alfred Eaglo gave corroborativ evidence,

This was the case for the prosecution. For the defence Mr Skipper said there was not a tittlo of evidence to connect the male accused with the assault, He would cull the two accused to show what had occurred between the parents and the child, The Bench would agree with him that it was a difficult thing to deal with a person between childhood and womanhood, The authority of tho parent had to be maintained at all costs. The obiid might have the obsliuacy of a mule, and the parents would find it necessary to reduce that obstinacy, He would show that the measures taken by the parents were only suohaß they were driven to. The evidence had shown that the girl was obstinate,, and would not do what she was told. The bruises on the ohild might be accounted for by her falling about in tho country. It was not like living in a township. The ohild had stayed out night afterlight, and what were the parents to do ? The mother had to mind six children and tho father was away all day, and it was therefore hard if the girl could not be expected to get a little fire* wood. With regard to the rags produced, they were not the parents. Tho child could have had better if she had gone home, Thomas Goodgarae, one of the accused, on oath deposed; Maud Thompson is my step-daughter. I was married twelve years ago. Maud Thompson has lived with me since. I have kept her for about five years, I have not ill-treated the girl, nor have 1 unlawfully beaten her, I have occasionally chastised her, but not unnecessarily. The pjrl is rather obstinate, She would be told to do a thing and would not do it at the time." I have had a good deal of trouble with her, She had a sofa and two mattrasses to sleep upon, Her habits were not clean and the mattress rottod and had to be thrown out, i told her that when she got over her bad habits she would have fresh bedding. After her bedding was destroyed she l}ad to slpep on the bpurds. I told her that when her habits were better; she could sleep upon the sofa. She afterwards slept on the sofa, but as she continued her habits I put her ou the boards for chastisement,' lam not aware that I hit the girl's head against the wall. I have not any illfeeling against her, and have not turned her out of tho house, lam a lime-btimer and urn away horn home all day. Tho girl has always been civil to me, and has never complained of her treatment. I would rather she would not come back, The girl could have had better clothes if she wished to wear them,

By Sergeant M'Ardle: The girl could have worn better clothes if she had kopt them clean. I think she has two fairly' good dresses. I believe she has plenty of underclothing. I hit lot on the head with a piece of wood because she split a board of ihine. The'girl nevfep refused' to §i> anything I asked her. '■''■"

Elizabeth Goodgame, mother of the girl Maud Thompson, 'deposed : The girl is pot' jjad-tettopered or ill-nafurpd, excepting 'fhrpugh 'her neigbbqiir's advising' her. She jiad to do Ijljle things in. the house, but for some time past has disobeyed. I have not treated her harshly, I may havo beaten her through aggravation, but that's all, I have been strict with her at times, She has had plenty of food and clothing, Latterly sbo was told she could not wear her good clothes until her habits improved, I hayp struck hor many : u time, but have pot''((one it 'witjiput cause, J havo exercised* no unduo severity; I struck' her with a sj>ick = the other njglit, which she says caused the'eut in'her 'She was sleeping put under a tree', She has b'een'sleeping out three nights during the past three months. The rags' exhibited are not the' girto best' plpthes. gbe \yas fifteen jears of age on the 4th of August. I havo not seen the bruises on the girl, and cannot say how they were caused. The girl had eruptions on the skin, which I poulticed, The female accused here went off into a swoon, and as she did not b'tftar to rally, Sergeant' MiiArdlp decided not''to rjvoss'exatnino,'i ; >'■

' Thomas Goodgame, ro-oa'lled by the Bench, stated that bo had been on gopd'terms with'Mr'Eagle' until the past six weeks, ••! ' .<: The Beneh'saii) it was satisfied fLe two parties bad lived on good teribs. ■Thompson, ro-called, stated that her underclothing was oil rags,

Her mother would not make up the doilies she wauled. .

The further'tearing of the case was then adjourned till Monduy next, the accused being liberated on bail,