CRUELTY TO A CHILD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4193, 16 August 1892, Page 2

CRUELTY TO A CHILD.

Decision of the Bench.

Both Prisoners Sentenced.

Ou the R.M. Court resuming tills (Monday) afternoon, Mr A. W. Renall said his brother Justice and himself had carefully considered the case in which Thomas and Elizabeth Goodgame were charged with ilitreat* fag the child Maud Thompson, and had wondered whether the shocking cruelty revealed by the evidence did not justify the Bench Banding the case to a higher Court. Thinkfag, however, that long terms of imprisonment were not always the greatest punishment, thoy had resolved to deal with the 09*b summarily. No person who had not heard the evidence could believe that parents could be so heartless as to inflict such gross cruelty as that revealed. In sentencing the female accused to four months' hard labour in the Wellington Terrace Gaol lie hoped tbat this would be a solemn warning to her not to treat a child in suoh a brutal .manner in the future. With regard to the male prisoner, he, as head of the family, should have - teen that the child was properly cared, far. He would be sentenced to three months' hard labour, '• The Court was crowded to the doors when the deoision was given, and the remarks of the Bench and the sentence of the two accused were loudly applauM