CRUELTY 10 ORPHANS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3034, 24 December 1891, Page 1 (Supplement)

CRUELTY 10 ORPHANS.

♦ The Dublin papors publish accouuts of the proseontion of tho Rev. Samuel G. Cotton, rector of Carooh, country Kildare by the Society for the prevention of cruelty to Children, on the charge of neglect and ill-ti !atment of children in an establishment which he has carried on for a great ir.finy years under the narao Carough Orphanage. Proceedings, it is said were formerly taken aginst him for chaining tho legs of a girl to a heavy log ; but he justified the act as necessary to keep children from absconding. When the society instituted the present proceedingthey had a number of children compul sorily taken from the orphanage, and placed them in a recognised Protestant charitable institution. Evidence was •liven by the ladies of tho Adelaide Hospital on Tuesday that the children brought there were covered with vermin, omacated, filthy, and in rags. The toes of one child were ausolutely rotting off. This child, although she has since recovered health, has lost every one of her toes. The medical officer of the society (■tates he fouud the room in a most filthy state. Tho sanitary condition of the house and its sunouudiugs was most appailing he had ever -witnessed. The floors and walla were filthy, the sleeping apartments wretched, with broken paues of glass, aud there were no tires. All the little children wore shivering from cold, and apparently in a state of terror, Tho magistrates made an order returning the reverend gentleman and his wifo (whomhe had described iu his reports as "secretarv aud treu;*urer")for trial,admitting them to bail in £.")U, aud allowing Mr. Cottou till Thursday to procure tho baPj i'S he was aurtious to attend tbs synod of tho diocß69. of which heia a member. £c.