A PITIFUL STORY.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11103, 23 October 1901, Page 4

A PITIFUL STORY.

AN ALTERNATIVE VERSION. 1 A (pitiful story was tod si, th«: Magis- , trate's Court yesterday by a man named ■ John Frederick William Bethke and, his j wife, Mary Jane Bethfce. They.stated, that £hey -had lour children, who were; absolutely in' want of food, and that the ' Charitable Aid Board had - refused to do ( anything for .them. The wife according- , ly -charged her husband with- fatting to ■ . support ■ her, but it was shown, that tdw • two were living together, and that she' received whatever money he earned. - As the man's left arm and hand were -paralysed, however, and he Was subject beaidfes to epileptic fits, this sum -was riot suf- : ficient for their, maintenance, and the : Magistrate was,-of course, unable to niake any order. He stated, however, that if ' their story were true, it 'Showed a most - 1 deplorable state of things, and he thought that .if they could substantiate it, and' , their condition were known, they 'would probably receive private help. At the Charitable Aid- Boar office a ■ representative of "The Press" was subse- ; quently informed that Bethke, had made no application there since last March, when he • was given relief for five or six weeks, and afterwards allowed ' the services of a doctor for one of the chil--1 ,dren. He was then told that tzhe relief ' could, not be of indefinite duration, and it . was suggested that lie should try to do somer thing. If he diould apply again, it was " stated, his application would m carefully ' gone into, but a long previous experience of Betake had not prepossessed the Board's 1 officers, in.favour of bis claims.