Cruelty by a Father.

Evening Post, Volume XLVII, Issue 93, 20 April 1894, Page 4

Cruelty by a Father.

» SEVERE PUNISHMENT OF A PRECOCIOUS BOY. Tho extraordinary case rooently related, in our columns in whioh Honry Bolton was arrested for oruelly ill-treating his son, aged 10, by fastening him up with chains, came before tho Brunswiok (Melbourno) Police Court on the 4th instant. Evidonco was given by the arresting oonstablo and a neighbour as to the boy having boen Beon with a chain upon hiß logs. The lad, James Henry Bolton, was thon put in tho box. Tho'ohain had, ho said, provented him from running away. His father sometimes took the ohain from one leg and put it on tho othor. Sometimes it would be on ono log for a wook, night and day. He had boen sent to school, but had played truant for four years. Somotimos his fathor treated him kindly, and sometimes he beat him. Ho bad taken his littlo sister, four years old, away from home, and they had slept under tho pepper trees at Richmond Park. Ho thought it was abont six years ago whon ho first ran away from home. Ho had taken tho train for Lillydalo, thinking to see Colston hung Tho fathor of thelail, James Bolton, waa uoxt called. Ho said his sen first ran away when he was six years old. He had run away to Lillydalo, as stated, to see Colston hung, and he had gone to Ballarat to to see Johnson hung. His boy had begged money from passera-by to pay tho railway faros. He had been all over the colony after the boy, who had oost him a lot of timo, and money too. He frequently ran away from 'home, sometimes for a month and six weeks at a time. He would go away well clothed and come home in rags. The lad had been before nearly all the suburban Police Courts, his reoord np to the present time being 13 appoaranoes before the Justices. He had tried both kindness and harsh measures with the boy, and neither had succeeded. At last a neighbour suggested fixing a chain to his leg. This had been the most effeotivo. The lad had stolen money out of witness' pockets, and bad taken away jewellery belonging to his mother. He had four other children, ivho were properly under control. The lad before the Court had been the bane of his lifo. It was well known in Brunswick, and to the police, that the boy was indescribably bad. Mary Bolton, mothor of the boy, deposed that sbo had tried in many ways to amend her son's ways. The boy never complained that the ohain hnrt him. It was never allowed to remain on at night, but was taken off and put on again in the morning. The Benoh decided to fine Bolton £5, in default one month's imprisonment. He had a proper remedy if the boy was beyond his control, but instead he bad adopted a course whioh was repulsive, and made an exhibition of the boy. The lad was ordered to be sent to the Industrial School. Tho Justioes gave Bolton six weeks' graco for payment of the fine.