REFINED CRUELTY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXXI, Issue 10273, 15 February 1894, Page 2

REFINED CRUELTY.

At the Chester County Police Court recently, before Mr H. D. Trelawny and other justices, Daniel Francis Phelan, of independent means, and Constance Helen Pnelaa, his wife, of Preach extraction, residing at Up! on Park, Chester, were charged by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children with having on various dat«s between June 8 and Sept, 25 cruelly ill-treated their children, Augustus (aged three years) and Ernest (aged one year and nine months), in a manner calculated to . cause them unnecessary suffering. The court was crowded.

Sarah Ann Griffiths, a qualified midwife, said she went to Mrs Phelan on August 9. She was engaged bathing her two little boys. Witness saw her pull up the youngest boy (Ernest) by the hair while she poured cold water over him, until he could hardly breathe. She lifted him out of the hath by the hair and the hand, and threw him on the bed. She knocked him on the head several times with her fist while she was dressing him. The hoy cried when she struck, and then he was struck again until be ceased. Witness afterwards told Mrs Phelan it was a shame. Ernest was flogged twice a day for a week before Mrs Phelan’s confinement —once when he was bathed, and again at night, She generally used her fist. The child was taken out to the lawn in the morning, tightly strapped to a chair, and left theca all day. On Sunday night. Sept; 3, witness remembered being in the studio looking on to the lawn. She heard screams, and upon looking out she saw Mrs Phelan hitting Ernest with her closed fist and open hand. On one occasion Mr Phelan boat the child with a dog whip and strap, using the buckle end of the strap.-—(Sensa-tion). B.e did this many times, and they were very cruel blows. On the night of Sept. 17 the youngest child was very restless, and on the following morning she examined it, and found it one mass of " black and blue ” about the buttocks. She directed Mr Phelan’s attention to it, and he remarked that he did not think he was striking the child so hard. The children had castor oil given them every other day or every third day. On 3c-pb. 1 Mrs Phelan pushed the silver dessert spoon into the child’s mouth, turned the spoon in his mouth, and put him on the floor. She held him there with her hand over hia mouth until he was black in the face. She held hia mouth so flat ho could not breathe. Presently she saw blood oozing out of the child’s mouth and on to hia neck. Afterwards he became sick, and vomited quite sis tableapoontuls of blood. The child had nob resisted, Grose-examined: She knew that Mrs Phelan bad previously been prosecuted for cruelty. Mrs Phelan used always to ask her to take Ernest for a walk in the afternoon, and she did so, but,. added witaesa, "it always got a beating when X got back,” She did not consider that the children had enough to eat. She said nothing to Mrs Phelan, as she considered her a dangerous woman to say anything to, When Mr Phelan used the dog-whip ho doubled the whip and beat the caild with the double thong. (Sensation.) Detective Pearson said that when he arrested defendants on October • 2 Mrs Phelan said; “I suppose , they want more money out of us.” Mrs Marian Wynne, employed by Mrs Phelan as a charwoman, deposed that she saw the youngest child strapped to a chair by the ankle. She also heard sounds of loud smacking proceeding from the bathroom. ' . ■ *

Mra Jane Carmichael Bird, wife of the Rev Clement Bird, minor canon of Cheater Cathedral, said she drove to Upton on July 28. In consequence of what she heard she called at Mr Phelan’s residence. She saw a child, which she took to be a girl, lying fast asleep on the grass. It bad a strap fastened round its waist. The strap was fastened -to a chair, and at the other end of St there was a 121 b or 141 b weight. The child looked pale and flabby and exhausted.

Dr Mann said he examined the children, and found a number of bruises and abrasions on their bodies.

The Bench committed the defendants, who pleaded not guilty and reserved their defence, to take their trial at the Quarter Sessions.

The Chairman: Wo accept the same bail, bu!: we cannot consent to the children being given up. (Cheers in court.) Mr and Mrs Phelan were vigorously hooted as they drove oS to Upton Park in a cab.