Tragic Child

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 248, 21 October 1935, Page 11

Tragic Child

heritage of misfortune FATHER AN EXECUTED MURDERER One of tho most tragic babies In the wqrld has just been born. Sho is the daughter of Mrs. Eileen Brigstock, of Gillingham, Kent, widow of Petty Officer Leonard Brigstock, who was executed a few mouths, ago for the murder of Chief Petty Officer Hubert Sidney Doggan, in Chatham dockyard. Her mother has named her Leonora, in memory of tho husband sho loved so dearly. Mrs. Doggan, tho wife of tho murdered man, was driven insane by the tragedy. Sho is still in tho mental hospital and little hope is held of her recovery. But her homo at Ballaneo Road, Homerton, is still waiting for her in case she does recover. It is exactly as she left it and each week is cleaned, while the rent is paid by a receiver in lunacy appointed by tho courts. “Even with all the tragody she has been born I would not liko to bo without my baby,” Airs. Brigstock told the ■‘News of tho World. 1 ’ “I have named her Leonora, in memory , of her father, with whom, before tho tragedy, I spent some of the happiest moments of my life.

“Sho lias been christened in the Roman Catholic faith, in spito of the fact that we were never married in a church. My husband was a Protestant, so wo were married at a register office.

Gaol Ceremony Plea “It was for tho sako of the bady, then unborn, that Father Ryan, the Chatham parish priest, pleaded with (lie Homo Secretary for us to be allowed to bo married by a priest, in prison, because our Church docs not recognise register office weddings. “Now I have got my baby and luivo got over tho shock of tho terriblo happenings of tho last few months, I must find some work to do to keep myself and Leonora. Everybody down here has been very good to mo and I am hoping that I shall not havo much difficulty in finding work.” There are two other tragic children— Allan and Rog Deggan, sons of the murdered man, who have been robbed of the care and devotion of both parents.

When their mothor became insano Allan, aged 12, went to live with his grandmother in Surrey, while soven-year-old Roy stayed, at her special request, with friends of his mother at 1-lomerton. But tho littlo fellows found it very lonely parted from each other, as well as from their parents. Brothers Reunited

“Allan actually' trailed alono from Surrey right across London to Homer-

ton,” a friend of the family said, “so that he could be with his brother again. Then the Chatham branch of the Royal Naval Benevolent Trust took the matter up and in addition to getting small pensions from the Admiralty for each of them, persuaded the friends in Homerton to let Roy join his brother at his grandmother’s. “Arrangements have been made for the future of the boys. Allan is keen on getting into the Royal Air Force, and later on he is to be given tho opportunity to join. Roy, though very young, talks of nothing but tho timo when, like his father, ho will be in tho Navy, Later on, if he is still of the same mind, he will go into the Navy.”