THE CALDER CASE.

Northern Advocate, 7 August 1919, Page 2

THE CALDER CASE.

CHARGE AGAINST FATHER.

SEQUEL TO BOY'S DEATH.

ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. y

AUCKLAND, This Day.

After hearing evidence in the case in which Amos Calder was charged with causing the death of his sevenyear son, Trevor Calder, accused was committed for trial.—Press Assn.

An explanation of the foregoing message is that the death of a little boy, Trevor Calder, from tetanus, at the Auckland Hospital on June 16th last, resulted in the father, Angus Calder t being charged before Mr E. C. Cutten, S.M., at the Police Court yesterday on a count that he ill-treated the boy, then 4 years of age, and caused him unnecessary suffering by repeatedly dipping him in a bath of cold water and holding him under the water. Calder was charged with the same acts between October, 1918, and June, 1919. In opening the case, Chief-Detective McMahon, said that the child had died at the hospital from the effects of exposure. Th e boy had run away, and remained for three or four days in hiding until he was found by the father in one of the sheds, in a bad condition, suffering from sores and emaciated. At the instance of a medical man, the boy was sent to the hospital. The reason for the boy's running away was his fear of his father f Mr McMahon said, brought about by systematic acts of cruelty, and particularly the fact that on many occasions the boy had been dipped in cold water and held under for seconds at a time. When taken out of the bath on one or two occasions the boy had been unable to stand up. When away from home the "boy-was well-be- , hayed and obedient. The father on J one or two occasions had passed insulting remarks to the lad, having apparently got it into his head that th c cliild. was addicted to a certain undesirable habit, and on that account was to be treated cruelly. On one occasion he had tied the boy's hands and feet and put him to bed in that condition. Mr McMahon said that he understood that the mother of the child had died at his birth, and that the father might have considered that the child had caused him to lose his life-companion. Calder seemer to like the rest of his children, who were quite happy with him.