TIED TO A BED POST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11771, 28 September 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

TIED TO A BED POST.

PARENTS SENT TO PRISON FOR , CRUELTY TO CHILDREN. At Lambeth Police Court a few days ago Luke Doswell, 25, labourer, and' Sarah Doswell, 31, his wife, were charged on remand that they, having the custody and care of two children, Albert Adams, aged 6 years, and Win. Adams, aged 4 years, did unlawfully assault, ill-treat, and neglect them in a manner likely to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury to their health. Prisoners have been living in some dwellings known as Preston Buildings, Comus place, Walworth. A neighbour, Mrs. Jeffery, looked through the window of their bedroom and saw the two boys in question tied up to two bedsteads by means of pieces of rope attached to their wrists and ankles. The attention of the police was directed to the matter, and the boys were released by P.C. Wells, who gained access to the room by climbing through the window and found the ropes so securely tied that he had to cut them. An information was afterwards laid and a warrant granted for the . arrest of prisoners, who, at the time the boys were found tied up, were out at work. When the woman was taken into custody by DetectiveSergeant Beard she said, " I know they have been, used to being tied up, but I have not neglected them. Sometimes they used to stay out until twelve at night. That is why my" husband tied them up." Upon the man being arrested he said, "I admit that I have been in the habit of tying them up to the bedstead, but they have not been neglected. I can do nothing with them." Some of the neighbours were called to give evidence as to the treatment of the children, who were the sons of the female prisoner by a former husband. The witnesses generally agreed that the children (who they admitted were troublesome) were not properly cared for. One witness, said she had seen the boys go to the dusthole, and take pieces of bread from it, and eat them. Another woman said she had seen the female prisoner kick the younger boy, because he had taken some sugar and milk.

Dr. W. C. M'ence, assistant divisional surgeon, said he saw the boys at the police station. They were in a dirty, filthy condition, and their clothing was torn, scanty, and dirty. There were marks from the ropes on each boy, and there were bruises about both , their bodies. They were both fairly well nourished.

In answer to the charge Dosvvell said he was sorry he tied up the children as; he did. He would not have done it had not the elder boy played them up such tricks. Night after night he had to run the streets after the boy. Both he and his wife were sober people, and spent every penny they got upon their home. Mr. Francis: Against that there is the fact that the children were left, tied up for hours without food in a manner that it would be cruel to tie up'a dog. The female prisoner said she did her best to keep the children clean.

Mr. Francis said the evidence on the other hand showed that they were in a filthy condition. Proceeding, the learned magistrate said it was a disgrace to a civilised country that children should be treated in this way. He w r as ready to believe that the woman nad not so much to do with it as the man, but at the same time he could not exonerate her, because she knew what was going on. He sentenced the male prisoner to three months' hard labour, and ordered the woman to be imprisoned for 21 days with hard labour..