"THE WOMAN PAYS”

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11415, 11 January 1923, Page 5

"THE WOMAN PAYS”

AN ABANDONED INFANT MOTHER’S STORY OF POVERTY AND PRIVATION. LIGHT PENALTY INFLICTED. A rather pitiful case was before the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. A small woman of 39 years of age appeared before Mr W. G. Kiddoll, S.M., and was charged wjth . unlawfully abandoning a female child fourteen days old on December 30 ch last. For her Mr R. R. Scott appeared, while Sub-Inspector Cummings conducted the police prosecution. l'lie charge was an indictable one. Annie O’Sullivan, nurse in the St. Helens Private Hospital, 6aid that she had nursed tho accused woman under the name of Mary Ford. She had given birth to a female child on December 16th and left on Saturday, Deoember 23rd. Last Wednesday a child had been brought to her and she had identified it as thfe one which the woman Ford had taken with her. Given clothes to examine, witness recognised a frock as the one in which the baby had been clothed when it had left the hospital. FOUND ON THE LAWN.

Annie Eliza Peck, nurse at the Salvation Army Hospital, Kensington street, said that on the afternoon of Saturday, Dec-ember 80th, she had seen a small v-hit© h’ in(^e on the lawn of the hospital. This was at about 4 p.m., and at first she took no particular notice, thinking it to be some blankets. Later she examined it and found it to be a female child, fully dressed in tho clothes produced iu court, and well wrapped up. There were no marks on the clothes and witness had not seen anyone in the grounds. Grace Stevens, also of the Salvation Army, had received a child from the previous witness at about 4.30 p.m. on the date mentioned. A HARD ROW.

Police-Serjjeant Stark had interviewed the accused woman on January 3rd, and she had visited the Central Station and had made a statement voluntarily. In this she had said that she and her husband had been, separated for the past two years. During th© past 12 months she had received only £6 for her support and bad been working to provide her ■ own keep. She. had been perturbed as to the future of the baby which was an illegitimate child, and had taken this action as the only apparent way out. The case for the prosecution then concluded.

His Worship at this stage suggested that the case was on© in which, the charge might very well he reduced to a summary offenoe, under the Protection of Infants Act, 1908. . Sub-In-spector Cummings being of like mind, the charge was reduced accordingly, and to it the accused entered a plea, of guilty. “NOT A CALLOUS ONE.” “The case « not a callous one of abandoning a child,” said Mr Scott to the court. “The baby was well wrapped up, and could come to no harm. She has been very unfortunate during the last twelve months, and could not see how ’ the [baby was to receive the attention which it needed, as she was forced to work all day and had little money.” He submitted that the offence might be met by' ordering her to come up for sentence when called upon. “Under the Crimes Act the defendant is liable to two years’ imprisonment,” said His Worship, “and it is only proper that where a person has committed this offence, he or she should be brought before the court and punished as a warning to others “There are, however, different cases of abandonment. In this case if the defendant went to the Supreme Court the sentence which would be imposed would be somewhat similar to that which would follow in a summary way. Under the circumstances I doubt whether it is advisable to put the country to the expense of sending this case on to the jury. However, as the defendant went to the Salvation Army Home, it is difficult to understand why she did not call upon the Salvation Army people in the ordinary way.” A sentence would not have any dctorrejrfc effect upon the defendant, said His Worship, and he ordered her to come up for sentence if called upon within the next six months.