THE UNWELCOME INFANT.

NZ Truth, Issue 139, 15 February 1908, Page 5

THE UNWELCOME INFANT.

AN AWFUL AUCKLAND AEFAIR. A Precious Pair of Kidnappers. Magistrate Kettle is Justly Indignant, When an Auckland grocer named Lewis Hook wooed a siniple maiden m the golden radiance of the northern sub-tropical autumn, it woulrl have, been better for- ,all concerned had he married the girl ; but he induced her to love unwisely, and the resulting family of one caused considerable disturbance m"a prosaic world. The kid didn't have a chance I right from the commencement, for the girl went into a nursing home, and advertised for "some kind person" to adopt an expected infant, sex unknown, for a small consideration of £25. Applicants rushed the home with considerable eagerness, and waited around on the doorstep for the youngster to be born. Twp persons named Frank Gerald' Bailey and Marion Myers happened to fee nearest when the specie of humanity entered a cold and relentless world, and they rushed *it off the premises before the color of its eyes could be determined by its unhappy mother". In fact, that wretched creature's cort'duct ieeems to, have been purely animal and unnatural, and devoid of the maternal instinct. But perhaps they took it from ' her forcibly. BajlsV and Myers were two beautiful specimens to have charge of a child, and 1 certainly had' they made formal an- ; plication j FOR PERMISSION TO ADOPT " i the Baby I the poUce would; have reported against them.. There can be no doubt that the death of the child was due to the neglect of this strange couple. Bailey has a family m Australia, and Myets has a husband and. family also m the Island Continent. Also, the woman beers with peculiar consistency, and was m a constant state of hiccough during the sojourn of the kid with the immoral couple. Bobby Duim, who visitect the house m Jer-vois-road, found the infant lying on a bed m. a filthy condition, while < 'Mrs Bailey" was m a state qt stuoift drunkenness, TJhe peeler, -JiirriscH ' the father of nine children, said the kid had been treated m a disgraceful and cruel manner, and he immediately had it washed and taken to a licensed home. Four days later it exhibited symptoms of siokaess, and died shortly afterwards. • The disreputable twain wero subsequently charged, under section 8 of the Children's Protection Act, 18S(i with ciuel neglect of a baby adopted by them, Bailay denied that the woman Myers was constantly intoxicated, but the filthy female herself admitted taking some whisky on Friday night because of the groat pain she was suffering. Like S&h-y Gamp, apparently, she was afflicted ! with spasms, . • I. His Worship Kettle romatirnd that any person guilty of neskoiiisr, ali--andoniitg, and exposing a child, was liably to a penalty of £100 if dealt wita iadictaWr, with an alternative of two years' imprisonment, and £50 or three months, if dealt with sun> marilyi Under the Criminal Code anyone- convicted of cruelty to a child under two years of age was qdso liable to three yeats' imprisonment. In the opinion of bis Worship, tbe parting with the child by the mother m the circumstances already narrated was very wrong, if not AN ACTUAL CRIMINAL . OFFENCE; m .fact, such a parting; was an aban<donment. No inquiries had been made as to the suitableness of the adopting parents, the child being sim.ply .banded o\«r without question, and. m Mr Kettle's opinion; a conr siderable part of the inducement to take the child was the £25. Had it been proved that the child's death Was directly due to neglect, he woulil have, declined to treat the case under the statute, and would have directed the police to lay an information against the parties concerned under, the criminal code for manslaughter. The medical evidence, however, showed that death was not directly due to neglect, although it- was ' strongly) suspicious that that factor had been a" contributing cause. His indignant Worship said the evidence showed a SCANDALOUS STATE OF ■,/ . ' / AFFAIRS, and pointed to a growing inclination among some mothers to shirk nursing their unhappy 'offspring, and an, abnormal desire to dodge their natural and moral obligations. A fine of £10 and costs, or 6ne month's "hard" was imposed.