POLICE COURT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 9043, 11 January 1901, Page 2

POLICE COURT.

A VAGBANT. At the Police Court this morning before Mr Barton, S.M., Frederick Hainond, of Auckland, was charged with having no visible" means of support. Constable McLeod deposed that accused had no visible means of support and he had been loafing about Gisborne m a sodden state of drink, associating with the worst company m town, and was frequently seen with persons prohibited under the Licensing Act. He was a married man and his wife had to work for the support of their child. About three days ago witness asked accused the reason why he was not working, and he replied he could not get work. Accused stated he had tried to get work. He said he was a cab-driver by occupation. The Bench remarked it was absurd for accused to say he could not get work m a district like this, and sentenced him to two months' imprisonment m Napier gaol with hard labor. A SAD CASE. A woman named Kate Byrnes was charged with being the mother of a female child aged five months which she did wilfully neglect m a manner likely to cause injury to its health. Accused pleaded guilty, and the Bench decided to near evidence m the case. Mrs Alice McKay called , stated she knew accused who came to her place on the Bth inst with a young baby which witness thought would be about six months old. The accused was m an intoxicated state and slept on the verandah steps for about an hour. The baby was left m the pram and the weather was very warm, the child being left out m the sun. The child did not appear to be clean and its face apparently had been bruised by a fall. Mrs M. Wynd stated she knew the accused, who had lived with her for about ten days some months ago. At the present she (witness) had charge of a baby which was given. into her care by Sergeant Siddells. The child was m a low condition. Its forehead was bruised^and there were also 1 other marks on its "face. It was dirty and hungry and did not appear to have been well nourished. On a previous occasion witness had taken the child from accused as she was helplessly drunk. Sergeant Siddells stated that during the past month accused had been continuously under the influence of liquor, and v for the protection of the infant he had "kept her under supervision, •' and on visiting her had generally found her drunk. About 16 days ago accused's husband sent for wit-j ness, when he found prisoner drunk on i the floor and the baby crying on the bed. Ten days ago witness visited the house on two occasions on one night, when~she was . found to be insensibly drunk, and witness had had to get the infant attended to. On the 7th he visited the house and found prisoner on the floor with the child lying m the middle of the room unprotected. The child had evidently been fed by some of the neighbors. Witness roused her up and after some difficulty she came to. On the Bth Mrs McKay sent for witness who found acccused as stated by Mrs McKay m her evidence. Mrs McKay was nursing the child, and witness noticed bruises on its face. Its general appearance indicated that it" had been badly neglected. Accused was taken to the lock-up and the child handed to Mrs Wynd. Early on the morning of the Bth accused called at the Sergeant's when she was sober and asked for ..a chance, promising to keep sober and to go to work. Ten days previous to her arrest, her husband had left the district, and m her presence he had -accused prisoner, of her drunken habits. The Sergeant stated he had endeavored by advice to keep the woman sober, and m his opinion had he not taken the steps he had the child would have died from the effects of her drunken habits.

The Bench addressing the accused said it was fortunate " the police had taken the steps they had as she might have been brought up on a more serious charge. Father Mulvihill had interested himself on behalf of the accused, and had suggested, to His Worship . that she be sent to an industrial home m Christchurch, when she would be properly treated, and m order that he might be able to make further enquiries he .would defer passing sentence till to-morrow.