Little Ravages.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 5013, 22 May 1889, Page 3

Little Ravages.

On Saturday Inst two members of the A shburton police force were despatched to Roxburgli Station, near Alford Forest, to take charge of the family of a small farmer named Rogers, reports havißg been received that the children were living like savages. The eldest boy, aged eleven, saw the police coming and cleared out, and although the constables searched for a couple of hours they failed (o find him. Three other children of ages ranging from nine to five wore caught in the house and taken to Ashburton. Rogers bad on the previous day left borne with the intention of staying away a fortnight, and the only thing in the shape of food the police found in the house was a lump of hard bread and a bunch of raw carrots, There were no blankets, no table, no chairs, the fl jor was earthen and the interior in a very filthy state. Each child had a few foul rags to serve the purpose of clothes and how these tatters hung together in a mystery. On the coldest night experienced this season the children slept out under a hedge with no covering save one piece of a blanket ; in the morning their breakfast consisted of raw turnips. They all, says the Guardian, look chubby and healthy and appear to be fairly intelligent, but their habits are those of savages. They were taken to the police station and will be looked after until they can come before the magistrate. The father has the freehold of the farm he occupies and is said to be fairly well off. His wife has been dead about two years. The unfortunate little things were brought up before two of the local Justices and remanded to Thursday, as the matter is one which must be dealt with by a Resident Magistrate or Judge.