THE Thames Advertiser. THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1889.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXII, Issue 6346, 20 June 1889, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1889.

Tk" decision oi the two justices who sat on the Bench yesterday morning to d'spose of the assault case on the unfortunate little orphan, took oven the people oi the Thames by surprise, and the expressions of indignation fid dis gust whbh have been exchanged by every man, woman, and child, who has learned the facts should be sufficient to prevent either of the two justices ever sitting on the Bench again; if their own sense of decency, after beiug convinced, which on reflection they must be, of their utter incapacity to put two and two together does not lead to the voluntary resignation of their judicial positions not twenty minutes should be lost by the Government in gazetting the cancellation of their commissions. It is | quite unnecessary to enlarge on the case orjto blacken the facts against tliera by appeal to sentiment, what we have to den! with are the evidence, the decision, and the reasons given for its pronouncement. A. little girl, fatherless and motherless, except in so fur as thcie inestimable blessings or curses are represented by the Master and Matron )f the Orphan Home, has the major portion of her body blackened by blows, ielivcred without doubt by the woman :o whose care she was consigned. The Doctor of the ilospital, the master of the Orphanage, and a fomale neighbour, a ll , jive evidence as to the nature of the visible signs of ill-treatment, It is not itteuipted to bo shown that there is a possibility of the brutality having been jommitted by any other person than the iccused. In the face of this the two lunderheads who occupied the bench Irivelled out something to the following iffect," It was evident that the girl wife i very bad girl, Mrs Williams might lave punished her too severely, but some ihildren require more severe treatment han others. There was no evidence at ill to show that the bruises were inflicted jy Mrs Williams, and the case would be lismissed. The Bench also said that lefendant left the Court without a stain in her character." Wo have printed the ividence very fully, and we defy any iane man to arrive at the same conJnsion as these two sapient Justices. Che!girl was not shown to be a very bad rirl The evidence clearly showed that Mrs Williams did inflict the punishment, and his beiug so we entirely differ with them n the opinion that she left the Court vithout a stain on her character. If so ill we can say is that it is more hau the justices did.