The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1898.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9390, 17 March 1898, Page 2

The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1898.

CRUELTY TO CHILDREN.

Tun case against the Haalys, man and wife, in Wellington for cruelty to their nephew, a young and delicate ln.d, disclosed a state of things which, we fear, is not of infrequent occurrence. Tho evidence showed that the lad had been beaten and semi-starved by his inhuman relatives until he and his brother preferred sleeping out in a gully insufficiently clad on a cold night to remaining under the roof of their heartless uncle, and that had Mr John Hutcheson, M.H.R., not noticed them, and taken them to his home, they would probably have died of exposure. As it was, Mr Hutchesen deposed, they were unable at first to walk, so stiff had their limbs become through the cold. The body of the boy Albert, on examination next morning, showod plainly the marks of severe beating, i'his unfoitunate lad stated that he had been kept on a scant allowance of bread and water,and tied up to a bed post for hours after boing flayed with an ox-hide riding whip by both his aunt and his uncle because, to allay tho pangs of hunger, he had spent twopence of tneir money on bread. Once he was kept on bread and water for seven days, and was at other times insufficiently fod and clothed, whilst compelled to work hard dragging gravel up from the beaoh in a hand-cart, in addition to his other tasks of drudgery, in whioh were included clothes washing. The evidence disclosed a shocking case of cruelty and noglect, but tho jury only oonvicted the acoused of unduo sevority in boating the boy. To mark his opinion of their conduct, Judge Edwards fined Mr and Mrs Healy £25 each, giving them three months to pay the money. No doubt the fino will teach thorn that child-beating of such severity as that inflicted by them on their unfortunate nephew is too expensive a luxury for them to indulge in again, if it is over the bad fortune of any unfortunate child to come within tho range of their tender morcioß. It ia to be hoped their oxposure and punishment, which is heavier than the fine alone, seeing that the male offender was dismissed from his position in tne public sorvico in consequence of the chargo, will act as a warning and deterrent upon others. It is the duty of every right-minded person who becomes aware of such oases to draw the attention of the police to them, and thus rescue helpless children from boing starved and ill-used by brutal parents or guardians, who, too often, vent their own ill-tempers on their defenceless thildien. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Young Children should have a branch in every town, as its presence in a place is a safeguard against such brutality as at present too often goes unpunished because people do not like to oxposo tho doings of some of their neighbours, for fear of being called "informers." Forbunatoly for young Green, Mr John Hutcheson, M.H.R., had no such silly objections to doing what is every humano per&on's duty. Ho not only took the poribhing lads to his own home, but brought the matter before tho notice of tho police, with the result that their persecutors have beon severely punished, and held up to public condemnation.