ILL-TREATING CHILDREN.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10192, 16 November 1900, Page 2

ILL-TREATING CHILDREN.

STEP-MdtHEk gpdRE THE COURT.

CHRISTCHURCH JUSTICES' IDEA OF JUSTICE.

(Per United Press Assoniation i

CHRISTCHURCH, November 15.

At the Police Court yesterday morning, before three justices, Lilhe Lang w,\s charged with having wilfully illtreated her two step-children, boys aged 12 and 9 respectively. The elder boy said that on Monday he had been given some order by hia etep-mother which he did not hear, and as he could not repeat it she took him into the house, took off hi& coat, and thrashed him with tho buckle end of a heavy strap. Then 1/e was sent out to weed the garden, but "could not stand it any longer," and ran away with his brother. Tho boy, who was very small for his age, stripped and showed his back and tirma covered with Weals and bruises. Tj his stepmother: He told iots of stories, and had ottc6 ldst^a letter. Hd had givba lets of provoc'&fciorti and had olco said "Shan't to some order. To Sub-Inspector Black: He told stories beciuse ha was frightened of getting a thrashing. Detective Cossels acd Dr Symes gave cvidencA aa to the condition of the children. The lattc-r flaid that such beating as It id been inflicted upon the elder boy would have a very bad effect physically. Accused sttH that &he had befln compelled to thrash the boy because of hia naughtiness and did not think he had got mow than ho deserved. She called a noighbour, who said that she had alalways spoken kindly to the boys in his hearing, but that he. had heard she w.afl very strict and rather severe with them. Tho Bench warned the boys to obey better and extracted a promise from the step-mother that "she would try, as she had always done, to make tho boys erod," and dismissed tho case. The boys, however, were so obviously terrified at the idea of going back to tho house and clung so desperately to a policeman, that the Bench, after much discussion, leversed their decision and gavo the children Into the care of tho police, to bo brought before the Stipendiary Magistrate as neglected children. When the Court resumed in the afternoon, Inspector Ellison pointed out that as no conviction had been entered against the step-mother the law would not allow the boys to be kept by the police. The Bench said that in that case they could do nothing, and the boys must go back to their step-mother. Later. A .re-hearing has been granted in the chairgo of cruelty to children case. The caso will i'ome up again on Friday.