A SAD CASE.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1675, 31 March 1883, Page 2

A SAD CASE.

'A ca.se of a peculiarly painful nature jwoman named ,E}iaab6th r Hannah appeard to? make an awlicati° a *° nave her chM in the Industrial Home. The circumstances whioKae r d?tb-'*fiet application, as 'disclpwU'y tbe.qtatemen^of Sergt, Me- ) jGovern and the evidence of tne applicant, maybVsummedj up-, as- ftjUoWa /i— ■The woman for some years lived with a imanlnamed Richard n, deferred,, (payment section at Waitetuna. While 'there she bore him two children, the ieldes£Af |which^wajr-thfcj'f nbjeetf $\ the 'present application.* -About- a~yeaff ago the two separated, the wOman taking the fyouugestj^Ud, aod^the. u |nau 'The woman entered service, but hearing 'her dausfeftM\va£ tiot''recehWgKsroper treatment she, a few days ago, paid a visitito Wnjite,tiuqa' l ,and;/fottnft jtbe, chijd running about in a semi- wild state, clorhctt in rags. The little' 1 Creature was exhibited in Court in_ihe condition in \r hich she was found, and while # her costume would not havfe'dbne' c^e«lifi^to a firstclass ,mUiner, being constructed chiefly 1 oiit! of A "501b aour Wg, sh'o* did' not'srfem to have been subjected to harsh treaV nient or stinted in her "f odd. Thcniother, however, said she was W^ f to run about in the bush in' charge of two boys, aged about 14, and had no, female companionship, and she prayed that the child might be sent to the, Industrial Home, a,nd thajl the father might he* Jnade to cOntribJite towards her maintenance. The magis-trate-asked if 'any steps, had aver, been taken to prove tho paterity of the child, to which Sergt. SMcGdvcrhh'eplied in the negative. Mr Northcroft said that would be necessary ; befpre Ije could^ niaj^e aJi order. The Court .was, adjourned, and an, information wa*' accordingly laid against Wihon* charging Mum 'with fbeing i]t(l)e father of the child. .Defendant admitted that ' he was. the *" father, and said lie was quite "willing to support the child, 1 but would . not' consent to placing it in the charge of the woman, who was not a fit :uid proper person ►to undertake such a duty. He was .proceed ing to make insinuations, f i\bout the Ayoman's character, when the magistrate bfcoppe'l him with the remark that ho ought to bo ashamed of himself. It was unmanly, after bringing ttie woman "to herpiesent position to turn round and upbraid her. The mothpr of the child said she was not in' opposition to support it, but wished it taken away from defendant. ' Dc'ferid-mt said 'he was 'quite willing to keep the child, but could not afford" to pay anything towards its support. He had been., in very bad health, and had not been able to do much work. He was obliged to live on hja place, as he was already , behind-hand ill fulfilling the conditions, ; under the deferred payment system. His Worship ordered the defendant, ,to, pay 7s ,per [ week towards the maintenance of tho child at' the Industrial Home, and to find two sureties of £25 for the Hue payment thereof, in default to go to gaol for six mqnths 1 . Defendant said he would hriye togo to gaol, as he could never 'find the sureties.' Mr ' 'Nbrtlicroft' , thereupon agreed to give defendant a fortnight's grace, i .• ■