PARENTS IN PRISON

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19663, 24 August 1935, Page 14 (Supplement)

PARENTS IN PRISON

Hungry Children Call for Their Mother. Counterfeit Shillings Bought at Door.

For stark realism there can be few more pitiful stories in the country than that of the seven young Leyton children—six of them left without parental care while their father and mother serve prison sentences, and the seventh, pretty 18-month-old Joan, inside the- gaol walls with her mother, says a London paper. Six months ago the father was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment. He is expected home at Christmas. Recently the mother, Airs Ethel Whatley, was ordered three months’ hard labour for being concerned with another woman in uttering a counterfeit shilling ami possessing nine counterfeit coins. Airs Whatley was quite frank about Ihe counterfeit money. “I bought them," she told the magistrate, “ from a man at the door. I thought at last I should be able to buy food for my hungry children. “ I have had to listen to them crying, “ When are we going to have a decent dinner, mother? Sunday after Sunday their meal has consisted of twopenny worth of meat pieces and a few potatoes." Mrs Whatley collapsed, and had to be carried to her cell when she heard the magistrate say “ Three months.” Meanwhile the six Whatley onildren, four girls and two boys—the eldest a girl of 13—waited at home unaware that their mother had gone to prison. When a News of the World representative visited the home he found that a niece of Airs Whatley, herself only a slip of a girl, had voluhteereci to look after the ’Children until their mother returned to them. The family are broken-hearted, and still waiting for fopd, but the loss of their mother has driven hunger from their minds. Night and day they cry out, “ Won’t they let Alummy come home ?" Tempted and Foil. “Airs Whatley," said the niece, “was getting 25s in money and 12s 6d in food tickets. Her rent was £1

■ a week, which loft her 17s 6d to feed her seven children and herself, and also to clothe the family. “ For weeks the kiddies 'have been hungry, and Airs Whatley has gone hungry days on end in order to scrape a little bit more for her small sons and daughters. “ She told me that the temptation to get extra food was too strong for her when she was offered ten counterfeit shillings for a few coppers. “ The man called at the door and sold them to her. It seems a terrible punishment in the circumstances. “ She had no money to go to a solicitor, and we cannot afford the expense of raising a petition for her release. Maybe the local Member of Parliament will do something. “ The authorities want to send some of the children to a home, but that must not happen. “ Just before she went into the dock to be tried Airs Whatley turned to me and, with tears in her eyes, said, ‘ Whatever they do to me, don’t let them lake my babies away.’ Baby Joan has gone to prison with her mother. The others are at home. “ We don’t know where she is, and we cannot find out. It Is heartbreaking to have to listen to the children crying for their mother. *-* Their father is in a terrible state. He has heard that his wife Is in prison, but is helpless to do anything. He, too, has pleaded that the children shall not be taken away. “He is living for Christmas and liberty. Wo are 'hoping that the weekly allowances will be raised in the meantime. “Even the police were shocked when they realised the conditions un- ! dor which the family lived. Airs j Whatley tried once before all this hap- j pened to get an increase of relief, but it was refused. . . “This, coupled with the fact that ihe children were slowly starving before her eyes, drove her lo the offence for which she has been sentenced.”