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Burnley Express
Wednesday 2 July 1890
Shocking Neglect of a Child at Haggate
Exemplary Sentence.
At the Burnley County Police Court, on Monday, before J. Dugdale, Esq., (in the chair), and other magistrates, Thomas Emmett, stone mason, Back Halifax-road, Haggate, was summoned at the instance of Inspector Cherer, of the R.S.P.C.C., for wilfully neglecting his three children in a manner likely to cause injury to their health between April 24th and June 25th. It was stated on behalf of the society said that the children were aged respectively twelve, eight, an four. It appeared that the deceased's wife died about three months ago. Inspector Cherer, from information received, went to the house on June 17th, but found no one at home. The house consisted of two rooms, one upstairs and one downstairs. There was not a single article of furniture upstairs, and in the room downstairs there was a dirty mattress, a filthy old flock bed, the remains of an old flannel petticoat, a dirty old quilt, a broken three-legged table, and three partly broken chairs. In a cupboard he found a small portion of stale loaf, two ounces of treacle, and a little salt. There was no sign of any other food; neither was there any fire in the grate. In a little coal-house there were some dirty rags, and a pail filled with cinders and filthy matter. In the afternoon the Inspector found the two younger children wandering around the streets. They were in a dirty, filthy condition, both as regarded personal cleanliness, and the state of their clothing. On June 24th the Inspector again went to the house, and found the place apparently in a worse state than before. That morning (Monday) he went a thrid time, and found the three children only partially dressed huddled together on the mattress. The only food in the place was a loaf of mildewed bread, and there was no fire in the grate. The defendant was a good workman and was able to earn 6s. per day. But he was in the habit of putting in only two or three day's work a week, and devoting the rest of his time to drinking. The children had, of course, come under the notice of the school attendance officer, but it appeared that some of the scholars had really refused to sit with them owing to their filthy condition. The defendant had been in the habit of taking the eldest child with him, and keeping him outside the public houses until closing time.
Inspector Cherer, in his evidence, bore out this statement. -George Law, stone-mason, Haggate, said the defendant formerly worked for him, but he was obliged to discharge the man because he stopped away from his work. He might have been away drinking. -Thomas Bannister, School Board Inspector, Briercliffe, said the children in question had attended the school very irregularly, and he had received complaints from the teachers as to their condition. -Ellen Sutcliffe, Haggate, sister of the defendant, said her brother did not work regularly because he went off drinking. She had sometimes given the children two meals a day. -P.C. Pryor said the defendant was a man of drunken habits. He agreed with the previous witness as to the neglected condition of the children. He had frequently seen them out in the streets as late as eleven o'clock at night.
The Chairman said the magistrates considered the case to be a very bad one indeed. The defendant could have provided for the children if he had cared, and the Bench were determined to do their best to put a stop to this dreadful neglect of children. The defendant would be committed to Preston gaol for two months' hard labour in each case - six months in all.
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Mel
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