Neglect

Hertfordshire Mercury, 1st July 1916

Transcript

At Hertford Borough Sessions, Annie Whittaker, of Haydons Court, pleaded guilty to a charge of neglecting her four children.

Inspector Melaniphy said that, on June 12th., he had gone to the defendant’s house with Sergeant Palmer and had seen 2 children in bed.  The were dirty and flea-bitten, and the house had been filthy.  He had asked the defendant where her other two children were and she had said that they were away.  He had not believed her, had gone upstairs, and had found the other two children in bed.  The eldest boy had a skin disease, and that the room and bed-clothes had been filthy.  There had been cobwebs all over the room and the stairs.  The defendant, at that time, had been under the influence of alcohol.

Inspector Melaniphy had called in Dr Hall, and the children were all removed to the workhouse.  The defendant had been warned several times before, there was no food in the house, and she had 25 shillings a week, her husband being away in the army.  Dr Hall bore out the statements confirming the condition of the children.

The porter at the workhouse advised that the children had much improved whilst they had been at the workhouse, the baby having gained over 2 lbs in weight.

The Chairman of the Bench said that the defendant was guilty of gross neglect and would go to prison for a month.

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