The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-08-28 00:00:00

CHARGES OF GROSS CRUELTY TO
CHILDREN.

At the Thames Police-court, London, on Tuesday,
Frederick William Honeybone, a ship's clerk, of
Moness-street, Bromley, was charged on remand with
cruelly illtreating his son, William Honeybone, aged
eight years, by not providing him with proper and
adequate food and clothing, and with assaulting him
by beating him with a cane. The evidence given on
previous occasions was to the effect that the prisoner
had subjected the unfortunate-child to gross ill-usage
by thrashing him with a cane, making him stand in
a cold yard in a state of nudity, giving him only
bread and water to eat for several consecutive days,
and tying each of his legs to a log of wood, his legs
being left dangling, in which condition he was found
in a room by a constable. It was suggested on the
last occasion that the Tressury should be communi-
cated with, and Mr. Lewis now attended to prosecute.
Mr. Saunders said the more serious nature of the
charge had failed. There could be no doubt Honey-
bone had assaulted his son, and whatever he might
have done, it was not right to put logs on him. The
prisoner would be sentenced to one month's hard
labour.

At the Hammersmith Police-court, Edward Merrett,
a carpenter, and Martha Hillier, with whom he had
been living, were charged with causing actual bodily
injury to Hugh Hillier, aged four years. The child,
whose face was covered with bruises, was brought
into court with anbther boy and placed before the
magistrate. Hannah Gibson, of Melina-road, Shep-
herd's-bush, said the prisoner lived in the same
house. On Monday, at dinner-time, the female pri-
soner knocked the child's head and beat him
shamefully. The Clerk: How did she knock his
head? The witness: Against the wall. I have
seen her frequently beat the children. On
Friday the man came home and knocker' the children
about fearfully. The child had no marks upon the
face when the prisoner came in. Mr. Bennett: When
did you see the black eyes ? Witness: I did not see
them until yesterday. It was not done by tbe woman,
as he locked her out. The female prisoner said because
she would not fetch drink for the witness she caused
an "oration." Tile witness denied this. Peter Gib-
son, the husband, stated that the prisoners had fre-
quently beaten the children during the last five months.
On Monday the mother locked the children in the
room and went to work. They crawled out of window.
His wife called him, and then he saw the state of the
child's face. By -the male prisoner: I did not see
you beat the children. I heard you. The male pri-
soner said Mrs. Gibson had beaten the children more
than the mother had done. A witness named Alex-
ander said he had seen the children chucked out in
the street. The Prisoner: They are trying to hang
both of us for being innocent. Dr. C. Good deposed
that on Monday he was called to the police-station
to examine the child. He found that it had seven
contusions on the back, black eyes, the left being very
bad, a severe contusion on the right temple, an
.injury
to the left ear, and several abrasions. Knock mg the
head against the wall would account for the injury to
the ear. The prisoners set up a defence that the
injuries were caused by the child falling out of
window. Sergeant Morley, who arrested the
prisoners, said he examined the room in which they
lived, and found it in a very dirty and destitute con-
dition. Mr. Bennett committed the prisoners for
two months, and directed tho police to take the
children to the workl;:oufte