The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-05-30 00:00:00

CHARGE OF DESERTING CHILDREN.

At the Clerkenwell Police-court, London, James
Finlon, aged thirty-seven, described as a French
polisher, and a lecturer in the employ of the Reform
League, was brought up on a warrant and charged
with deserting his four children, whereby they had
become' chargeablJ to the parish of St. Mary,
Islington.
Mr. Messer said : lam relieving officer of the parish
of Islington. Four children of the defendant's—
James, aged nine, William, aged eight, Frank, aged
six, and Mary Caroline, aged four and a half years,
were adulated to the workhouse on the 4th of the
present month, and are still chargeable. On the 6th
I received a note from the defendant saying that he
was astonished his children had been brought and ad-
nattA to the workhouse, and that he would in the
course of a day or two come up, pay all the expenses
that had bees incurred, and take the children away.
Instead of doing so he took no notice, but on the 12th
he sent another hotter, saying that on the following
day he would come and take out the children. I heard
nothing further of the defendant, nor did I see him
until Monday morning, when he was in custody.
The children were brought to me by the defendant's
sister, who said that the defendant had neglected to
send her money for their support.
The defendant, who is a } rench polisher and also a
lecturer on Reform, said that he had been at work at
Lee, in Kent, since Thursday last, and that he was
going to work again the next morning.

Kate-Finlon said: I am the sister of the de-
fendant, anal I took the defendant s children to the
w.,rkhousa because I could not afford to keep them any
loncer. I had had them for a fortnight before. The de-
fendant paid partly fa w their support. lam engaged
at work, and could not look after them.
Mr. Messer said the defendant's wife is now an in-
mate of the Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum, and had
been so since January of the present year.
The witness : I gave the defendant notice on the
Sunday night, previous to taking the children to the
workhouse, that I intended to take them the following
day. and I did so. Ile did not send net au answer. Ile
has had work during the last month or PO.
. .

By the defendant: I received a letter from you
,aying that you would come the following day and
take out the children. I received from you for the
maintenance of your four children for a fortnight
Oil.

Mr. Messer said that the children had before been
neglected, and he had to send an officer to inquire
about them. They had been left with parties who had
themselves been paupers, and were so when he took his
children to them.
Moss, the warrant officer, said he took the de-
fendant into custmly on Sunday afternoon inside the
workhouse, the defendant having pine there to see
Ids children. He had, about twelve months since,
guile to see the defendant's children. He then found
them almost naked, and there was but very little fo,sl
in fife house at the time.
The defendant said that it had been stated that he
u'as a lecturer in the employ of the Reform League,
but he had not received a farthing for anything he had
said for more than eighteen nitinths. He had now got
Tment, and if an arrangement could be come to
he would take his children away and provide for them
in a proper way.
Mr. alesser said he should leave the case in the
hands of the 'Magistrate, who said he considered the
case proved, but he should adjourn it for three weeks,
to enable the defendant to provide for his children and
to settle with the parish.
The defendant, who was then bound over, left the
court.