The Sun.
London, England, 1835-09-18 00:00:00

UNION- HALL.

On Wednesday, a female child, about seven years of
age, the daughter of a man named Hanks, living at 55,
George,street, Blackfriars-road, was brought up to this
office by Inspector Fagan of the M division, who found her
in a most deplorable condition at her father's house. She
was worn almost to a skeleton, her bones nearly protruding
through the skin. She was pale and emaciated ; and, in
fact, had A the appearance of starvation depicted in her
countenance. In addition to the miserable plight in which
the poor child appeared, she had scarcely any covering upon
her, and the few rags she had on were covered with vermin.
From her appearance altogether, it was evident that she
had been most shamefully neglected.
Inspector Fagan stated, that in consequence of informa-
tion he had received from a policeman on duty in George-
street, respecting the ill usage of the child by its parents,
and that several of the neighbours were witnesses of the
fact, he bad the child brought away from the house, in
order that some inquiry might be made into the case. The
Inspector then applied for a warrant against the father,
which was immediately granted by the Magistrate, Mr.
JEREDIY, to whom the following medical certificate was
handed for his perusal :—" I hereby certify I have exa-
mined the female child, Caroline Hanks : she appears to
be in the most wretched, filthy, and miserable condition
imaginable, brought on, in my opinion, by starvation and
ill treatment."
Mr. JEREMY, seeing the dreadful state in which the child
appeared, would not send it to a home where it was exposed
to such ill usage, but gave directions that it might be taken
to Christchurch workhouse, and at the same time gave the
policeman the following note, addressed to the parish offi-
cers, to deliver to them respecting its admission ;—" The

child brought by the police officers is sent by the Magis-
trates for the protection of the parish, pending the inquiry
into a charge of brutal ill treatment against its father and
his second
The above note was given into the hands of one of the
parish officers, who was at the workhouSC at the time ,• and
althot gh. hq. witnessepl the poor o; misery,,ntul also
SaW the tiledWa be'r:tillate; VNtAte refused to give it refug-,.?
for a single clay, t:.s.l.!!ug the polled COnda•bie that the child
could not be admitted. When the policeman reril'eferrtted
tigainit gifeh 0:1 act,of inhumanity, he was told that if he
left the child there it be either sent back to the sta-
tiiirblide,Se dr this dffice: .
jidrhilv; aftef.hearini the result of ihe iipeisgtion
for the ehiidls adnaigsieri ith 40; WiAbouse expressed,ii
strong terms, his condemnation of suet Sariddct an the part
of those who had the management of its interritefegula-
tieliS. Tht Magistrate then directed that the inspector
should take care of the AU, end ik was accordingly con,
veyed to the station-house, where it was prOti4cd with such
Wracks as the place afforded.
Yesterday Phonidi Muffs, the father of the child, was
brought before Mr. WEnnwodr3 Mid Mr. CANCELLOR, to
answer the adfge above-mentioned.
Rowley, a polidertithil sirited that he found the defendant's
child nearly in a state of ntldif art Na: 55, in Oadrge-
itreeti and although so weak and ill front ti atent starcam
tion it appegdd fejdieed upon being taken away frwiri the
place. 'lts flesh was eoirered With filth and vermin ; it Wat
elearit't'd ltd ithiriersian in a warm 'bath, Some food was
given the child at the gailb'nuhuuse, which it devoured vo-
raciously. The policeman added that he took the father
into custody that morning, but the child'S Stilittiother, whom
he alsd Intetadad to have apprehended, was Congticki to her
bed by illness.
Sarah Lowrie stated that she lived r/Calf Hanks's house,
and that en Saturday last she saw him strike the ghild with
his fist on the Meal,. and make it bleed. She had seen
the child in the yard, neatly naked, picking the potato
peelings out of the dust-hole and eating them. Witness's
daughter had frequently given the child food when it was
crying with hunger, but witness herself had not given the
child any in consequence of the stepmother's having abused
her one day for doing so. The witneis added that she
'heard disputes between the defendant and his wife re-
specting the child, and believed that the stepmother was
even more cruel and oppressive in her conduct towards it
than her husband.
Mrs. Barrell, another neighbour, Stated that she saw the
child shut up in an empty room in her father's house, quite
naked, and in a most pitable condition. On other occa-
sions she had seen a girl who livess the butcher's shop give
meat down the area railings to the child, who seemed
starving at the time,
Mr. Stone stated that he lived near the defendant's
house, and had occasional opportunities of seeing the child,
in whose appearance there was such a strong contrast be-
tween her and the other of the defendant's children. This
was accounted for from the fact of the other children being
those of his wife by a former husband. The witness added
that the child had called at his house. She appearedto be
starving, and asked for food. He had repeatedly given it
victuals. None of the defendant's other children had the
appearance of this child, they were always neat and clean
• in their dress, and seemed well fed, while on the con-
trary, this child was ragged, filthy, and emaciated in its
appearance.
Mrs. Chapman stated that she had frequently witnessed
the deplorable condition in which the poor child was kept
by its parents, and was convinced that if it was subjected
much longer to such treatment it could not live. She
added, that she heard repeated disputes about the child
between the defendant and the stepmother, and believed
that if there was any difference in the conduct of either
towards it, that exhibited by the latter, was the worst of
the two.
The defendant denied the charge of ill treatment, and
said that the child had a most voracious appetite, and that
it was in the habit of eating twice as much as he did him-
self. He also said that the child was naturally of filthy
habits, and could not be kept clean.
Mr. WEDGWOOD sent for one of the stepmother's chil-
dren, and although it was a year younger than the little vic-
tim of the treatment above described, yet the contrast in
their appearance was surprising, the former being healthy,
• plump, and well dressed, while on the other hand the step-
, child was the picture of squalid misery.
Mr.WEDGWOOD remarked upon this latter circumstance,
and said that it was evident that the poor child was the
victim of great cruelty on the part of both father and step-
mother. The Magistrate then held the defendant to bail,
and said that if the parish officers did not prosecute, they
• would be guilty of a gross direliction of their duty.