Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-08
DESERTI0N OF CHILDREN
ON INCREASE IN LONDON
ALL SOCIAL GRADES APPEAR ON
LISTS
One RecaIcitrant Father Is Found
to Own a Yacht and to Be
Possessed of Large
Sums
Special Gable to The Herald.

Special Cable to The Herald
LONDON, Sept. THE number of
children deserted in London by their
parents is increasing at an alarming
rate. The latest list from Wands-
worth, where there is organized prose-
cution of such heartless parents, alone
includes $50 little ones, and the total
of rewards offered for information
leading to the arrest and conviction"
of fugitive parents has reached 1925.
Wandsworth is only one of thirty
London parishes, though 1t Is the most
populous. William Haggis, who con-
ducts the prosecution of defaulters for
the Wandsworth union, says that in
the four parishes of Islington, Cam
berwell. Lambeth and Wandsworth
there must be more than 1000 children
who have been deserted by their natu-
raj guardians, and are chargeable to
the unions.
In the Wandsworth list of wanted"
persons, which is typical of the other
parishes, there are men and women
with families of five or six children, all
of whom have to be maintained by the
long-suffering ratepayers. One wom-
an, whose two children are in the
workhouse, deserted them in 1898. The
youngest was then three and half
years old, and she is still under the
The warrant for the mothers arrest
was obtained Immediately after she
disappeared. Unless she is taken be-
fore long her name will disappear from
the published list, though the warrant
will continue to be in force.
Mr.. Haggis is determined that, so far
as he can insure 1t, the guilty shall not
go unpublished. In one case he secured
the arrest and conviction of a man who
had returned to London after being in
America for nine years.
People of almost all social grades are
represented in this deserters' black list.
One man owned a yacht, and, when
brought to book, was able to pay sub
stantially for the maintenance Of his
wife and children.
A peculiarly pathetic case is now receiv.
ing the attention of the guardians. Soon
after the holidays began a woman--the
ranged from 8 months to 5h years. came
to the guardians with an application for
| outdoor relief. Her husband, a young
man and a certihcated school teacher
had drawn his holiday pay and run of
with a girl teacher, the sister of well
known clergyman. She received u shil-
lings weekly and a warrant for the mans
arrest.
The methods of deserters in throwing
off their responsibilities are various
There are two children now in the
Wandsworth workhouse whose father
after obtaining an admission order fol
them and himself. sent them on with the
message that he intended to follow. Thai
was many months ago. His name nov
appears on the black list.
Nemesis does not always overtak,
these unnatural parents" said Mr. Hag
gis "The proportion of captured offend
ers is not great The sovereign paid fol
information is an inducement that is no
always effective. Most convicted desert
ers have been given away out of spite.
'T do not think that the majority of Of
tenders leave the country. What shoulf
be done, / think, is to appoint warran
officers for each poor law area, will
scouts to visit the accustomed haunt
of the wanted ones. This would rap
idly reduce the lists which have to b'
issued from time to time