Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1866-06-22 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

DISPUTED PARK. —Thomas England, carter, charged crttelty to his dafighter, Margaret Ann Pattison, a girl ten Wm. Henderson, beerhouse-keeper, and John Walker, years of age, who cane into court just in the state she ran fitter, both of Stockton, with assaulting him in a field at away from his house, with only a chemise to cover her Stockton, on the 17th inst. From the evidence given by naked shoulders, and a skirt, and wrapped in a rug which complainant in a very roundabout manner, for which the had been placed around her by the police. The poor thing Bench frequently rebuked him, it seemed that on Stturday had been examined in the magistrates' private room on the he had gone to a park which he had purchased for his own previous day, when the whole of the lower part of the particular use, and found that there were horses there back, down her thighs and round to her knees, was one belonging to the defendant Henderson. He met Henderson, mass of discoloration; her neck, arms, and face were also and told him to remove the horses, but he refused. On discolmred, and her fingers showed teeth marks the the following day (Sunday) complainant again went to the effects of a bite by her father. The girl, in her evidence, field with his horse, and again met the defendant. admitted she had been guilty of petty thefts and in England placed his pony in the field, but the defendant " finding " money, for which her father had beaten her, Henderson refused to admit it, and drove it away, and she had ran away from home, been picked up and Henderson therefore left the ground, and England took taken to the police station, and sent to the Workhouse. the advantage of his absence to place his pony again in Her mother had been dead five years, and her father the field, and drive out seven horses belonging to Hendee- married again last Christmas. On Friday, she "found" sm. The latter mee,ing England in the Borough a purse containing 2s 6d, which she spent, and afraid to Hotel, a dispute arose about who had a right to the park. return home, slept all night in a passage, and afterwards  went to the house of Mrs Watson, in Gray's Buildings, Bishopwearmonth, where she had once previously been sheltered. Her father and stepmother went thither on Saturday night, and while there the father put her hand into his mouth and bit her finger. She was conveyed home, and her hands fastened behind her back to the bedpost, and left in that condition, with nothing to eat, from Saturday night to Sunday night, when she broke the rope and made her escape from the house. While she was confined, her father took a rope and beat 11,-r about the 10w.2r part of the body. She had nothing to eat during the whole time, and if she had, her hands were so tied that she could not touch food. She escaped from the house with nothing on but what she then wore, made her way to Mrs Watson's house, and was then taken to the police station. Mr Ritson examined her with reference to her peculations, but these the Bench said did not justify the father in murdering his child.—Mrs Watson corroborated the evidence of the girl, in so far as it related to herself.—Mr Francis. surgeon, save the appearances which he found on the ch body.—Mr Ritson, in defence, urged the respectability of his client, and said the child, though young in years, was old in vice and depravity. On two occasions previous to Friday she had stolen money, and on the latter day had taken half-a-crown from a young woman in the house and decamped. The father was exasperated, and had taken the law into his own hands, but unfortunately had given an overdose of punishment. That punishment was not denied, but he denied that he did anything more than lift her clothes and give her a goad whipping. He called evidence in proof. The Bench retired, and after a short consultation, the Chairman said they found the defendant had been found guilty of a most unjustifiable assault, which ought to be punished. Nothing brought forward of what the child had done would extenuate such conduct, and they fined the defendant .£lO or two months' hard labour. The fine was paid.