Widnes Examiner. — 1884-08-30 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

IVIFE DESERTION: A TALE OF MISERY. During the last few weeks there has been an unusual number of cases of wife desertion in Warrington, and on Tuesday a sad state of things was revealed at the Borough "furl, when a man, who was afterwards designated by the siting chairman, Councillor monkS, as a drUnhen vagabond, was charged with neglecting to maintain his two children, the prosecution being taken up by Mr Shearer, relieving officer, who said that the prisoner and his family had `proveCi a source of trouble to the Board of Guardians f-or the last 12 months. On the 22nd instant ON Of children were admitted jot) the House, whlch formed the subject of the present charge.—Mr Harbourne, relieving officer, gave evidence to the effect that the prisoner's two children were in a neglected condition. He had frequently been to th 3 prisoner's house, and found him drinking there. Ile was totally unfit to have the care of children—lnspector Norman also proved having visited the house, and said that it was almost destitute of furniture, two battens of straw forming the principle part. There were no provisions in the house, but the prisoner was partly drunk at the time. He was found work by the Corporation, but he ran away from it. Prisoner: I ran away because I had the diarrhma.—,lnspector Norman: The children were in a deplorable state. I have received a letter saying that on the 20th of this month he sold the last rag in the house to get a penny with which to buy 801118 drink.—P,imner was sentenced to a month's hard labour..—Thomas Bate was charged at the same court with leaving his wife and child chargeable to the Warrington Union.—Mr Harbourne said that the prisoner and his wife had been very unhappy for some time, and the latter had not been able to live with him, because of his misconduct. When be last visited their house he found her without food, and he sent the prisoner notice that be would be prosecuted if he did not provide for his wife and children. When before the Guardians prisoner admitted having received as much as 293 a week, and that be did not give his wife any money for four months.—Prisoner was sent to gaol for one month with hard labour.—On Monday, at the same court, a labourer named Joseph Ireland, of Winwick-street, was charged on remand with deserting his wife and three children, whilst living in Kinder's-yard, Latchford.—The case was adjourned for a fortnight to see if the prisoner would make some arrangement with his wife.—At the Borough Court on Thursday, George Arnold, a joiner, of 78, Bostockstreet, was charged with neglecting to maintain his wife and four children.—Mr Shearer stated that on Monday week the prisoner went home drunk. His wife had supper ready, but he was not pleased with it, and abused her, threatening to murder her. On the same evening he turned her out of the house and she was admitted at the Workhouse, and prisoner said that he was going to drown himself, but he appeared to have changed his mind.—Mr Harbourne stated that on the 25th of the present month prisoner's wife applied for relief for herself and children. He found that she was in need, and the same day served prisoner with a notice to provide for her.—Prisoner was sent to gaol for a month with lard labour, at which he seemed greatly surprised.-At the earns Court Peter Baguley (32), labouter, Cockhedge Lane, who made his 78th appearance for various offences, was charged with neglecting to maintain his wife and two children.—On the 10th July the prisoner's wife and family were admitted to the Workhouse, and he was afterwards admitted. They remained until the 25th August, prisoner being indebted to the amount of £3 12s. On Sunday night prisoner obtained leave to go search for work, and took his family out, but he brought them back on Tuesday night. It was found that he had been working on Monday, and had not given his wife a penny.—The Bench sent him to prison for thres months with hard labour.