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THE DISMISSAL OF A BARRY OFFICIAL.

SHOCKING CASE OF NEGLECT.

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SHOCKING CASE OF NEGLECT. —- EATEN BY VERMIN. HEARTLESS CONDUCT OF PARENTS. At the Penarth Police Caurfc on Monday (before Colonel Guthrie, in the chair, Major Thornley, and Mr. Llewellyn Wood) Henry Randell, hobbier, late of Cogan, but now of Cadoxton. and his wife, wero charged by the authorities of the R.S.P.C.C., for whom Mr. White, of Cardiff, appeared, with neglecting to feed and clothe their four children in a proper manner. Defendants did not appear. In opening tho case for the prosecution, Mr. White remarked that this was the first case ever brought by the Royal Society for the Protection of Children from Cruelty before this Bench, and perhaps it would be well for him to tell their worships of the Act under which these proceedings were takon. They were taken under the first section of tho Act for the protection of children, which had been rightly termed, The Children's Charter." ihis section provided punishment of those who exercised control over a boy under 14 and a girl under 16, and who wilfully neglected, ill-treated, abandoned, or exposed such child in a manner to unnecessarily cause suffering or injury to health. For the prosecution he called Maria Hooper, married woman, of 35, Harriet- street, Cogan, who said that until recently the defendant had resided two doors away from her house. They had four children—Henry, aged 7 years Lucy, aged 6 years Lanella, aged 4 and George, aged 2 years. The children were always in a perfectly dirty condition, and she had never seen them clean. They were generally nearly naked, and gtarved. She had, in company with her lodgers, seen the two little ones eat dirty turnip rinds picked from the dust heaps and on one occasion sho went out, took the rinds away, and gave them proper food-bread and jam. At another time she supplied the children ipth clothes, which were put on and never came off again until they dropped off from filth and dirt. She examined the flesh when she put the clothes on them, and it was in a shocking condition, being eaten by vermin. She had seen the children day by day eat offal they picked up in the street. The fathe.v of the children was a hobbler, and earned good wages on an average, and she attributed the wretched condition of the children not to want of money, but to the parents' intemperate habits. They were always in drink, the mother especially so. The mother and father were in the same dirty and half-starved condition themselves. She (witness) had seen the female defendant take the oldest boy. Harry, and bump his head against the wall with such force as to be heard inside her house. At this sta.ge of the case the magistrates issued a warrant for tho apprehension of both defendants. On Wednesday Inspector Rees effected the arrest of Henry Randall, labourer, and his wife, Louisa Randall, formerly of Harriet-street, Cogan, who were charged at the Barry Dock Police Court on Thursday. A report of the case appears in another column.

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