Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Monday 08 November 1909
Not Fit For Pigs.
Pestilential Mexborough Home
Parents’ Shocking Neglect of Child.
A deplorable story about a feeble-minded Mexborough child was related to the Doncaster Riding magistrates on Saturday afternoon, when George William and Sarah Ann Austwick were charged with neglecting their son, who is eight years of age.
The prosecution was instituted by the N.S.P.C.C., for which Mr. J. Baddiley appeared. It was stated that the parties do not live together, and the child is in the charge of the mother, who is a drunken and immoral person.
In 1906 the father took the custody of the child, and sent him to Wakefield. Eventually the mother fetched the child to Orchard Street, and for the last three months he had been seen running about almost naked. Both parents were warned.
One day in September a Denaby woman named Ford saw the boy running about Denaby, and took him to her home and gave him food and shelter, but she could not put him in bed as he was too filthy.
Several witnesses, including Inspector Dolan, spoke of the dirty condition of the child and of the woman’s house.
The child was allowed to go about without boots and stockings, and with only an old shirt and an old pair of knickers on. When the summons was served the woman she said, “He’ll have to go down with me this time.”
The strange part of the case was that the child was fairly well nourished. The Inspector saw the male defendant on September 23rd and the man said was paying 3s. 6d. a week for the maintenance the child, but admitted he had not been very regular his payments.
The medical evidence was appalling. Dr. Huey had seen the child in the street absolutely naked. The odour in the house was pestilential, and the bedding not fit for pigs to sleep on. Owing to the mental condition of the child it could not be sent to a home. The male defendant paid he had found money for the boy’s keep and clothing, but the money had been spent and the clothing pawned. A fortnight ago he sent suit of clothes for him, and he had never had them on his back. Defendant had not lived with his wife since 1902.
The Guardians would not admit the boy into the Workhouse, and the people where he lodged would not have him owing to his dirty habits.
The wife denied the charge of drunkenness, and said her husband had only given her 4s. and The case had previously been before the Court 1908. and the defendants had been fined.
The Chairman {Mr. Yarborough) said the male defendant was the proper guardian of the child, and he had not taken notice of the previous warning. He was committed to prison for one month, and the wife was sent for three months.
The child, by order the Bench, was sent to the Workhouse.