Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 18 June 1904
The Cruelty to a Child Case at Conisboro’
The adjourned cruelty case from Conisbro’ was again mentioned.
Elijah Pickerill, miner, and his wife, Charlotte Ann Pickerill, who were summoned at the instance of Michael Dolan, the local inspector of the N.S.P.C.C., appeared in the defendants’ box, charged with cruelly neglecting their baby.
Mr. W. Baddiley, who appeared for the society, said they would remember the case was adjourned four weeks ago, and the Bench then made an order for the child to be sent to the Workhouse, and ordered the defendants to pay the costs.
The child had been properly attended to at the Workhouse, and had been got into a fair condition, and the question now arose as to what would be done with it.
The case was the worst, so far as the woman was concerned, because the man had given her his wages every week, and the neglect was on her part; the only thing was that the woman was not in a very strong state, and he thought that was why the case had been best adjourned.
Since that time the inspector had seen the parties, and the only thing they now complained about was that they had threatened what they would do at the witness, who gave evidence a month ago. He thought the best course to adopt was to bind the defendants over, and order them to pay the costs. So far as the child was concerned, he understood that the male defendant’s sister was going to take charge of it for a time, but, of course eventually it would come back into the hands of the parents.
The Chairman said the society had no desire to press the case against the two defendants; the woman did not look much better to-day than she did at the previous hearing.
Although the male defendant had not perhaps been directly to blame still he was, to some extent, responsible, and he would have to look after the child in the future better. They would order him to pay the costs, £1 16s. 6d., and 8s. 6d. against the woman, or £2 5s. in all. No doubt the society’s inspector would keep an eye on the case, and upon their future behaviour.
He might point out to them that if they were brought again on a similar charge they would be sent to Wakefield.
Although the child was under the direct care of the woman still some responsibility rested with the male defendant, as the child could not have been in that shocking state without his knowledge.