Shocking Cruelty To Children

Alleged Against Rushden Parents - Charges of Frightful Neglect

“Mother More to Blame Than The Father” - Nine Months’ Hard Labour For The Mother

  At Wellingborough Police-court on Friday last, David Odell and Ellen Odell, his wife, of 77, High-street South, Rushden, were summoned for neglecting their six children in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to their health, at Rushden, on December 19 and other dates.

  The magistrates were Messrs. N. P. Sharman, E. Sharman, F. Ballard, E. C. Browning, F. Knight, J. Claridge, and Dr. Clark.

  Mr. James prosecuted for the N.S.P.C.C., and described the case as one of the worst he had ever had to bring before the Court.

  The children are now all in the Workhouse.  Their names and ages are:- David, aged 10 years;  Elsie, 8; John, 6; Arthur, 4; Walter, 9; and Alice , 6 months.

  Inspector Knighton, of Northampton, said that on December 19 he visited the house of defendants at 77, High-street South, Rushden, and found the six children, aged 10 years, eight years, six years, four years, two years, and six months old respectively, living there with their mother and father. He saw there Mrs. Odell and the three youngest children. The one at four years of age was sitting on a mat in front of the fire, and its arms and legs were very thin. When he lifted the child it

Screamed As If In Pain,

and it was unable to stand.  It’s clothing consisted of two cotton garments only, both of which were filthily dirty.  The mother said the child was suffering from an internal complaint, for which Dr. Owen was attending it.  The child weighed only 13 lb. 14 oz., whereas it should have weighed 30 lb. 8 oz.  The next child, aged two years and ten months, was also unable to stand, and seemed to be unable to put its legs straight.  Its head at the back was one mass of running sores, and the lower part of its body was red and raw through lack of attention.  Its body generally was filthy.  This child also had only on two cotton garments, both being very dirty.  It weighed 20 lb. 12 oz., whilst its weight should have been 27 lb. 5 oz.  The baby’s head was

One Mass Of Sores,

and its clothing, which was fairly clean, consisted of four garments.  In reply to a question, the mother told the inspector that Dr. Owen attended all the children two months previously.  Later the same day witness went to the house ….  (words missing) .  Witness examined the children’s bedrooms, and found them in a terribly dirty condition.  The four-year old child slept in an ordinary baby’s cot, in which was a heap of rags and an accumulation of filth, the stench from which was horrible.  The bedding was simply saturated, and the covering, of rags and old clothes, was likewise dirty and covered with filth.  Two of the children slept in the same room on the floor on a mattress,

Saturated With Filth,

and their covering consisted of rags only.  The other children slept on a bed consisting of an ordinary iron bedstead and two mattresses, both of which were in the same condition as described in the other case.  The clothing for this bed was a blanket and an old rug.  By the side of the bed on the floor was a washing jug full of filth, and the stench in the room was indescribable.  Spoken to about the condition of the house and children, the mother said she had only a small amount of money and had done her best.  She subsequently admitted to him that the children had had no medical attention for two years.  Witness was informed by the mother that all

The Children Were Insured

Witness spoke to the father, who promised there should be an alteration.

  Dr. Owen said he had not attended defendants’ children for the last two years.  The doctor spoke of the condition of the house when he visited it with the last witness, and gave the result of his examination of the children.  The four-year old child, which he had attended three years ago for marasmus, a wasting disease, was very much emaciated and unable to walk.  The two-year old child had pustular eczema on the head and buttocks, and, like the elder child, was insufficiently clothed.  With regard to the baby, Dr. Owen spoke of vermin marks on its body, which was dirty.  He corroborated the inspector’s evidence as to the condition of the bedrooms, and speaking of the state of the children, he attributed it to

Improper Feeding

and dirt.

  P.S. Ellingham said the father of the children, who is a labourer, was a sober, hardworking, industrious man in full work, his average wages being 17s. 6d. a week.  His employer gave him a very good character.  The woman, witness added, was lazy, dirty, and thriftless, spending most of her time sitting on the doorstep or wandering about the streets.  He had never seen her worse for drink, although he had seen her occasionally visit public-houses.

  The Bench retired to consider their decision, and on their return the Chairman (Mr. N. P. Sharman) said he had never heard of a worse case.  The man was not so much to blame as the woman, but the Bench could not understand how he could allow such a state of things to go on.  The case was such a serious one that the Magistrates had decided to send it for trial at the Quarter Sessions.

  Bail was offered the man, one surety in £10, but the woman would not be allowed out on bail.

At The Quarter Sessions

Heavy Sentence Against The Woman - Six Week’s Imprisonment For The Man

  Yesterday the two prisoners were brought up at the Northamptonshire Quarter Sessions at Northampton .  Mr. Magee prosecuted.

  The case of cruelty to Arthur Odell, aged four, was taken first.

  In his opening speech, Mr. Magee said that this was one of the worst cases ever brought before a Court of Justice.  He proceeded to state that the inspector for the N.S.P.C.C. visited the house on December 19^th and found a boy lying on a mat in front of the fire in a filthy condition.  The boy, although four years of age, could not stand, and his head was covered with sores, which obviously had never been medically attended to.  The boy’s weight was only 14 lbs., whereas the average weight of a boy his age was 37 lbs.

  Inspector Knighton said that when he visited the house on December 19^th, Arthur was sitting on the floor with two cotton garments on

In A Filthy Condition

  Witness lifted the lad, who screamed as if in pain; he could not stand or walk.  He was very emaciated, the arms and legs being very thin, the head was just recovering from being very sore.  The female prisoner, in answer to witness’s questions, said Dr. Owen had been attending him two months previously, but afterwards admitted he had not been attended for two years.  With Dr. Owen witness went again to the house in the afternoon.  The male prisoner was then there, and it was at that interview Mrs. Odell made the admittance that the child had not been attended for two years.  The male prisoner said he would see there was an alteration.  The lad’s cot was a rocking cot, and originally the lad was laid on rags.  The place was in a filthy state and

The Smell Was Horrible

The windows and door were closed.  Five children slept in the room.  Witness took the lad to the workhouse and he was weighed and found he only weighed 13 lbs. 14 oz.,  The child was over four years of age.

  Dr. Owen (Rushden) corroborated, and said the lad Arthur was in an emaciated state.  He had attended the child in 1905.  It was suffering from marasmus and could not assimilate his food.  That would account for the swollen state of the abdomen.  The condition of the child was largely due to neglect.

  Dr. Hollis, medical officer to the Wellingborough Union, said the child was dirty and extremely thin, ill-developed, and pale. Witness found no sign of organic disease, and thought the enlarged stomach was due to

Improper Food

The normal weight of a four years old child was 37 lbs.  The lad had increased by 8 oz. since taken to the Workhouse.  Witness did not think the child would ever be strong.

  P.S. Ellingham said he knew the male prisoner as a hardworking man, and had been in regular work since 1906, his average earnings being 17/6 per week.

  The male prisoner, giving evidence on his own behalf, said that of late he had only been going home for week ends, when he always gave his wife 17s. From what he heard, instead of looking after the children, his wife went off drinking when he was away. He knew nothing of the condition of the house till the inspector pointed it out to him. But he had

Complained To His Wife

that she did not keep the children clean and well. He had complained about the smell from the children’s room, but had never looked inside.

  In answer to Mr. Magee, he said he had complained to his wife of the state of the children. He had not inspected their room. They used to have fresh clothes on when he was there.  He admitted that he knew of the fact that Arthur could not walk, but that he had taken no steps to have the child seen to.  There were two big bedrooms, two children sleeping in the same room as he and his wife and the rest in the other room.  Witness had noticed the smell and complained to his wife, but did nothing beyond that.  Three of the children went to school, but Arthur was not one of the three.

  The female prisoner had nothing to say.

  The jury found both prisoners guilty.

  The Bench said they considered the case a very bad one, and that the female defendant was by far the worst offender.  The husband was sentenced to six weeks’ hard labour, and the female prisoner to nine months.

  The other cases were not proceeded with.