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Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 343, 27 August 1889, Page 2

A oabb of a most painful nature was heard at the Police Court on Saturday, the result of which was that a heartless woman named Mrs Hearn was sentenced to three months* imprisonment for her brutal treatment of. an adopted child. The wretched woman has been ordered to undergo at least a portion of the punishment which she deserves, and bo far as she is concerned little further need be ■aid. But the blame in this case does not solely rest on the woman Hearn. We are informed that It was no new occurrence for the child to be so badly treated, though it was only on the woman going to service at Mr Tutohen’s place that anyone had the courage to make the facts known to the police. Then are not those persons who allowed such conduct to continue, without hiving the culprit brought to justice, guilty of negligence that, morally if not in law, amounts to a criminal offence ? The case is more interesting for what was not made known in Court than for the heartless cruelty that was: the Inference that was to be taken, apart from all other evidence, was that only the best side of the case had been heard, Who ore the persons that allowed this state ot things to Continue ? —the persons that allowed a helpless child to he frequently almost murdered by a female monster? There is no legal punishment for such people, but if they have a conscience they ought to be made to suffer the most bitter remorse. Mr Tutohen is to be commanded for the straightforward way in which he'brought the facts to light; while on the other hand those persons who knew of the gross cruelty that was being perpetrated, and yet still remained inactive, ought to be thoroughly ashamed ot themselves.