Mexborough and Swinton Times October 6, 1917

Shocking Mexborough Story
Children’s Unhappy Time
Wife Gets Six Months

Another sordid tragedy of the war involving the ruination of a Mexborough married couple’s domestic happiness was told of the Doncaster West Riding Police Court on Saturday when a young married woman, whose husband had just been discharged from the army, following three years’ service, Nelly Anderson, of Hartley’s Yard, Orchard St, Mexborough was charged in custody with neglecting her four children, aged 11, six, three and 1 ¾ years and was committed to prison for six months with hard labour.

Mr W Baddiley, who appeared to prosecute on behalf of the NSPCC, said it was an extremely bad case. The woman’s husband have been soldering from or three years, and had just been discharged on account of sickness. When he arrived home in September he was surprised at the state of which he found the children. Afterwards he went away for three weeks to visit his father, and when he returned home he found a strange man in the house.

During the time the husband had been in the Army the woman had been receiving 31 shillings a week separation allowance, but instead of looking after children her attitude towards them had been almost inhuman. She had gone out at 7 o’clock or so at night, having powdered or painted her face, and had stopped in public houses with men, not returning until nearly midnight on many occasions. The children have been left all this time alone in the house. Neighbours would tell them they have heard the children crying. The Society’s Inspector, Mr Lloyd have known the woman four years, and had repeatedly warned her about the care of her children, which were aged as follows: Gladys 11, Ada six, Floris three and Ernest 1 ¾. It was a question whether or not the youngest child was the husbands.

On 11 October the inspector and Dr Huey visited the house. The children were fairly well nourished but the three year old child, which was much emaciated and was seriously ill, was suffering from general tuberculosis. It was in a filthy condition and verminous. The other children, too, were vermin bitten, and the house was swarming with vermin. One of the other children was covered with septic sores and scabies, to which no attention had been given. If the woman could say that they have been properly attended to he did not know what to say. No woman receiving 31 shillings a week could say she had not sufficient to maintain herself and the family properly. Water at any rate was cheap enough.

Inspector Lloyd said he had known the woman four years, and had paid something like 25 visits to the house, the majority been during the husband’s absence from home. He had warned the woman repeatedly. He had been several times at midday, and invariably she had only just got up. When he had seen her there were traces of rouge upon her face. The children and the house were very much neglected. On October 11 he and Dr Huey visited the house. She was then in bed. They examined the children in the presence of the father, who was very much distressed and spoke very bitterly about the condition of the house and the knowledge that had come to him about his wife.

The man was in a very poor state of health and at any moment might be sent away to a convalescent home. The children were removed to the workhouse, but certain clothing had to be borrowed from the neighbours, there not being sufficient in the house. Florrie was very ill and a blanket had to be borrowed to wrap her in. There was only one decent pair of shoes among the children, and the baby had none. Its sores were discharging when they reach the workhouse. Witness had received numerous complaints with respect to the manner in which these children had been neglected, and he had done all he could to get the woman to lead a better life.

Dr John J Huey describing the condition of the children, said Gladys was fairly well nourished, but scantily clad with shoes in bad condition, clothing dirty and verminous. Ada was the same, but her shoes were in fair condition. Florrie was very much emaciated and seriously ill, and did not appear to be receiving proper medical attention. She was ragged and filthy and verminous. Ernest was also fairly well nourished, but was in the same condition regarding is closing. He was suffering from septic sores, vermin bites and scabies, which had received no attention. The room where they slept was foul-smelling, and the bedclothes stunk. Another room upstairs reeked, and both were infested with vermin.

The husband, Herbert Anderson, also appeared to be weak and ill, said he had served in the Army two years and 352 days. He was discharged from the hospital where he was for nine months on September 10, and received his discharge from the army on 29 September. He had a pension of 13/9 per week and 7/6 for his children. He doubted whether the youngest child was his or not, and his wife had acknowledged it to him. He found the house in a bad condition and spoke to her about it and tried his best to put things right, but it was no use. When he started talking to her about it she commenced used bad language. She then said she would take two of the youngest children if he would take the two oldest, which he agreed to provide she would go before a magistrate and signed a document, agreeing not to bother him again. She said that she had told him that if she left him she had another man who could take his place.

On one occasion, when he returned from a visit to his father, he found a strange man in the house with her. He asked who it was, she said he was a lodger and he had been there three days. Witness told her that he was a lodger there, and he wanted nobody else, but she said she would do as she – – – – well liked. One night just before going out he saw her putting some paint or powder on her face and asked her what it was for. She said it was to hide the “smoke,” and he told her he could quite believe it. One night she went out at 8.15 and returned at 11:55. When she told him she had been out with a woman he told her the game would have to be stopped. She said she could go, and she took a child in her arms and went out, not returning until 9.30 the next morning. He wanted a separation, but said he could not keep three children very well. His wife was young and able to work for herself.

A neighbour, Charlotte Watson, living in the same yard as the prisoner, spoke as to her habits in leaving the children alone at night. She had seen her come home with a man. The children had been neglected, and the neighbours had given them food.

Mrs Martha Denham, of Orchard Street, said she had heard the children crying in the house, and seen the woman come home late at night, and heard her singing. She had seen her come out of a public house, and also seen her turned out. She had seen her the worse for drink. Her language on such occasions had not been fit to hear. She (prisoner) dressed herself up finely whether the children had anything or not. As soon as she got her Government money she used to go and spend it. She did not think the young man she was going with give her any – she didn’t think he was generous enough. She had been given plenty of good advice, and if she had taken it she would not have been taken there that day.

Prisoner alleged that her husband had turned her out on one occasion. She denied that she neglected the children, and said they were not filthy. The Chairman (Mr J Dymond) said it was one of the worst cases they had never heard, and she would have to go to prison for six months.