This might be full of typing errors.
And yes, it would have been terribly painful for these children. Grab a box of tissues, and read on...
Wells Journal 09 November 1911
CHILDREN NEGLECTED
At the Borough Police Court, on Thursday, before the Mayor (Mr. M. H. Stead) and Mr. J. B. Clark, Frank Stacey, a labourer, of Glastonbury, and his wife, Emma Jane Stacey, were summoned by Ernest Alford of Taunton, one of the inspectors of the N.S.P.C.C., for wilfully neglecting their three children, Dorothy Stacey (7 years), Leslie Wilfred Stacey (4 years), and Nellie Stacey (1 year and 9 months), in a manner likely to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury to their health. --Mr. A.J. Mawer, of Wells, prosecuted on behalf of the Society.
There was also a charge of vagrancy against the woman of sleeping out on the 27th October and she had been locked up on remand since that day, and was now sentenced to one day's imprisonment, which meant her dismissal at the rising of the Court. -- The case of neglect was then proceeded with. -- the man, when asked to plead, said "I am guilty of not providing a home for them," and the woman said "I have done my best for the children."
Mr. Mawer having opened the case, called P.C. Hillman, who said at quarter to one on the morning of October 27th he found the female defendant and her three children asleep in a shed in Cinnamon-lane. He awoke them. the children were cold, and the boy said "I am hungry and tired." The eldest child also commenced to cry, and he brought them to the station. It was a cold night, and the children were poorly clad considering the weather. He afterwards communicated with the relieving officer, and they were taken to the Workhouse. He had known the defendants for three years, and had frequently warned them about exposing their children. they had had no home since December 1910. He saw the man Stacey the previous night in the Rifleman's Arms. He had seen the man the worse for drink, and he had seen the woman "when the pavement was not wide enough for her to walk on." The children seemed fairly well nourished except the youngest child.
Mr. W. Fear, relieving officer, of Glastonbury, said the mother had applied for relief on several occasions, and she was in the Workhouse from March 8th until June 3rd, when she took her discharge. she re-entered the House on June 10th, and took her discharge again on August 12th. Her children always accompanied her. He took her and the children to the Workhouse on October 27th.
Miss Francom, assistant matron at the Wells Workhouse, said the children were very dirty and neglected when admitted to the House. they were now improving in health.
Inspector Alford said when he saw the woman she admitted they had been sleeping out, and he warned her against this, and she promised she would go into the Workhouse.
Mr. Mawer said the male defendant had one month's imprisonment on July 3rd, 1911, for failing to maintain his wife and children.
The Mayor said the case was fairly well known to him, and to his colleagues to some extent. the story told to them revealed a state of parental neglect which they felt was not common, at least in Glastonbury. They intended ti deal drastically with the defendants, and as the man was primarily responsible he would have to go to gaol for three months with hard labour. The woman had also contributed to the neglect, and as she was a strong, healthy woman, she could have kept the children clean. She would be sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment with hard labour.
