Mexborough and Swinton Times February 3, 1939

Prison for Father
Story of Neglect Of Wombwell Children
“Disgraceful Home”

” This place was absolutely vile—dis-graceful,” said an Inspector of the R.S.P.C.C., who gave evidence at Barnsley on Monday, when William B. Ingram. unemployed miner, of 15, Queen Street, Wombwell, was charge with neglecting his two children in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering and injury to their health. A doctor said the house was in an ” appalling condition ” and permeated by a foul smell. Ingram pleaded not guilty and denied that the house was dirty.

His wife, Edith Ingram, whose name was also in the list, did not appear. The police were instructed to warn her to be at court to-day (Friday). The two children concerned in the charge were boys, aged nine and thirteen.

Major J. Rideal, prosecuting for the Society, said the woman had sent a note saying she was suffering from a lacerated leg. They had had the case under observation since 1923 and she had previously pleaded that excuse. ” I am certain she is capable of being here,” he said. ” She could have come on a bus.”

Shoes Falling To Pieces

Major Rideal said Inspector Rawlings visited the house at 12.15 on January 20th and saw Mrs. Ingram and the boy aged nine. Entering the house he became aware of a very bad small. He found the younger boy well nourished, but the flesh was dirty and he had a mass of septic sores on his right knee. Also there were festering sores on the right arm, left knee and cars. The boy was wearing only three thin cotton vests, a torn jersey and knickers, and sand-shoes, which were saturated with water and practically falling to pieces. The other boy was at school.

In the living room the inspector found that the walls had been recently papered, but the room was in a shockingly dirty condition. The floor was filthy, the furniture was dilapidated—though they could not altogether blame defendant for that—the table was dirty and had obviously not been washed for a long time. The table was littered with dirty crockery which apparently had been there since breakfast time. There were also filthy rags on the floor. In the house was a greyhound dog, which had a festering wound on its head.

Festoons Of Cobwebs

Going into the room, where the two boys slept, the inspector found that it was not much better. The smell was unbearable, there was dust on the floor and cobwebs hanging down from the ceiling. A double bed and a single bed had been pushed against each other. They were covered with straw palliasses and a flock mattress. which was torn and filthy. The pillows were without covers and as black as coal. Flocks were littered on the floor. The bedclothes consisted of two torn blankets and a heap of rags, which the inspector found had been a patchwork quilt. The back bedroom was also in a filthy condition. There was an iron bedstead thick with dirt, straw palliasses and a flock bed. Here again the bedclothes were filthy and the walls covered with cobwebs. The inspector ordered the woman to open the windows straight away. On going downstairs, the officer asked the woman for an explanation and she replied that she could not do any work in the house on account of her leg injury. The male defendant replied that it was his means. It was pointed out to Ingram that although he lacked money he should not have allowed his children to get into that condition. The inspector then fetched P. Sergt. Kenny, and later Dr. Williams, of Barnsley, gave a certificate for a magistrate’s order, ‘on which the children were removed to the municipal institution. During the afternoon the woman or somebody else had swept the upstairs rooms and made them more presentable.

“A Very Bad Case “

Describing it as ” a very had case,” Major Rideal said Ingram could not put forward poverty in mitigation of the offence. He had been receiving 34s. 6d. a week from the Unemployment Assistance Board and up to some time ago had an older son bringing in £2 6s. 4d. a week. ‘” I think you will have no alternative but to deal with this man very severely,” he said. ” He has been warned before, but will not take any notice. The only way to treat him is to teach him his duty as a parent.”

Inspector Rawlings further described the condition of the children. He said the younger boy had on a pair of stockings without feet. The further he went in the house and the worse the smell became. Upstairs it was almost unbearable. “If I had not had a strong stomach,” he said, ” I should have been sick.” On one of the beds was an old pegged rug, which was very dirty and had evidently been long trampled on.

The whole place was absolutely vile—disgraceful,” he said. In the front room were two broken down sofas one of which was stuffed with rags and practically falling to pieces. When Ingram’s attention was drawn to the condition of  the children he said, ” What can I do? I have only 17 shillings at week dole.” He told Ingram that water. was cheap enough and there was no reason why the place should not be clean. When he was taking the children to the municipal institution one of the boys’ knees became so inflamed that he could hardly walk.

Warned Many Times

The Inspector said he had visited the house on sixteen occasions and had never found the conditions satisfactory. He had frequently given Ingram a severe warning.

Defendant: Is not the school doctor as qualified to examine my children as this doctor?

The Inspector: I suppose they have been examined at some time.

Defendant: They were examined on the previous Monday. My boy is thirteen and a half, and he has never been under the doctor.

Sergt. Kenny also gave evidence.

Dr. E. J. Williams said all the bedding in the house was extremely dirty. The atmosphere was stuffy and there was a very foul smell. In his opinion, the main neglect was in the surroundings. It was bound to cause suffering and injury to health.

After the doctor had given evidence, Ingram said the injury to the boy’s leg was caused by a fall at school. He said, ” The lad has not a sore on him. He is there to be seen.”

Will Have “Posh Furniture “

In the witness box Ingram said that out of his unemployment benefit he had to pay 10s. a week rent and 1s. 6d. a week insurance. He had had to go coal picking and clean the floors after he got back because of his wife’s health. He said the boys’ bed was a new one. ” I have never got into debt for furniture, but if I get out of this I shall do,” he said. “I shall have some posh furniture.”

It was stated that Ingram was convicted in 1927 for neglect of a child at the instance of the ‘police.

The Chairman (Mr. W. Humphries) said the magistrates were satisfied that the condition of the home was as the witnesses had described. ” Your attitude does not make your case any better,” he said. “You don’t seem to have any regret whatever: you seem to try to justify the condition of the home.  It can be kept clean, even if you are poor. The table can be scrubbed and the children given a bath. Sores don’t become septic if attention is paid to them.”

Committing Ingram to prison for three months the Chairman said, “We hope you will give serious thought to what you ought to be as a father and a man.”