The Story Of Alfy Pinn...The Subiaco Industrial Institution (1905) Part One.
In 1905 a child Alfy Pinn who was placed at the Subiaco Industrial Institution because their parents and family could no longer care for them. The child tragically died and was buried at Rottnest. The story was published by the newspaper the Sunday Times.
There is little evidence that describe the cultural heritage of the family and child until the the last couple of lines of the article copied below. The family and child may have been Indigenous Australia from up north. "We have appealed to the Government; more than once in this matter, without anymore result than to obtain the stereotyped reply : "The complaints, are being inquired into." We now appeal personally to Mr. Taylor. It is for him to cause such an enquiry as well have asked for. Not into the condition of the niggers in the Nor' West. But into the alleged starving and general neglect of the wards of the State in the worse orphaned babies of the poor." The newspaper supported an inquiry into the treatment of all children in the Institution's care.
In part two 'Harriet Whichell...Speaking Up About The Treatment Of Children At The Subiaco Industrial Institution (1905)' Harriet Whichell was an assistant at the Subiaco Industrial Institution who bravely spoke up and supported Mrs and Miss Pinn on her evidence of the treatment of her child and other children. She was one of several assistants trying to get an inquiry into the conditions for staff who worked there. Harriet's evidence was supported by others. The women wrote a letter to the Sunday Times who published it.
Five years later in 1912 there were more stories of child neglect at the Subiaco Industrial School. These stories are told in the post 'The Story Of Rose...The Subiaco Industrial School (1912). Part Three.'
The photographs of the Subiaco Industrial School are from the Find and Connect webpage. No copyright infringement intended.
The articles are from Trove, the database of the National Library of Australia. No copyright infringement intended.
Sunday Times, Sunday 7 May 1905.
HOW THE LITTLE CHILDREN ARE TREATED
In A Government, Charitable Institution:
A FOUR-YEARS-OLD BABY STARVED TO DEATH.
ONE A YEAR YOUNGER RESCUED FROM STARVATION.
Pathetic Story of the Grandmother of the Infants - Little Ross - Buried at Rottnest Without Ceremony.
As he was a Catholic - Dumped Down and Covered up Like a Puppy - Alfy Reduced to a Skeleton-Fed on Sops - And Crusts - His Ear Broken by a Blow - He Says of a Stick.
"Do you hear the children weeping, oh, my brothers, Ere the sorrow comes with years?"
One of the saddest stories to which it has been the unhappy lot of "The Sunday Times" to listen-and we hear many sad stories in this office was told on Tuesday by the grandmother and aunt of little Alfy Pinn, a bright eyed baby of three years, located by these relatives, after a long search, in Subiaco Industrial School.
The circumstances which led up to the little, chap's incarceration in this awful place are painful enough, but the detail of what must have followed is shocking to the limits. The father of the children is Alfred Pinn the younger, whose marriage appears to have been a mistake. His wife left him, and Pinn being one of the long and every day growing longer, list of unfortunates with whom work is not nearly as much of a practice as is walking about looking for it was unable to provide for the children.
Why he did not take them to his mother, who has the survivor now, is one of the unexplained items in the story. Certainly the lady and her daughter are lovingly sheltering the surviving child now, and giving to him all the mothering of which the poor little fellow has evidently long been in sorry lack. The fact remains that young Pinn did not take his little ones to their grandmother.
When his wife went away we did not enquire whether there was any reason for that, either, as that story is apart from this one. She left the children at the place at which she was lodging. The women in whose care they had been, found and left them, with him and he, unable to provide them with either food or shelter, took them to the Industrial School at Subiaco, and left them there.
He does not appear to have taken his mother into his confidence at all, and it was almost by accident she got to know of what had happened at the domestic establishment of her son. When at length she learned his wife had left him and the children, it was only to discover that he, too, had gone, and of the little ones there was no trace.
Enquiries were established, without avail, detectives were employed, without result and it was on the suggestion of a friend the Subiaco School was made the subject, of a visit. Careful enquiries, made without disclosing their relationship, : elicited that the children were inmates of the asylum, though the matron, it is alleged by Miss S. J. Pinn (whose address is 10 Lindsay-street), ventured the kindly opinion "that interview of the maternal desertion they would be better dead." And about this time little Ross must have been lingering around the gates of death.
From the interest evidenced by the elder lady, something of her retation6hip may haye been suspected. At any rate, it was volunteered that the babies had been ill that was dangerously so, and was at that time in the hospital. Later it was stated he was at Rottnest, and the next thing heard of him was that he was dead, and had been buried on the island.
Enquires brought out that information that owing, to their being no priest available, as the little boy, "had been casually interred without anything in the way of ceremony." "Only a pauper baby whom to one had troubled to own." It is stated that Pinn, on a flying visit to Perth, saw Mr. Longmore and tendered some money for the maintenance of the children. This, it is alleged, was refused.
Mr. Longmore remarking that the man could contribute to their support he had better take the little ones away. Mrs. Pinn, on learning of the death of Ross went to the alleged asylum, and asked if, in the absence of his father, she could take little Alfy away, and was at once informed that there was nothing to prevent her, or, as far as she was able to judge, any one else taking, him away then and there. She, said she would like to have him, and waited while he was made ready and brought to her. A few minutes elapsed, and the matron in Miss Pinn's story, not ours returned bearing in her arms a poor little white-faced, wasted çreature, most of which was head. Shallow eyes stared from a shrunken wizened face, of stomach there was none. The limbs were tiny bones, over which the skin was tightly drawn. The baby might have been posed for a photograph of famine, Miss Pinn fainted at the appalling eight. Her mother clutched the child and staggered into a seat.
"The baby's dying," she ejaculated. "lt's not very strong," was the sympathetic comment of the matron. ."The doctor, says it has consumption of the, bowels." "What doctor? " demanded the indignant grandmother. "Dr. Davy," was the reply of one of the officials. "No, the hospital doctor," said another. "He wants food, not medicine." said the experienced grandmother. "What have you been feeding him on?" ''Porridge and sops," was the reply "At eleven o'clock they get the crusts, from breakfast." "My God !" exclaimed. the shocked old lady, "Porridge and sops and crusts for a dying child of three. Let us get him home."
Çareful nursing and suitable food brought the little one back from the edge of the grave, and after a month of home treatment and grandmother love he looked when in this office on Tuesday as if with a fair innings, he might furnish into a man.
It was observed by Grandfather Pinn that the little chap's ear was hurt, and when the baby confidence, was secured he indicated that he had been struck with a stick - he touched his ear and repeated "Tick, tick." The name and purpose of the stick apparently being by no means unfamiliar. Of course the baby may have been, hurt by a fall, but the grandmother is satisfied that, whether willfully or accidentally, he was hit with a stick, and a blow; which would deform the ear of a baby would, one might take it, be nearly enough to send it close up to the border land of shadowland.
The story told by Mrs. and Miss Pinn in this office was a very sad one. They wept over poor little Ross's untended death and dog like burial on Rottnest Island. They showed little Alfy's wounded ear, and told us how at the sight of a woman in a black dress any woman he still shrieked.
They told us of Ross's dying words "Don't beat, I be a good boy," He went on to him who said ; "Let the little ones come unto and prayed in the name of God that we should endeavor to stir up the people to demand that a strict and searching enquiry should be at once made into the conduct of what if one-tenth of what has been reported to us about its methods be true is a scandal and disgrace to any Christian community.
We have appealed to the Government; more than once in this matter, without anymore result than to obtain the stereotyped reply : "The complaints, are being inquired into."
We now appeal personally to Mr. Taylor.
It is for him to cause such an enquiry as well have asked for.
Not into the condition of the niggers in the Nor' West.
But into the alleged starving and general neglect of the wards of the State in the worse orphaned babies of the poor.
The Subiaco Industrial Institution 1900
