Assault, 1 June 1867
An Inhuman Father.—
Henry Vine was charged with assaulting his son, Henry Vine.
— Complainant said he lived with his father, in Bedford-street. On Sunday morning he went home, and his father tied his hands behind him and his legs, and gave him a good kicking on his legs, and left him tied. In the afternoon his father called a man in named Martin Lockley, and asked him if he wanted to buy a dog. The man asked where the dog was, and his father pointed to him. Lockley then said if he was his father he would make a hole and bury him before the neighbours got up. His father began again to kick him and punch him about the bowels. He cried out, and Lockley and another young man caught hold of his father, who had pulled his coat off, and swore he would kill him. Some of the neighbours came in and pulled him out, and cut the strings by which he was tied. He had not been home since. His mother was deaf. His father was drunk on Sunday. The mark on his chin was either from a kick or a knife; his father had a knife and some tobacco in his hand. He ran away from home on Friday
because his father had been beating him very badly, and said he had only 3d. to buy bread for the children. He had not been stealing things from the box.
—
George Sutton said he saw defendant pull his coat off, turn up his sleeves, and made a plunge at complainant, saying at the same time he would murder him. He cut his chin very badly, either with a knife he had in his hand or with a kick. The boy's shirt was covered with blood.
— Sarah Atkins said she was a neighbour of defendant, and went into his house on Sunday morning, and saw him tie the boy and kick him. In the afternoon he heard a screaming, and went in and saw the boy bleeding. Some parties dragged him out.
— Defendant said if the boy would stop at home and behave himself there would be nothing of that sort occur.
— The Mayor said it was one of the worst cases he had listened to since he had sat on the Bench, and sentenced defendant to four month's hard labour, and then to enter into recognizances to keep the peace for six months.
The Leicester Chronicle and Leicestershire Mercury, United, [Saturday] June 8th, 1867
Note: The surname given in the article is Vine, not Vines, so confirmation is needed that it relates to the family identified. The younger Henry in this database (Henry James Vines) would have been 6 years old at this date.
See also: The Leicester Mail report of this case which says the mother is "dead", rather than "deaf".