Chapter Three:
'From Teenager to Adulthood.'
After the death of her parents in 1952, followed by the subsequent separation of the three sisters to different foster parents, Beth Williams essentially became a wayward girl; a rebel to the core. Whatever any of the foster parents she was placed with did to make her welcome in their home and however much they tried to integrate her into their family, Beth seemed determined never to give them a chance. Between the ages of ten and thirteen, Beth stayed at the homes of Mr and Mrs Murry, Mr and Mrs Green and Mr and Mrs Meggins. The Social Workers who obtained these placements for her started to despair after she developed the practice of getting herself settled in, appearing to play the game by getting on with her new foster parents and then running away at the very first opportunity.
After running away and being returned three times to the Murrys, the couple gave up on her and asked for another girl to foster in her place. Mr and Mrs Green of Clonmel genuinely tried to pull out all the stops for Beth. They were a lovely Christian couple who did their level best to understand Beth. They made every allowance they could for the traumatic past she had obviously experienced when both her parents died and the remaining siblings had been split up. But whatever the kindly couple did, Beth threw their kindness back in their face and invited their ultimate rejection, even though they had indicated that they would be prepared to formerly adopt her as their own girl. It was with great reluctance that the Greens eventually stopped fostering Beth after Mrs Green no longer felt able to cope with all the emotional distress it was causing her.
Two weeks after her thirteenth birthday, the Social Services Department of Clonmel placed Beth with Mr and Mrs Meggins of Tralee, County Kerry. The Meggins had been forwarned to keep a sharp eye on Beth as she had not proved to be the easiest of girls to foster over the past three years.
Mr and Mrs Meggins were serial foster parents who'd had over twelve children fostered by them over the past ten years in their four bedroomed farmhouse on the outskirts of Tralee. It wasn't that they loved looking after children which led them to foster so often, but the amount of money they could receive from the council every week for the fostered child's upkeep. Such was an amount, I might add, that the child never had spent on them.
While Martin Meggins hadn't been the brightest pupil in school, his wife Sarah who had learning difficulties, had been picked by him as an ideal partner who could be guaranteed to do his bidding without question. To Martin Meggins, fostering children represented the earning of easy capital, which would furnish his lifestyle far better than putting in all the hours possible having to work his farm just to eat comfortably.
Mr and Mrs Meggins were serial foster parents who'd had over twelve children fostered by them over the past ten years in their four bedroomed farmhouse on the outskirts of Tralee. It wasn't that they loved looking after children which led them to foster so often, but the amount of money they could receive from the council every week for the fostered child's upkeep. Such was an amount, I might add, that the child never had spent on them.
While Martin Meggins hadn't been the brightest pupil in school, his wife Sarah who had learning difficulties, had been picked by him as an ideal partner who could be guaranteed to do his bidding without question. To Martin Meggins, fostering children represented the earning of easy capital, which would furnish his lifestyle far better than putting in all the hours possible having to work his farm just to eat comfortably.
Martin Meggins also had a second reason which made the fostering of children, especially girls, an attractive proposition to him. Unknownst to the authorities, he had a sexual predilection towards teenage girls with a troublesome past. Indeed the more troublesome a past the fostered girl had experienced, the better he liked it because the more vulnerable it made her.
He frequently peeped on the girls while they undressed and eventually made his move in the dark of night after they'd settled in a few months. While there had been four or five occasions over the years he had sexually molested or interfered with one of the foster children placed in the care of himself and his wife, only one of the children had tried to inform on him. Unfortunately, that child's natural father had also interfered with her and the ten-year old girl wasn't believed. Mr and Mrs Meggins were still encouraged to become future foster parents.
He frequently peeped on the girls while they undressed and eventually made his move in the dark of night after they'd settled in a few months. While there had been four or five occasions over the years he had sexually molested or interfered with one of the foster children placed in the care of himself and his wife, only one of the children had tried to inform on him. Unfortunately, that child's natural father had also interfered with her and the ten-year old girl wasn't believed. Mr and Mrs Meggins were still encouraged to become future foster parents.
Martin Meggins' Farm was a modest homestead which housed two milking cows, a small flock of sheep, fourteen pigs, two dogs and a brood of laying hens.
Though his kingdom be small, he ruled over it with a rod of iron that would brook no resistance from any quarter. If the truth be known, he always seemed more at home breeding pigs over that of tending other stock.
While never having proved himself to be much of a farmer, he liked the lifestyle of living away from the centre of community life with his wife, Sarah and their foster children. They never seemed to have fewer than three foster children live with them at any given time and Sarah Meggins knew that if she didn't do her husband's bidding upon demand, he would beat her mercilessly.
While Martin Meggins made the usual husbandly demands upon his wife in their bedroom, he tended to sexually use her and abuse her as opposed to display any genuine love and affection towards her. In fact, for no seeming reason he would frequently take it upon himself to ridicule Sarah in front of the children they fostered as a way of reminding them that he was the boss of the house and that it was what he said which had to be complied with!
Though his kingdom be small, he ruled over it with a rod of iron that would brook no resistance from any quarter. If the truth be known, he always seemed more at home breeding pigs over that of tending other stock.
While never having proved himself to be much of a farmer, he liked the lifestyle of living away from the centre of community life with his wife, Sarah and their foster children. They never seemed to have fewer than three foster children live with them at any given time and Sarah Meggins knew that if she didn't do her husband's bidding upon demand, he would beat her mercilessly.
While Martin Meggins made the usual husbandly demands upon his wife in their bedroom, he tended to sexually use her and abuse her as opposed to display any genuine love and affection towards her. In fact, for no seeming reason he would frequently take it upon himself to ridicule Sarah in front of the children they fostered as a way of reminding them that he was the boss of the house and that it was what he said which had to be complied with!
Beth quickly sensed that she would never settle down at the farm of the Meggins and after a mere week and a half during one cold December night, a few days before Christmas Eve, she attempted to run away after she thought that everyone in the farm was fast asleep. No sooner than she'd started to turn the key in the door she was grabbed from behind with the huge, dirty hands of Martin Meggins.
Meggins placed his arms tightly around Beth and when she started to cry out he muffled her screams by placing one of his heavy hands across her mouth. Although Beth could not yet see his face she could smell his foul breath as he breathed down upon her neck heavilly, panting like a dog on heat. Then he placed his hands across her breasts and squeezed tightly as he said, "You'll not get away that easily, young Williams. The Social Worker warned us about you and told us to keep a special eye on you. Now then, what little present have you got for me this Christmas?"
"Get off me you stinking animal..... you.... you dirty old man!" Beth yelled. "Get your filthy hands off me before I report you to the Garda."
"You'll be doing no reporting," Martin Meggins said threateningly. "We know how to deal with your type, you little slut. We all know what you want!"
"What's all the noise, Martin?" came a voice from the area of the kitchen. It was Sarah Meggins who'd heard the commotion so late in the night and had come downstairs from her bedroom to investigate.
"Go back to bed, you stupid woman!" Martin Meggins demanded, adding, "I've got the matter in hand now. Back to bed instantly, woman!"
Meggins placed his arms tightly around Beth and when she started to cry out he muffled her screams by placing one of his heavy hands across her mouth. Although Beth could not yet see his face she could smell his foul breath as he breathed down upon her neck heavilly, panting like a dog on heat. Then he placed his hands across her breasts and squeezed tightly as he said, "You'll not get away that easily, young Williams. The Social Worker warned us about you and told us to keep a special eye on you. Now then, what little present have you got for me this Christmas?"
"Get off me you stinking animal..... you.... you dirty old man!" Beth yelled. "Get your filthy hands off me before I report you to the Garda."
"You'll be doing no reporting," Martin Meggins said threateningly. "We know how to deal with your type, you little slut. We all know what you want!"
"What's all the noise, Martin?" came a voice from the area of the kitchen. It was Sarah Meggins who'd heard the commotion so late in the night and had come downstairs from her bedroom to investigate.
"Go back to bed, you stupid woman!" Martin Meggins demanded, adding, "I've got the matter in hand now. Back to bed instantly, woman!"
That night was the very first time that Beth Williams had been physically and sexually violated. While she was muffled into silence by a fat farmer four times her age and size, she had her virginity taken from her on the cold farmhouse floor. The experience had been short, yet sickening.
The entire rape had lasted a mere three minutes before Martin Meggins ejaculated prematurely before climbing off Beth in a sweat and grunting, "Now get to bed.... and say one word about this you little slut and I'll kill you! Do you understand?" he snarled as he held Beth's mouth tightly in a forceful grip and awaited a response as he stared menacingly into her face.
Only when Beth acknowledged that she understood his demand did Meggin's free her from his vice-like grip. After Meggins had left the scene, for a minute Beth felt like screaming the house down, but realised that if she did he would simply return and beat her. Unless she was prepared to break a ground-floor window and climb through it to effect an escape, she knew that she was trapped in the farmhouse. Even were she to break a window and climb out, Meggins would no doubt hear her escape and follow her on his tractor and catch her before she reached the open road, two miles across the fields.
Beth returned to the room which she shared with another fostered girl, nine-year-old Megan Riley. Megan was asleep and Beth climbed into bed and muffled her tears beneath the bedsheets as she thought about what had just happened to her and what she could do about it. There was no means at her disposal in the room whereby she could wash herself down, so she wiped herself clean the best she could with a dry cloth and tried to rid herself of his foul smell.
The entire rape had lasted a mere three minutes before Martin Meggins ejaculated prematurely before climbing off Beth in a sweat and grunting, "Now get to bed.... and say one word about this you little slut and I'll kill you! Do you understand?" he snarled as he held Beth's mouth tightly in a forceful grip and awaited a response as he stared menacingly into her face.
Only when Beth acknowledged that she understood his demand did Meggin's free her from his vice-like grip. After Meggins had left the scene, for a minute Beth felt like screaming the house down, but realised that if she did he would simply return and beat her. Unless she was prepared to break a ground-floor window and climb through it to effect an escape, she knew that she was trapped in the farmhouse. Even were she to break a window and climb out, Meggins would no doubt hear her escape and follow her on his tractor and catch her before she reached the open road, two miles across the fields.
Beth returned to the room which she shared with another fostered girl, nine-year-old Megan Riley. Megan was asleep and Beth climbed into bed and muffled her tears beneath the bedsheets as she thought about what had just happened to her and what she could do about it. There was no means at her disposal in the room whereby she could wash herself down, so she wiped herself clean the best she could with a dry cloth and tried to rid herself of his foul smell.
Beth decided there and then that when she next ran off from her foster placement that she would take young Megan with her instead of leaving her to the mercy of Martin Meggins. Upon being told of these intentions, Megan smiled at Beth and caressed her like any young sister in need of protection might caress an older one.
Over the next two winter months Beth and Megan planned their escape from the Meggins farmstead. While Beth had no living relatives who she knew of, apart from her two fostered out sisters, Megan said that she had an Aunt Dolly in Portlaw, County Waterford who had always seemed to like her. Megan showed Beth the only photograph she possessed of a living family member. Aunt Dolly had seemingly been unable to take Megan in as a young child after Megan's mother had abandoned her before committing suicide when Megan was only four years of age. Megan described her aunt as a person who was kind to both dogs and children in equal measure and told Beth, that had she been able to at the time, she feels sure that her Aunt Dolly wouldn't have seen her placed in Care of the Local Authority.
Over the next two winter months Beth and Megan planned their escape from the Meggins farmstead. While Beth had no living relatives who she knew of, apart from her two fostered out sisters, Megan said that she had an Aunt Dolly in Portlaw, County Waterford who had always seemed to like her. Megan showed Beth the only photograph she possessed of a living family member. Aunt Dolly had seemingly been unable to take Megan in as a young child after Megan's mother had abandoned her before committing suicide when Megan was only four years of age. Megan described her aunt as a person who was kind to both dogs and children in equal measure and told Beth, that had she been able to at the time, she feels sure that her Aunt Dolly wouldn't have seen her placed in Care of the Local Authority.
The two girls planned to make their run for it after the lambing season had commenced and when Martin Meggins would be preoccupied with the welfare of his sheep. Meanwhile, they planned to sleep in the same bed nightly and if ever Martin Meggins made another move on either of them, they were resolved to fight him off jointly with whatever means at their disposal. This was a pact that both girls swore they would keep.
It was approximately two weeks before the lambing season commenced when Beth and Megan were obliged to bring their plan of escape forward. On the night in question around 1am in the early morning hours, Martin Meggins entered the bedroom of Beth and Megan dressed only in his underpants.
Megan was sleeping in her own bed that night and was the first one to hear him approach her bedside. She became overwhelmed with fear knowing what he intended to do again to her in the dark of the night. With there being no time to warn Beth of his presence in the room before he had pulled back the sheets on her bed, Megan struck out at his face and chest with the screw driver she had concealed beneath her sheets and which she now fell asleep with in her hand nightly.
Megan was sleeping in her own bed that night and was the first one to hear him approach her bedside. She became overwhelmed with fear knowing what he intended to do again to her in the dark of the night. With there being no time to warn Beth of his presence in the room before he had pulled back the sheets on her bed, Megan struck out at his face and chest with the screw driver she had concealed beneath her sheets and which she now fell asleep with in her hand nightly.
One moment she had caught his cruel face in the dark of the night and the next she found herself stabbing and lashing out towards this monster with a screwdriver.
The anguished cry of Martin Meggins awoke Beth from her sleep as Megan stuck the screw driver into his face, neck and broad chest over and over again with the frenzy of a wild child fighting off a pack of baying wolves. Meggins fell to the ground with a thud that was loud enough to arouse his wife. As Sarah Meggins entered the girls' bedroom and saw her husband laid on the floor breathless with blood all over his punctured body and bedroom carpet, she screamed her head off.
The anguished cry of Martin Meggins awoke Beth from her sleep as Megan stuck the screw driver into his face, neck and broad chest over and over again with the frenzy of a wild child fighting off a pack of baying wolves. Meggins fell to the ground with a thud that was loud enough to arouse his wife. As Sarah Meggins entered the girls' bedroom and saw her husband laid on the floor breathless with blood all over his punctured body and bedroom carpet, she screamed her head off.
As Sarah Meggins screamed, her high-pitched wails seemed to help young Megan come to her senses. Megan was covered in Martin Meggins' blood and was still holding the bloody screwdriver tightly in her hand with a look of shock across her face. As soon as Megan began to sense what she had done, she dropped the bloodied weapon to the floor and shook like a leaf. At the other side of the room, Beth stood there with her hands across her mouth, still trying to take in what had just happened as she was roused from her sleep with the commotion.
"I've.........I've killed him, haven't I?" Megan cried as she ran into the outstretched arms of Beth for comfort and reassurance. Martin Meggins' bloody body lay slumped at their feet.
"What happened, Megan?" Beth asked her companion, although had she guessed cause, motive and action, she wouldn't have been far off the mark.
"He...... he came at me again. He....tried to get into my bed as he's done before, only this time I heard him coming and was ready for him before he stared pawing me," Megan said tearfully. "I couldn't let him do it again to me, Beth.....I couldn't.... so I stabbed him!"
After Sarah Meggins had taken in what Megan had said and what had occurred in the bedroom prior to her husband being stabbed, she seemed to quickly compose herself. Instead of seeking help she looked towards Beth and Megan and said, "I can guess......I know what happened here. It's not the first time it's happened and I can only say thank God it's the last. He was an animal.... a bloody animal who deserved what he got! Now help me move him into the yard."
"What happened, Megan?" Beth asked her companion, although had she guessed cause, motive and action, she wouldn't have been far off the mark.
"He...... he came at me again. He....tried to get into my bed as he's done before, only this time I heard him coming and was ready for him before he stared pawing me," Megan said tearfully. "I couldn't let him do it again to me, Beth.....I couldn't.... so I stabbed him!"
After Sarah Meggins had taken in what Megan had said and what had occurred in the bedroom prior to her husband being stabbed, she seemed to quickly compose herself. Instead of seeking help she looked towards Beth and Megan and said, "I can guess......I know what happened here. It's not the first time it's happened and I can only say thank God it's the last. He was an animal.... a bloody animal who deserved what he got! Now help me move him into the yard."
Initially both Beth and Megan couldn't take on board what Sarah Meggins was saying to them, and once it dawned on Beth that the farmer's wife was more or less glad that her cruel husband was dead before her eyes, the sense of urgency that had only minutes earlier told her to grab hold of Megan and run seemed to disappear.
"What's to be done?" Megan cried. "I'll be locked up."
"Oh no you won't," replied Sarah Meggins. "He's only gone and got what was coming to him and I'm sure that you didn't mean to kill him, Megan. Besides, he deserved it for what he did to you and the others before you! The bloody animal. He deserved what he got!"
"How long have you known what he's been up to?" Beth asked the farmer's wife.
Sarah Meggins looked guilty as she replied, "Years.... at least five years!"
"What's to be done?" Megan cried. "I'll be locked up."
"Oh no you won't," replied Sarah Meggins. "He's only gone and got what was coming to him and I'm sure that you didn't mean to kill him, Megan. Besides, he deserved it for what he did to you and the others before you! The bloody animal. He deserved what he got!"
"How long have you known what he's been up to?" Beth asked the farmer's wife.
Sarah Meggins looked guilty as she replied, "Years.... at least five years!"
At first Beth was angry at the farmer's wife for having stayed quiet and thereby having allowed the sexual abuse to go on so long and to too many girls and couldn't prevent herself from saying so. Sarah Meggins replied that she had also been constantly abused by Martin Meggins from the first day they'd wed and that she had been as powerless as his other victims to prevent it.
On the one occasion a number of years earlier, Sarah Meggins told Beth and Megan she had entered one of their foster-girl's bedrooms and had caught her husband in the act of molestation, but he simply sneered at her to leave as he carried on abusing the young girl. Then afterwards when he'd returned to the matrimonial bed, he beat his wife senseless and told her that if she ever grassed him up he would kill her and throw her body to the pigs.
On the one occasion a number of years earlier, Sarah Meggins told Beth and Megan she had entered one of their foster-girl's bedrooms and had caught her husband in the act of molestation, but he simply sneered at her to leave as he carried on abusing the young girl. Then afterwards when he'd returned to the matrimonial bed, he beat his wife senseless and told her that if she ever grassed him up he would kill her and throw her body to the pigs.
Following the night of his fatal stabbing, Martin Meggins was never seen again in Ireland or indeed anywhere on the face of the earth for that matter. One hour after young Megan had stabbed him to death, his body had been dragged to the pig sty in the darkness of the night and dumped there among the fourteen greedy pigs they kept.
Sarah Meggins made sure that the pigs were not fed their usual gruel over the next week and sure enough, that was enough to do the trick.
"That's the beauty of pigs," Sarah Meggins told both girls adding, "They'll eat everything and anything set before them if they're hungry enough!"
One week later, unless a pathologist had slaughtered all fourteen pigs on the Meggin's Farm and had examined the contents of their stomachs, nobody would ever have known that Martin Meggins had been the source of their last supper. The pigs hadn't left the slightest trace in their sty that Martin Meggins had shared it with them before they'd devoured every last morsel of his flesh and even his bones!
Sarah Meggins made sure that the pigs were not fed their usual gruel over the next week and sure enough, that was enough to do the trick.
"That's the beauty of pigs," Sarah Meggins told both girls adding, "They'll eat everything and anything set before them if they're hungry enough!"
One week later, unless a pathologist had slaughtered all fourteen pigs on the Meggin's Farm and had examined the contents of their stomachs, nobody would ever have known that Martin Meggins had been the source of their last supper. The pigs hadn't left the slightest trace in their sty that Martin Meggins had shared it with them before they'd devoured every last morsel of his flesh and even his bones!
As for the Social Services Department and any other of the busybodies and nosey parkers of Tralee who never saw Martin Meggins again, Sarah Meggins merely told them that he'd grown fed up of the responsibilities of being a husband, farmer and foster parent and had left home and her penniless after taking all the family cash and jewellery. Sarah cried realistically as she told all and sundry that he's abandoned her, boasting that he'd never return and had every intention of emigrating abroad.
XXXXX
Naturally, now being on her own with a farm to look after, Sarah Meggins decided that she would no longer be suitable to act as a foster mother and requested that all three girls in her charge be re-homed.
Three weeks after the sudden disappearance of Martin Meggins from the farm, Sarah waved farewell to Beth, Megan and the young Lucy as they were each taken away to their new placement. As Beth was driven away from the farm of the Meggins' she passed a nearby church and as she did so she thought that the disappearance of Martin Meggins would be one sin that no priest would ever hear uttered from her lips!
Between leaving the Meggin's Farm and attaining her eighteenth birthday, Beth remained the resident of a Children's Home in County Mayo as she proved too old to foster out again. If truth be known however, she had no desire ever to be fostered out again. She often wondered about Sarah Meggins and whether or not she had sold up the homestead and moved away to start afresh. There were many a night when the Meggins' farm came back into her dreams to haunt her. That image contrasted greatly with the moorland to the rear of the Children's Home where she now lived. She would often spend hours watching the nearby sheep graze in open splendour.
When she eventually left the care of the Social Services Department at the age of eighteen years, Beth first worked in a bakery in County Mayo for three years before deciding to make a fresh start elsewhere.
When she eventually left the care of the Social Services Department at the age of eighteen years, Beth first worked in a bakery in County Mayo for three years before deciding to make a fresh start elsewhere.
By the time that Beth had become twenty one on December 25th, 1963, she had matured into a handsome looking women, though a streak of wildness could still be seen in her searching eyes. Becoming twenty one to her symbolised that she had now left all vestiges of her teenage years behind and that whatever she did with the remainder of her adult life, she would only do that which she had set her heart upon doing and no other thing!
