BABY-FARMING.—HORRIBLE DISCLOSURES.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 220, 22 September 1870, Page 2

BABY-FARMING.—HORRIBLE DISCLOSURES.

Oue social iniquities are being unveiled in a manner that puts to shame our vaunted superiority. The last discovery is that there exists among us, under the suggestive name of baby-farming, the systematic practice of infanticide. Within the last few weeks several bodies of infants were found in the south of London, in baskets, or wrapped in articles of clothing, or in, paper coverings but no clue could be obtained to the persons, responsible for them, except that atone recent inquest the name of "Mrs. Waters" was found to be written on the piece of paper in which a child was wrapped. Happily, a police sergeant bethought himself of an advertisement which pointed to the neighbourhood, and although appearing in a weekly journal of large circulation, seemed to intelligent eyes to tell the tale too clearly. It ran as follows : — " Adoption.—A good home, with a mother's love and care, is offered to any respectable person wishing her child to be entirely adopted. Premium £5, which sum includes everything. Apply, by letter only, to Mrs. Oliver, Post-oiice, Grove-place Brixton." The s rgeant accordingly applied, and was answered by Mrs. Oliver in terms of yearning affection. It would give her great pleasure to adopt the gentleman's little boy, if not too old, and she wishes for one as young as possible, " that it may know none but ourselves as its parents. We are 1 oth,\ she says, " very fond of children ; and should you intrust your little one to my care, you may rely upon his receiving the care and love of a mother." A meeting was appointed at a railway station, when the woman who came gave the name of Ellis. After this interview, the sergeant traced her to a house in Brixton ; and from this house he traced her to her house in the neighbourhood a young woman who had lately given birth to an illegitimate child. With this clue he was enabled to take open action, and the father of the young woman accompanying him to " Mrs. Ellis's" house, the child was, after some denials, produced— "dreadfully emaciated and apparentlj dying" — indeed, it is since dead. The sergeant then went down stairs, and found on a sofa in the front kitchen, " five infants about three or four weeks old, all huddled together covered over with gowns and shawls. They were quiet and asleep, very dirty, and appeared to be neglected; two of them appeared to be dying. Further investigations followed, which terminated in the arrest of two women, sisters, who were known by various aliases, one of which was the name of " Waters," discovered on the paper before alluded to. In all, 10 children were found, of whom four have siuce died. The doctor's evidence explains their condition: " There were 10 infants from three weeks old up to three

months.

Some were emaciated ;

some were healthy. There was very little chance of the children living with such food as he found supplied to them. One of the children was under the influence of a narcotic. On a table in one of the rooms he found a bottle labelled ' Paregoric Elixir.' "

The Treasury have taken up the case, and not without good reason. It is said that tho woman Waters has had forty children placed in her charge within the last four years. Several mothers have come forward aud testified to the manner in which they have been deceived. The letters produced show a free use of all the terms of parental affection. " We have," writes this Mrs. Waters, under the signature of Watson, to one inquirer, " a nice home and every comfort, and are very fond of children. Why we so much desire a young child is that it may know no other love that ours, and always look upon us ai its parents. We are not unmindful of the heavy responsibility we incur iv adopting a baby as our own, and in doing so should strictly consider its happiness and comfort, and promise that its future should be well provided for." Other correspondence followed, a reference was given to an accomplice, and the child was surrendered, £2 only being paid towards its expenses. Mrs. Watson would give no address, on the plea that her husband objected. When the child's friends wrote subsequently, through this referee, to inquire how it was getting ou, they received for answer:—"The lovely boy talks and coos, tells us tales, cies very little, eats well, is always happy, sleeps like a little top by our bedside in a cradle, and only has two bottles all night. I love him very much and his papa is foolish over him. He is such company for me." Yet this child cannot now be traced ; such is a sample of this woman's procedure.

A young girl who was in service at the house where the " Baby Farm" wa3 discovered states that during the three months she had been in service four children were taken away. Two were taken away at 10 o'clock at night, and were brought back at 12, the prisoners saying they had been late for the train. But the next night they were again taken away, and the prisoner., returned without them, " saying that they had been taken „honie." This girl had fetched several letters from "Mrs! Oliver." She has been sent to buy laudanum, and by " Mrs. Water's" direction lias procured lime, and put it into the infants' food. She states that no child died while she was there, but she identifies several of the articles found with the dead infants as having been used in the house, and worn by one of the children now rescued and sent to the workhouse.

A coroner's inquest has been held over the emaciated little corpses of tho children who have died since the police took up the matter, and a verdict of " manslaughter" returned, but this falls short, of public opinion, which sees more than a cruel negligence in the manner in which these hapless little ones have been disposed of.