A FOUL FEMALE FIEND.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1265, 28 May 1896, Page 9

A FOUL FEMALE FIEND.

HORRIBLE AND REVOLTING STORY OF BABY-FARMING. OVER 100 LITTLE VICTIMS. A cablegram received on Monday last announced that a woman named Mrs Annie Dyer had been sentenced to death in London for infanticido. Tho following references to tho woman Dyer’s plan of procedure and her detection, from the pen of our London correspondent, should be found interesting:— For some years past the finding of dead bodies of newly-born infants in various parts of tho Metropolis has been a frequent occurrence. In some cases it was hard to say whether tho children had ever drawn in the breath of life, but the majority had evidently been done to death by strangulation or suffocation, and in some instances a crushed in skull told all too plainly the manner of the child’s death. Coroners’ juries sat upon the poor little corpses, hut, though in many cases they were forced to return a verdict of “ wilful murder ” against some person or persons unknown, the police did not seem to take the murders very seriously. Yet in half a dozen cases the meagre evidence before the Coroner’s Court seemed to point to the infants having been made away with by one and the same person. In the piajoritj 7 of instances' the bodies were

found in brown paper parcels, which were usually

DEPOSITED IN THE FRONT GARDEN of the smaller residential villas abounding 1 in every suburb. Recently, however, many bodies have been discovered in the Thames, and not long ago a police surgeon with a wide experience of the river and its tragedies came to the conclusion that the criminals would be found, not in London, but some 30 or 40 miles up the river. And he also came to the conclusion that one person was responsible for the greater part of the murders. His views havo turned out to be correct. On March 30th a brown paper parcel was found floating in the Thames not far from where the Kennet joins the larger river. It contained the dead body of a female child, evidently strangled to death. A brick or stono had evidently been used as a sinker, but slipping had allowed the parcel to rise before the action of the water had destroyed the paper covering, upon which the police found au address which led them forthwith to

ARREST A MRS ANNIE DYER,

or 45, Kensington road, Caversham. Having obtained sufficient evidence to justify them detaining this woman the police instituted a thorough search of the river below Reading. The drags employed brought to light no less than six children, whoso death the police believe can all bo traced to Mrs Dyer. This woman seems to havo carried on the profession of a baby farmer in all parts of the country, and was convicted and sentenced to a term of imprisonment for conducting a baby farm at Bristol some years ago. She has also resided in Newcastle-on-Tyne and Stafford, and also in London. It is stated that she advertised in the London papers under the style of a lady -who was anxious to adopt a child from its birth in consideration of a money payment. From the number of letters found in the woman’s house the advertisements evidently proved most fruitful, and porsons anxious to becomo her clients ranged FROM THOSE IN HIGH PLACES to the humble shopkeeper. Mrs Dyer haa taken many children, and with each one of them has received a largo money payment and a box of clothes. The police case ia that tho bodies found do not by a large number represent tho children known to havo been received by the woman during the past twelve months. It is asserted that she never kept a child more than a day. Tho garden of the house occupied by Dyer has been carefully dug, but up to tho present no traces of any children having been secreted thero have been found. Tho police have information that the woman has had no fewer than 17 children committed to her care since Christmas, and it is alleged that she haa received as much as LIOO for ono child alone. Certain letters found in the rooms suggest that many of the parents who havo entrusted their children to the woman knew the fate in store for them. Tho police on this part of tho caso are naturally reticent, as they havo every hope of effecting a few moro arrests ero the matter is finished. They havo also taken into custody a man named Arthur IV. Palmer, who is charged with being accessory to the murder of the child first found. Palmer is a son-in-law of tho woman.

While the hearing was in progress at tha Reading] Polico Court an angry crowd gathered outside the Court and indulged in menacing language toward tha prisoners.

Mrs Dyer, who is a middle-aged woman of stout build, rocked continually back* ward and forward during tho recital of the accusations against her, appearing to suffer great mental agony. The developments horrified the country. It has been proved that since Christmas 20 children wero intrusted to Mrs Dyer’s kooping, and that only four are living. The others havo vanished. Prior to Christmas many other children who had been placed in her charge disappeared. The woman has for a long time prac« tised a wholesale system of infant murder. Sho lived in Reading, whero she had tha reputation of piety. Above the door of her home was a figure of Christ, beneath which was the inscription Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is tho Kingdom of Heaven.” Over 100 missing infants are now connected with Mrs Dyer. The police have consulted tho higher legal authorities regarding prominent porsons who have been found to be involved bv giving Mrs Dyer charge of children. * Sensational developments are probable.