BABY-FARMING

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8613, 26 December 1913, Page 5

BABY-FARMING

THE MELBOURNE SENSATION. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright MELBOURNE, December 24. At the coronial inquiry into the death of Mrs Newman, and also tho deaths of tho two infants found in a fowl-house, and a third found buried on the beach at Carrum, a verdict was returned that Mrs Newman committed suicide and that the infants were murdered by her. The coroner said it appeared that baby-farming had been made easy for this woman, for the interests of some persons in getting rid of undersirable children made her methods simple, and it was easy, by means of advertisements, for baby-farmers to get in touch with their victims. £A message received some days ago stated; —There has been a sensational development in connection with the mysterious disappearance of several babies adopted by Mrs Newman, who committed suicide by taking poison at Mordialloo after detectives had placed her under arrest. The bodies of two infants have been unearthed in a fowlhouse at the woman’s residence, and at least four others are mining. The woman, who some years ago figured as the champion woman runner of Australia, left a note stating that her husband and children knew nothing of the matter. They thought she was receiving ten shillings weekly for each of the children. The note added that the evidence was against her, but that she was innocent.]