THE PERTH BABY-FARMING CASE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10958, 29 April 1907, Page 4

THE PERTH BABY-FARMING CASE.

.*. FIVE YEARS' HARD LABOR. j "LONG DEATH ROLL." : The Criminal Court at Perth, West Australia, was crowded on April 16th, when Alic & Mitchell, who was recently found guilty of manslaughter of a cliild, was brought up for sentence. The portion of the Court set apart for women was densely packed, and as the convicted , woman, neatly attired m black, witli cream lac & collarette, and violet flowers under her hat, stepped into the dock, ail necks were cranea m her direction. She trembled like a leaf, and started somewhat when Air Justice McMillan called her name. His -Honor said: Alice Mitchell, the jury have found you guilty of manslaughter. They have come to the conclusion that you had no criminal intention, but that the death of baby Booth was caused by your criminal negligence. With that I verdict I entirely agree, but I must say I have found very great difficulty m coming to a conclusion as to what sentence I ought to pass on you. I am only sentencing you for the death of this one child Booth, but m order to see what your conduct has been 1 am entitled, as the jury was entitled, to look at the surrounding circumstunces, and the way m wliich you liave •conducted the business you have been carrying on. It is very painful to look at this long death roll of children who died while m your clmrge, and it is still more painful to consider what their sufferings must have been while they were alive. Death to them was a liappy release. I am quite satisfied m my own mind that for years past you liave become, as many women who carry on this kind of business have become, . absolutely callous to the sufferings of cluldren entrusted -to your care, tlie only object 'being to makt a living. lam afraid you have felt safe by reason of neglect on tne' part of those whose duty it was to see that you did your duty to the children entrusted to you. You treated with neglect the law for the protection of infant life, and the neglect of that law was your protection. 1 can find very little to- justify me m extending to you the mercy I should like to extend to women of your years. You are a woman getting up m life, and whatever term of imprisonment I may pass on, you will affect you more severely than it would a younger woman. Still, I am going to, sentence you to such a term of imprisonment as will not Only punish you tor your misconduct, but act as a warning to others who may be running the same risk Ayhich you have, run. Your misconduct lias been found out"} and if any other woman appears m a criminal dock, if she is a younger woman, 6be will not' leave th c dock with the specially ligut sentence I am going to pass on you— one of imprisonment with hard labor for five years. Mrs 'Mitchell nearly collapsed when the sentence was pronounced.