The Winton Baby-Farming Case

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 270, 18 May 1895, Page 2

The Winton Baby-Farming Case

INTEEESTING PARTICULARS. The special reporter of the Otago Daily Times furnishes that journal with the following: — Six yonrs nj>-o Mrs Dean appears to have started baby- farming at Winton. She had then two children in her care, but subsequently she obtained possession of 13 children, all of whom, with two exceptions, were infants, the ages of which ranged from four weeks up to nine months. The exceptions referred to are a young vroman of 20 and a girl of 15, both of whom were livm<»' with Mrs Dean up to the time of her arrest. The former of these states that she knew of 92 children who at one time or other were in Mrs Dean's keeping-. Of this number, 14 have been accounted for in some way or other, including; the children whose bodies were found in the garden. One of the children, who died on March 123, 1891. formed the suliject of a coroner's inquest, in connection with which it was thought advisable to have a post-mortem examination of the body made before taking evidence. The jury also visited the premise?, find, after witnesses had been examined, Mr Coroner Raw.son said he thought the jury would find no difficulty'" in arriving at a verdict, as the doctor's evideuco proved conclusively that the child died from natural causes. The inquiry resulted in the jury returnin" a verdict of " Death from natural catises," but a rider -was added to the verdict recommending that something should be done in the way of legislation to restrict persons who adopt such means of living as Mrs Deau to a certain number of children, according to the accommodation provided, and also that they should be under inspection. In consequence of the recommendation the Government passed " The Infants Life Protection Act, 1894," which provides for the registration of premises where children uuder two years of age not belonging to the owner of the premises are kept. The inquest had the effect of causing one of the mothers of the children to withdraw her child from Mrs Deau's Care, and since then the children have gradually decreased in numbers until at the time of arrest there were only five children in the house, besides the young woman of 20 and the girl of 15 already referred to. The former is usually away from home iv the day time, and was absent for about two months prior to Mrs Dean's arrest, and consequently knew nothing whatever of the two children whose bodies were found.