WHOLESALE MURDER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2031, 10 April 1890, Page 3

WHOLESALE MURDER.

Dreadful child-murders have been committed at Warsaw by a midwife named Skublinski and some other women, who have been arrested. Skublinski lived in an attic, and the other inmates of the house, who all belong to the working classes, knew that she secretly received illegitimate children “to nurse,” as she said. In leality, it is stated, she, with other women, carried on a regular trade in murdering infants. The attention of the police had already been drawn to the woman, and an unexpected examination of the house revealed several cradles with two and three babies in each. Now, as Skublinski had no right to receive mothers and newborn children, she had to promise that from henceforth she would take no more infants into her house. Notwithstanding this the police, on a subsequent occasion, found three little babies, and she was, in consequence, summoned, and the hearing was fixed for the 19th instant . before the justices of the peace. But as she feared that her appearance in court would bring her disgraceful trade to light, she resolved to destroy all traces of the crimes.

During the night of February 17th she set fire to her lodging, after having first murdered the children committed to her charge. Then she went and stood in the yard of the house among the excited crowd and waited to see what would happen. As the house was only built of wood, she evidently hoped it would be completely destroyed. But one of the inmates of the house suddenly remembered the woman in the garret and her charges, and called out to the firemen to save the children. Then Bkuhlinski was for the first time seen standing in the yard, and when she was asked if the children were already saved, she answered that they were no longer with her. In the meanwhile, the firemen had so far succeeded in subduing the fire that one of them penetrated into Bkublinski’s lodging, and, n<3fc knowing what she had said, immediately began to search for the children. He soon found one little corpse, and then two more. r J hey were taken down to the yard, and a doctor who happened to he present declared that the children were not choked by smoke, but that a crime had been committed. Then the police came forward, and four more corpses were discovered, on one of which were distinct traces of the skull having been battered in. Consequently Skublinski and the other women were arrested. All the corpses were taken to the hospital, and it was proved that they had died a violent death. Their age could not be established, but none of them appeared to be more than six weeks old. Coffins for ten to fifteen children were made by a carpenter. Skublinski is described as a handsome woman, over thirty years years of age. Two-thirds of the children born in Connecticut last year were boys.