BABY FARMING IN LONDON

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 157, 9 February 1871, Page 7

BABY FARMING IN LONDON

CITATIGE OF MURDER.

At the Lambeth Police-cocrt on Nov. 15, Mary Hall was again charged with conspiring with Ann Augusta (not in custody) to foist another person's cliilu on George James Lee, and vA?c, with unlawfully endangering the child's life by exposure. Tlie particulars of this caso have already appeared. Certain packet d which had bean found in the house of the prisoner had been handed over for examination to Dr. Farr, who pronounced thorn to contain white hellebore, an irritant poison. Charlotte Farrant, the mother of fie child, stated that it was taken from her by the prisoner on the understanding that it was to be adopted by a lady. The magistrate committed the prisoner for trial on both charges. Mr. Poland, on behalf of the Treasury, theu charged the prisoner and her husband, David Hall, with the wilful murder of an infant child name unknown, at No. 6, Chapel-plaoe Cold-harbour-lane, in the month of Feb., 1869. Upon this statement David Hall was brought up in the custody of Sergeant E.elf, and placed in the dock by the side of his wife. Mr. Poland continued to observe that the prisoners for some years had kept the house No. G, Chapel-place, where they received ladies who wished socresy in their difficulty. The police had found out that a large number of women had gone to the house for the purpose of being confined. Many children had been born, but nothing had been traced with regard to them. Matilda Barrett was then called, and made the following remarkable state aient : — She said she was eighteen years of age, and now lived with her mother in Thornhill square, Walworth. Knew the prisoners and was in their service. She was general servant, and there was no other servant in the house. She l'emained there only about sight weeks, aud occu-

pied a room next the kitchen, where she slept. Two children, about four and six years old, slept with her. She could see from the window into the garden. When she first went there were no women lodging there. After about a week a female caTno, whom she thought she might recognise. Believed it was on a Wednesday. She was in tbe family way. The female occupied the first-floor front room. In a short time, in the middle of the night, witness heard a child cry. It was the same night. She also heard a great deal of bustling about, and Mr. Hall and auother person " talking. Prisoner occupied the first-floor back. Witness upon hearing the noise got out of bed, aud soon afterwards saw the male prisoner come downstairs with a child in his arms and a lighted candle in his hand. Witness saw the face of the child. He was carrying the child in his arms. Witness . had no light in her room. Tho male prisoner went straight down the garden, bolting tho door aftei him. On reaching the garden witness saw him drop the child into a hole. (Sensation.) The child had a little gown on. When she saw this she was iv her bed-room aud looked out of ;he window, and saw him droj* the child into the hole. Tho lighted candlo was by hid side as ho stooped. .Early in the afternoon she had gone into the garden, and Raw by, the side of tho fowl-aouso a good sized hole dug •in the ground. That was the holo she saw him drop the child into. ;~As he rtime back into tho house ho brushed tho dirt from his hands with his handkerchief, and went upstairs. She could not say whether tho child was alive or dead when she saw it. It was about a

quarter of an hour before that ahe heard a child cry upstairs. It then eri-e'd two or three t'-m**' 1 . On the following morning, about Sv-vor. o'clock witness saw just outd-'.i- -,'io Llu-hen door some blood. The bola s>>- mentioned was then filled up wir/i lime, and mould over that. Tijere wore marks of blood likewise in the garden towards the hole. Witness wiped up the blood. Upon the malo prisoner coming down he went into the garden down to the place where the hole hail been, and muttered to himself, " It's all right." Upon coming into the kitchen he told witness to take Mrs. Hall's breakfast up stairs. She did do ro, and found her in bed. By the male prisoner's direction she also took some tea to the front room, and there saw a youn* person v^vy ill, lying in bed. it was the same one she saw come to the house the previous day. There was no child in bed with her. There hud been a fire in the grate on the previous night. About nine o'clock the female prisoner came down. There wore no other persons in the house but the prisoiier-s, the young womau, and witness. The young woman left on the ninth day, in a four-wheeled cab. She was quite aloiie. Did not hear what name she went by. On the Sunday witness went home, and had some conversation with her mother about the matter. In about a weok or a fortnight afterwards another young woman arrived in a four-wheeled im'o, and the door being opened by Mrs. [Tall, the young woman want upstairs into the same room occupied by the other woman. On the following morning witness found her in bed with a child by her side. That was about eight o'clock in the morning. The child was alive at that time. On the day following witness went into the room and suv the young woman in bed, but without a child. She saw Mrs. Hall than go to a drawer iv the kitchen, and take out some brown paper and string. The male prisoner was then there. Afterwards she heard her say to her husband, if Mrs. Walter*! should come sliß was to be shown into the parlour. Mrs. Walters came about four o'clock, and the door wa.3 opened by the mule prisoner, who then went upstairs and brought his wife down to him. She wad carrying a brown piper j/sivol ti<xl with spring. She took the pj>iwl into thy p-iriour where Mrs. Wai tots v;&n. They all three had t°a together. Shortly afterwards witness saw Mrs Wai fora with the pai w> l under her cloak. Mrs. Wallers and the female prisoner went out, and the latter returned ab^ut midnight. Tho young woman left in about ten or eleven days. Never hoard her called by name. No doctor attended either of the women. She had heard the child cry on two mornings. When she (witness) wenb home to her mother, she had some talk with her. On the sideboard in the room she saw a bottle labelled " poison " and a box of pills. Another young woman shortly afterwards cune a»H occupied me simo room. She seemed to be in the familyway. She was confined the next morning, and witness saw the child by her side. It was alive. Witness left in about a week after that, because she refused to wash tho soiled linen. Witness refused, and then the male prisoner accused her of stealing things. The female prisoner told hsr she would turn her out, and charge her, if she did not give up what she had taken. Witness denied taking anything, and was then turned out. Her wages were two shillings per week. The police had only come to her yesterday, and then she told them. Mrs. Hall engaged her as she was passing- along the street. She stopped and asked her if she wanted a situation. The male prisoner told witness he was a sworn constable. He did nothing during the day but work in the garden. When she refused to do' the washing he lighted the copper fire and did it himself. Inspector Mackay said on the 23rd of October last he went to prisoners' house in company with Superintendent Gerou and others. The man opoued the door, and he was told his wife was in custody, and he informed him of the charge against her. He became very excited, and said he could not understand it. He objected to a search of the house, but they did it. The prisoner was then taken into custody. Mr. Chance said upon such evidence he must order another remand. At the next examination the man was discharged, and tho woman committed •for trial oil the minor charge of misdemeanor, tbe police having failed to produce any evidence corroborative of the statement of the servant girl.