“Well, Major, what is it all about?” asked little Mrs. Whitley eagerly, when Major Jones entered the room.
“A dreadful Baby Farming Case,” said the Major. “Fifteen babies discovered in a horrible state of dirt and neglect somewhere at the East End.”
“I thought it was a murder,” said the medical woman, somewhat disappointed.
“Oh, this is just as bad! Do read it, please,” cried Miss Belcher, Mrs. Whitley, and Mrs. Wilcox, who had just finished pouring out tea.
Major Jones rubbed his glasses with a silk handkerchief, holding The Star tightly under his arm the while. Then, having adjusted his spectacles, and taken up a position immediately under the gas, he read in a quick, monotonous voice:
“HORRIBLE BABY FARMING CASE!
REVOLTING DETAILS!!
FIFTEEN HELPLESS INFANTS CONSIGNED TO MISERY AND STARVATION!!!
SEARCH FOR UNNATURAL PARENTS.
“At the Arrow Street Police Court to-day, before Sir John Jenkins, Sarah Anne Brown, 50, residing at 42, Plummer’s Cottages, Barker’s Rents, E., and variously known as ‘The Scorcher,’ ‘Soothing Syrup Sal,’ ‘Amelia Tompkins,’ ‘Mary Ann Martin,’ ‘Mrs. Ash,’ ‘Mrs. Fry,’ &c., was charged with being drunk and disorderly, and assaulting the police. Police-constable Brady X 2001 deposed to being on duty in Pitt Street last night at 9.30. He saw the prisoner, who was the centre of a noisy crowd of roughs, dancing before the door of the ‘Bunch of Grapes,’ from which she had been ejected. In her arms she carried a sickly baby, and when requested to move on, she threw the child at the constable, making use of disgusting language. The child was severely bruised, and when remonstrated with, the prisoner scratched the constable’s face. She then flung herself on the ground and kicked. So violent was she that it took four men to bring her to the station, where the doctor discovered that the child was suffering from the effects of neglect and starvation. The wretched infant was immediately conveyed to the headquarters of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, whence an officer of the Society was at once despatched to prisoner’s address. On enquiries being made at her home—a miserable hovel—it seems that no fewer than fourteen unregistered infants were discovered, the place being in fact a baby farm on an extensive scale. The children were in an indescribable state of filth and misery. There was only one feeding bottle on the premises, and that was half-filled with sour milk. Two of the older children were gnawing a crust of dry bread. All were nearly naked, being wrapped in various old rags. A number of pawn tickets of recent date for articles of infants’ clothing seemed to show that their wearing apparel had been disposed of by the woman Brown, who appears to have carried on an extensive traffic in infants for some years. On the floor of the principal room was a wretched, filthy, flock bed. There was neither fire nor light in the house. The unfortunate little sufferers were at once removed to St Mark’s Workhouse, and provided with food and medical care. Four of them were not expected to live.