A SENSATION IN “THE STAR.”
When dinner was over, and the feminine boarders had filed upstairs as
usual, a fresh shock awaited poor Prudence. There was sudden great
excitement in the street. A dozen newsboys, with stentorian lungs,
bellowed up and down Beaconsfield Gardens the words, “Extry
Speschul—’orrible case—_Re_-volting details,” alone being distinctly
audible.
The women crowded to the window trying to hear, and speculating what the
sensation might be. Major Jones went to the front door and bought a copy
of _The Star_, which he kindly brought up to the drawing-room for the
benefit of the ladies.
“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.
“The prisoner, who seemed to be still under the influence of drink,
made a long and rambling statement about a baby, a crossed cheque, and
a lady, but she was interrupted by the magistrate, who told her she
ought to be ashamed of herself. This was one of the most disgraceful
cases that had ever come before him.
“Mr. Ramsden asked that the accused should be remanded to enable the
police to make enquiries, as a further charge would be preferred
against her, that she, being an unlicensed person, had undertaken the
charge of fifteen infants under two years of age.
“The magistrate accordingly desired the case to stand over until the
18th. It appears that the police found several names and addresses at
the prisoner’s house, which are supposed to be those of parents or
other relatives of the unfortunate little ones. They are diligently
following up these clues, and Sir John Jenkins expressed a hope that
the publicity given to the case would induce all who could give
evidence to come forward.”
As Major Jones concluded, there was a stir and a sudden rush amongst the
ladies; Miss Prudence Semaphore had fainted.