The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-06-18 00:00:00

A SCOTCH BREACH OF PROMISE CASE.

The Dundee Advertiser reports another of those many
actions brought by young women in very humble posh.
tion in life for breach of promise of marriage. In this
case the plaintiff was Catherine Bisland, and the de-
fendant WI. Alexander Gowrie, a farm servant, and
she asked for I:12, whhh is a favourite amount of iota-
Cunt in Scotland. The plaintiff produced a number of
ill spelled love letters which she had received from the
defendant between Midsummer and Christmas, in one
of which he said :
'1 was Glad when I opned the latter and saw that you had
made up your mind and I hope you will not draw back now
at this time and the Shipeard was asking when I was to take
you and I said that I dount now Soud have not Got sway
for myself yet and he sale the sonur the better for my salt."
In another One he thus alluded to their marriage
Dear Lover the time lan faint a prosching when we mulct
be to gather my Dear It will be a nalta day when the haven
and the earth shall pate away and these shall be no more
seas."
Tho plaintiff's mother proved that owing to the match
being broken off the girl became affected.
The Advocate asked, "In what way wan she af.
-"

fected ? "
The mother replied, "I didna Bee her heart to ken
that,"
The Sheriff awarded the girl the money he claimed.

A Ilegirtrum Parliomentarium will Noon appear. It
will Nhee the corowedtion of both !louse. from 1620 to the
Preseet .I..te. The hit of potl 111 I.ehele several that are
not anreu lii Mr. Smith's " racUrnamM

ADOPTING CHILDREN.

At the Lambeth police-court, in London, on Mon-
day, a remarkable ease in the history of baby-farming
came before the magistrate

Margaret Waters,- atias Willis, 4, Frederick-terrace,
Gordomgrove, Brixton, was brought up in custody of
Sergeant Ralph, charged with neglecting to provide
proper food and nourishment to the illegitimate child
of a Mien Cowen, whereby its life was in danger; and
Sarah Elite, was also charged with being concerned
with the first-named prisoner for having four infants in
her possession, alio in an emaciated condition. See.
geant Ralph, made the following statement. He
said :

About 20 minutes to one o'clock on the night of Saturday,
the 20th of May, I flaw a four-wheeled cab draw op at the
front door of 164, Camberwell.road, kept by Mrs. Barton, •
Midwife. I saw an elderly woman get out of the cab, go Into
the house, and shortly return with a delicate young lady, who
I thought had been recently confined. I followed the cab.
and saw the woman get out at the Lonrho'roe-villas, Lough-
borough-road, Brixton. I ascertained the young lady's name
was Jennette Thule Cowen, and that she had been recently
delivered of a male child. I saw the register of a birth in
in her name of a boy, and I found that the confinement had
taken place on May 14. I made inquiries, and ascertained
that the child had been put out for adoption to a woman
named Willis, who advertised for infants, but no one knew
where she lived or what she was. I saw an advertisement in
Lloyd's of June 5, signed by Sire. Oliver, to adopt for LC to
cover every expense. Letters were to be addressed to her at
the post-ofnce, Gower-place, Brixton. 1 answered it, and
made an appointment to meet Mrs. Oliver, which I kept, at
half-past eight o'clock, at Camberwell New-road, on the 12th
June. After seeing her, Mrs. Oliver stated that she had
been married thirteen years, but had no family which I have
since ascertained to be false. She said her husband was a
house decorator, and lived at home-hill, was well to do,
and if I would entrust my dear boy to her care it would
be well educated and put to her husband's trade. She seemed
very anxious to get a boy, and also for me to leave her. I
traced her antl found she raided at 4, Frederick's-terrace,
Brixton. At nine o'clock on the 11th I went to the house,
and the prisoner Oliver answered the door. I asked if Mrs.
Willis lived there, and she said "No." I asked her lithe took
In children to adopt, and she also replied that she I
I then asked her to produce MI-a Cowen's child. She said it
was not there. I requested to be shown over the house, and
she then called "Mary,' who brought up the child. The
child was nothing but skin and bones, and appeared to be
dying. It was filthy, and wrapped In some dirty black
clothes. I then went into the front kitchen and found
several Infants three or four weeks old, all huddled
together on an old sofa, quiet, and asleep. There was no
food to be seen, and there were there altogether eleven
children. I called in Dr. Puckle, medical officer of the
district, and in coneermence of what he ordered, Miss
Cowen's child was put out to nurse. There were there seven
male and four female infants, six of them being from three
weeks to a month old. They all lay with feeding bottles by
their sides. Mn. Waters stated she wee paid so much per
week. The children she pointed out as having been paid
for weekly were so, but the others were not. She said they
were all illegitimate children except one, which was the off-
spring of her sister, Mre. Oliver. She said she had been in
the business about four years, and had had about forty chil-
dren at one time Where they were now she did not know.
Mtn Cowen's child had been weighed by Dr. Pope, divieional
surgeon, and found to weigh only 61b5. 4ux.
Dr. Pope, in giving evidence, statedthat the children I
were all in a negleoted condition, and very emaciated
and dirty. One of them was up to the present time
under the influence of some narcotic. The children
could not cry naturally, and were always aaleep. They
all appeared to have been deprived of food, and were
in a sadly neglected condition.
Mrs, Barton, nurse, stated that she delivered Miss I
Cowen on the 14th May. The child was remarkably
large and healthy.
Ann Rowland, a wet nurse, gave evidence showing
the shocking condition of the infant of Miss Cowen I
when brought to her.
The magistrate then cautioned the prisoners in the i
usual form, and asked what they wished to say to the
charge.
••—•••• • •• • • • •

Tge prisoner Walters said the child had got poorly,
and she was about sending it to a wet nurse. She
alleged that when she took it she only had £2, as Miss
Cowen was short of money, and that she had plenty
of proof to show that she had properly treated the
children. She concluded by saying, "But children
are more frequently killed before they are born."
The other pr.s ener declined to say anything, and
both were ordered to be remanded for the completion
of the depositions, and some additional necessary evi-
dence.

Shortly afterwards the infants, with the exception of
one, were, in the care of Rome women, conveyed in
L cabs to ambeth Workhouse pending the remand.
There WM a crowd gathered outside, and expressions
of indignation were freely uttered against the
prisoners. It may be added further that, upon the
priloner Waters was found 1;11 in gold, 79 duplicates
relating to various articles, and 12 letters, the contents
of which have not 3et been disclosed. In the house,
which was very scantily furnished, were also 35
medicine and mixture bottle., and 13 feeding bottles.