The Express.
London, England, 1868-04-08 00:00:00

BABY FARMING AT DEPTFORD.

A serious charge against a woman in Deptford
was in 'Tailgated, at conaidersble length last night byMr.
C. J. Canter, the Coroner for Kent. There are two
inquests pending relative to the chards in question, both
being on the bodies of Illegitimate children. In the first
case, which was opened some days ago, and which stands
adjourned, the facts disclosed were as follows:
On the evening of Saturday week a servant girl named
Jane George, aged 72 years, came home to her mother, a
widow, living at 4s, Alberreetreet, Deptford, and on
Sunday morning she was delivered of a child. Mrs. George
took the child away from the mother at once, and within
an hour or two she sent it away with Mrs. Billups, the mid-
wife, "to find a nurse for it." The reason for this was that
it would be necessary for her daughter to go back to service.
The Georges never saw the child alive again. On Sunday
evening Mrs. Billups told a woman named Matilda Harris,
who slept in the house where Mrs. Billups lived, that
she had put the child in a bath, and that it would not
live. She appeared, however, to have fed the child on
gruel on the Sunday. On Monday she went out at 4
o'clock, leaving the child, she said to Harris, in the care
of her son, and when she came back at half-past 6 she
found it dead. She had been drunk in the interim.
When asked why she had taken the child from the
mother, she said, •' That was her business." Dr. F. Fisher
made a post-mortem examination of the body, and he
found appearances which might have been caused either
by convulsions or by drowning.
This case was adjourned, Mrs. Billow not being
examined because she was drunk.

Last night a second inquest was opened at the Globe
Tavern Lower-road, Deptford, on view of the body of the
illegitimate male child of Mrs. Elisabeth Simper, a widow,
living at 20, Blackhorse-fields.

Mra. Maria Bunion, Blackhome-flelds, said that the
mother of the deceased bad thirteen children, of whom
eight were living at home. She was • widow three years.
On Thursday last she gave birth to the deceased. A doctor
refused to come unless he was paid!,.., and therefore Mrs.
Billups was the only person present at the birth. She was
not sober. When the child was half an hour old, Mrs.
Billups gave it to witness to take it to • doctor. She
took the child to Dr. Anderson's, and showed it to his
assistant, who ordered it brandy.
The child died on Saturday.
Caroline Grimmllur, 17 Blackhorse•fields, gave corrobo-
rative evidence, and said that Mrs. Billups was not drunk.
Mrs. Julia Sarah Billups was then sworn. She said in
answer to questions—l do not know whether lam a married
woman or • widow. I sent the child immediately after birth
to the doctor's. It is the practice amongst midwives to
do so. Children are often seat to clergymen to be
christened, and as the clergyman always send, them to •
doctor I thought I might as well send it to the doctor
direct. My mother did so, and Ido the same.
Coroner—Did you notice that the child's head has been
flattened in at the side ?

Witness—That, air, is a post more= appearance.
Dr. Anderson—lt most certainly is not a post martens
appearance.
Witness—There is prejudice against me. I must
make up my mind not to attend ladies who have not got
husbands, or else I shall be brought in again about it.
The Coroner—You can keep out of trouble by doing no
more than your duty.
Witness—l have the character of being a drunken per-
son, but I am not. I try to do good and I mu; born to save
life but the prejudice of the world is against me.
Dr. J. Anderson deposed that the child wee brought to
his surgery on Thursday, and was seen by his assistant.
It w...s pulseless and dying, and brandy was ordered. It
was suffering from the effects of an injury inflicted after
birth. The poet mortem examination showed that the
right aide of the head was flattened from the effects of
either a blow or • fall. The brain was congested, and un-
derneath the injury to the skull it was pulpy and soft.
That injury caused death. It was wroulto bring a child
out immediately after birth ;it was ath never done.
The jury, after deliberaticm, requ that the case
might be adjourned to see if aolditional evidence could be
obtained.
The Coroner adjourned the case accordingly.
In reference to the case of the Georges, Dr. Fisher said
that children were continually being sent away imme.
irately after birth, in order to prevent disgrace to the
mother.

DRATH IN MILLIIANK PILISON.—An inquest was
held in the Milbank Prison yesterday, respecting the
death of William Jackson, alias Burke, who had ben
confined there for some time. The deceased was only 18
years of age. He was sent from Newgate to Hill on
the 11th November, 1866. He was repeatedly reported
for misconduct and for breech of prison rules, and woe
punished for the offences he committed. These punish-
ments consisted of alterations of diet, and of solitariness
in exercise. He was taken ill, and was placed in the in-
firmary, and all that he wished for food and drink was
gives to him. Whilst he was in the infirmary he wrote
to a relative complaining of ill-treatment. The evidence
given at the inquest went to show that his complaint was
not warranted. He died on Saturday. A post-martini
examination was made, and it then became known that the
prisoner had suffered from an abeam in the lung. Gan-
grene set in, and he died from mortification of the lung—
an unusual disease. A verdict of " Death from natural
causes" was returned.
ZAHTAIQUAK 6 AT JIIRHEY.—The inhabitants' of
the island of Jersey were alarmed on Saturday massing,
between the bows of 1 and 2 o'clock, by two distinct
shooks of earthquake, which followed each other in rapid
suociammion. The sound and effect of the shook were like
what would be prcdueed by a heavy vehicle or other heavy
object being dragged ever math paving elonsawaketnj of
the residents in the tows el Si. won
by
the noise and the peouliar meneation prodn:ed. Seveti
got oat of bed and looked into the street, expecting that
the noise was made by a peering vehicle. Articles of fur-
niture were made to vibrate most distinctly in numbers of
dwellings. The 0011190 of the vibration appeared to be
from east to west.