Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-02-07
A CHAPTER ON noMEsT1cs.
VIII Slight Insight into the Way our Pdnpe
inttLnks are Reared


infants are Reared.
Mr. James w. Barker had in his employ,
from the 10Th OF October to the 18th of Janu-
airy last very pretty-looking servant girl,
named Mary Fitch. Mr. Barker is a widower,
and resides at No 152 East Thirty fourth ST.,
where his daughter keeps house for him.
Near Mr.. Bankers residence, at No. 1856, in
the same street, lives widow named Mary
Cullough who was usually employed three or
four DAYS week by Miss Barker, to assist
Mary Fitch in the heavier Homework. Not
withstanding that Mary Fitch came to Mr..
Barker very highly recommended, he could
not help noticing that his shirts, collars, stock
ings, and other articles of wearing apparel,
slowly, but mysterously vanished, piece by
piece, until at last, when one Sunday morning
came, and it was time for church, he could
find scarcely a change Of clean linen. MIR.
Barker and his daughter would question Mary
Fitch about these things but the only reply
she ever vouchsafed to them was, 'sure ye
wudn't accuse me of stating EN-" ooh, no
Mary" Mr.. Barker would say "but be care
full that they don't blow over into the next
yard" The quilts and counterpanes were
| spirited off, one at a time, by the same I'M
known hand, and the young housekeeper be-
came well nigh distracted at her inability to
account for the disappearance of her household
obliged to spread his shawl over his bed to
keep from freezing. Mary would go out at
night, too, and remain away for hours, and
upon her return, if her frightened young mis-
stress suggested the propriety of asking leave
when she next desired to see her friends, Mary
would toss her head disdainfully, and reply,
''shure its not yer betters I'd be asking lave
av, let alone ay ye," and fling herself out of
the room with the air of a heroine in high,
doube-breasted Bowery melodrama. Beyond
a certain point, patience ceases to be a virtue,
and Mary Fitch having long ago overstepped
that mark, was discharged on the 18th of
January. Miss Barker soon after made
an examination of the house, and discoy-
cred that the trunks in the store-room, con-
tanning valuable shawls, silks, and laces, the
property of her deceased mother had been
opened, and their contents taken away. She
appraised her father of the fact and a thorough
examination of tie household effects disclosed
that about $400 worth of property was missing
On Wednesday, Miss Barker observed Mary
Fitch, their late servant, pass the house, and
subsequently enter that in which Mrs Cul-
Tough lived. AS Mary and Mrs. Cullough had
always been wrangng with each other while
in her employ, Miss Barker marveled at the
sudden friendship that appeared to have sprung
up between them. When her father came
home, she communicated what she had seen,
and remarked upon the amiability of the two
women. Mr.. Barker at once concluded that
his property had disappeared, through the
Joint agency of the two Marys and procuring
the assistance of Mr.. VIM. Stokely of the In
dependent Police, paid visit to the tenement
house in which they lived. Up four flights of
stairs, through waterfooded passages, in which
rabbits and guinea pigs pinned in little pens,
they found the habtuation of Mrs Cullough.
Mot FL, ,,,o 10, Ial
room while Mary Fitch was sitting with her
feet on the stove, making herself comfortable.
The two women were arrested, and in spite
of their lamentations, taken to the station
house. while Messrs. Barker and Stokely
searched the place. Under an old bureau they
found two silk dresses that had belonged to
the late Mrs. Barker, in flour barrel, nap
kins, sheets, and handkerchiefs marked with
her name, were discovered other articles with
the same marks were found in beds, and stow
ed away In other secret places. By this time
Mrs. Culough came back, the officer at the sta.
ton refused to detain her without a charge.
Mr.. Barker showed her the result of the search,
when she confessed that Mary Fitch had stolen
the property at different times and brought it
to her house, taking the valuable articles
away at intervals to exchange for furs and
dresses for Eer own use. She further stated,
with many tears and signs of contrition, that
Mary had confided to her plan for robbing
Mr. Barker of his plate. Some Sunday even
ing, she said, while the family were at church,
and she was left in charge ofsthe house, she
would put the silver near the back basement
window, and young man of her acquaintance
whom she had paid to do it, would come and
break in and carry it away. Mr.. Barker told
Mrs. Cullough that under these circumstances
he would hold her as guilty as Mary Fitch for
not informing him of what was going on be-
fore. She was then returned to the Station
House in charge of policeman In the course
of their examination of the premises, Messrs.
Barker and Stokely found three little cradles
in dark bedroom, and drawing them out to
the light, discovered that they contained three
| infants The little creatures were covered
with filth, and seemed not to have been washed
for several days The beds on which they lay
were rotten with foulness, and the rags which
covered them but little better. Each of them
lay quiet and motionless as death. They did
not have strength enough to cry. If you
| pinched them or rolled them over, they gave
no motion or sign of life. The oldest was said
to be twenty-eight months, the youngest thir-
teen. Every one of them was absolutely a
living skeleton, and the largest would not weigh
more than a healthy, robust babe of three
months Their little limbs were not much
over an inch in diameter at their thickest parts
AT the end of their shadowy arms were little
hands that looked like birds claws. One of
the wretched creatures lay upon its side, with
the thick part of its left arm in its mouth from
which it appeared to draw its principal nutri-
ment. During the days and months i'll which
1t had lain i'll this position, it had sucked away
at the limb until the flesh had grown up to the
size, and shape, and appearance of a large, raw
nipple. They had evidently been drugged, as
usual, TO keep them quiet, and their great
wide, staring eyes, which were the only signs
of life about them, were vacant as idiots. 1t
was painful, yea, horrible sight to witness
these three suffering and helpless little old peo-
pie.
"Who are these, in Heavens name 2" i'll
quired the gentlemen. "Please, sir, they be
the children missus takes to nurse for the Aims
House, and Pm the girl she hires to look after
EN-" replied slatternly looking girl. "What
does she get for taking care of them?" they
asked ga dollar apiece for EN-, every week,
sir" and then the girl explained that Mrs
Cullough was one of the out door nurses en-
ployed by the Aims House Governors, and
showed the gentlemen the nice rolls of diaper,
f1anneling, muslins, and punches of warm
stockings which the Aims House people fur
nished tor their comfort The girl said that
this supply was renewed every three months
Yet these children were naked, and covered up
with old, filthy rags
"Does any visitor come to see the children g"
"Oh, yes, sir" said the girl; "Mrs. Frost
comes once month, and Mr.. Maloney, one of
the Guv'ners, he comes here often, too"
When our reporter called at the house, in
company with Mr.. Stokely, yesterday, he
found that the woman which Mr.. Barker had
employed to take care of the children, in the
absence of Mrs. Cullough, had stirred around
and put the little manikns into clean dresses
| AS ifexpecting visit from the POWERS that he