Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-08-08
Wholesale Starvation of Infants
in Massachusetts.

The Lawrence Massachusetts, american OF
the llth inst, gives some most horrible de-
velopements which an investigation before
coroner of that city, had quite recently
brought to light. That such things should
be in the midst of community so gushingly
philanthropic-so aggresSively devoted to
the leveling of social distinctions in other
States, and so intolerant of human wrongs
and weaknesses In other people, may cause
some wonder.
Coroner DIR. W. d. Lamb held an inquest
Yesterday afternoon over the body of an in
fant of four months, named Charles Heating,
whose parents are in Lowell, which develop
ed horrors enough to make one shudder. 1t
appeared that one Mrs. Rogers, who is To-
Gated in small building on the alley between
jackson and Newbury, Essex and Common
streets, has been In the habit of receiving
young children from the age of one month
to one year to board. Some of the mothers
were married and some not married. She
has had as many as nine at one time, and
day or two since had SIX.
The one on whom the inquest was held
died on Saturday evening" and on Monday
morning neighbor looked in and found the
body of the child lying quite black, covered
with maggots, and its eyes not closed: The
woman, who was far from civil, said that she
was going out to make arrangements for Its
burial. She held another child about the
same age, poor little attenuated thing, ap-
parently very near dead, and which Is prob
ably not living while this is written. The
death of the one in question, according to
the Woman own statement, must have been
attended with great suffering. One witness
did not hesitate to express the opinion that
the wretched infant had sucked It's fingers to
the bone and quite raw in the agonles OF
starvation. The witness also mentioned SIM
liar cases of the kind which had occurred in
that house, or among infants immediately
after being removed from there. They were
fed. to use the expression of witness, upon
-four Cruel scared with milk. Two OF the
witnesses testified to the horrible smell which
pervaded the place, and the filth with which
the house abounded.
The evidence differs about the presumed
guilt of the woman Rogers, thus far, though
there may be further Developments at the
inquest this evening" to which time 1t has
been adjourned There can be no doubt,
however about the criminal neglect OF pa
rents who would trust their children in such
hands. 1t is stated, and quite possibly with
truth, that two or three of these unnatural
mothers expressed the hope that their in
fants would die, and they would then be
relieved of the burden of paying dollar a
week to the women for their support.
Much excitement has prevailed about the
matter and the den has been visited by hun
dreds At one time the alley was quite
blocked up with people, all of whom were
expressing bitter indignation, both against
the old women.and the parents whose chIl-
dren were deposited there.
P.S. We are informed that the infant
supposed to be dying yesterday, has been
taken home by its mother, single woman
at the northwest part of the city, and that
| it is still living.