The New York herald., 1873-09-25

Her in Toto-"Baby Farming" IN
New York-The Extent of the
Business and Statistics Con-
nected with It.
From the developments OF the last few days 1t
seems that that exotic institution, 'baby farming"
has taken deep root aud Is fourishing here. For
many years past 1t has been an Industry of consd-
cradle extent in England, where from all accounts
1t originated. In London 1t grew to such extent
and It's abuses became so nagrant, that ordinances
were issued against it; but as crime is
fertile in resource, to perpetuate itself the
"iarmers" left the city and commenced business
literally and hguratively. Finding that the mis-
creants left town to escape the punishment i'm
posed by the ordinance, the authorities thought it
necessary to have Parliament pass special act
against the helsh practice, which during the last
few years has had the salutary effect Of
diminishing the practice to mni-
nimum, and making that minimum slightly
respectable, If ''baby farming" be susceptible Of
that quality. Here it is young, and has not yet
risen to the dignity of science, although its vota
ries perform the business in numerous and novel
ways, strikingly suggestive of how vice clothes
itself in gOrgeousness A HERALD reporter has
gathered some very interesting particulars about
the profession from the open mouths OF its vota-
representing himself as very anxious to procure
their good offices. Most OF
THE "BABY FARMERs' OF NEW YORK
are women whose conscences are as hard as
marble If they have any, and who take immense
risks for immense profits. Their vOcatiOns and
aliases are multifariOus; they find profitable
field of operation in "the milky baldrc OF the
skes' by practising astrology, and to them the
1utures virgin page Is already inscribed and for
the insignificant sum OF 81 any and every one who
applies and pays is permitted to read. They can
tell you nything that happened or is to happen
from the time you were born until the time you
die; show you photographs of your husband to be
and of all your children. The reporter was shown
the pno tograpn OF a handsome young lady who Is
to his wife. and he felt rather proud and tried to
believe it; but when the mysterious woman pro-
duced pack of cards and showed him his thirteen
children ne tried believe the other way. After
seeing all the chlldren-al about six months old
he took up the picture OF his wife, and noticing
how much 1t was used, the thought OF how many
had seen her before superinduced visions OF in
verted bigamy.
lie was also told the star under which he was
born. 1t had such a funny name he can't spell it,
and 1t wasn't the astronomy he learned at school.
With great deliberatiOn he was told OF how many
great and rich men were born under that star
Alexander, Cesar General Grant and ever so
and learned how the ''baby farming" was done.
With one of the '1armers" he displayed TOO much
herself, ''she dropped"
HOW THE BABIES ARE PROCURED.
The manner in which these institutions or farms
are filed Is in this way:-They keep rooms for
women during the period OF their delicate condi-
tion. and, most OF these women being un ortu-
nates they leave their babies behind them, with
just enough money to starve them on, queting
their gnawing consclences, with the assurance
that il their children don't thrive IT'S ; not their W
them. These children are then advertised for
adoption, and, In many Instances, they get homes
| nu,nn una n
Temptation" Is often demonstrated through the
instrumentality OF these farms, and the imposi-
tiOns practiced would afford data for half dozen
novels. The lying-in rooms are generally in the
city I; but the farms are out OF town. Many proud
.vbusn with modification If it knew that it had
"baby iarm' within Its limits The statistics re-
gardng these institutions, imperfect as they are,
show that ninety-6ve per cent OF the foundings
die while vany seeking to draw nourishment
from dirty, sour bottles through rubber tube,
impregnated with white lead and sulphur. 1t Is
not rash conclusion to suppose that the five per
cent saved are those adopted or purchased by we'll
to-dO people.
MRS. ROBERTS FARM.
The public have been informed by the HERALD OF
a case which was brought to Court ON Tuesday at
were filed by Mrs. Ellen jarvis. Mrs. Fanny Phler
and ]. Selby West, IL appears that Mrs. Rob
had Killed or caused the death of about twenty
children since last January. They also lmplicate
MIR. Boylston, undertaken, with comphcity IN the the
aud lett them IN his back yard until the stencil be-
came intOlerable.
A HERALD reporter called on Boylston yesterday
to hear what he had to say in reference to the
charge He said he had buried nine children
from the house, and had certificates OF death from
the Health ONCE Tor the bodies, and permits for
burial; that DR.. Smith has furnished certificates OF
death tor seven; DR.. Chambers Tor two, and DR..
Cypert for two. He stated that the children came
from the institution on the corner OF Fifty
street and Lexington avenue. The reporter went
to the institution in question and asked regarding
Mrs. Roberts, the matr0n and doctor in charge
said they had never given any children to the
woman, and that she had come to them and asked
for children and they told her they never gave
children out but If she left her address they might
send her some one who had child to farm.
INTERVIEW WITH MRS. ROBERTS.
The reporter called at the Yorkville Prison to see
Mrs. Roberts, and was accorded the opportunity or
speaking TO her by Keeper Atkinson. Mrs. Roberts
is a matronly looking woman OF about forty-fve
years of age, with black hair and bright eyes, and
told her story In Straightforward way. She looks
too good to set on babies for spite and too
intelligent to do 1t for amusement. She said that
she had had considerable trouble with the women
Jarvis ana Pfer. The reason VI the anmosty OF the
originated from the fact that she had discharged
one OF her daughters because she could not do her
work. They were both very abusive in their lan-
guage to her, to such an extent that she could not
repeat what they said. She said she could bring
witnesses to-day to prove that Mrs. Pfiier said,
about two months ago, she would be revenged, II
reference to Mrs. Jarvis she says that she contin-
ualy abused her, and on one occasion, when
she discharged girl for being drunk, Mrs.
Jarvis, who lived on the top floor OF the
house, took her TO live with her. having no other
work Tor her but to abuse deponent-Mrs. Roberts.
The prisoner says she has witnesses OF unmpcach-
able character and ectabty who WIZ take ,e
Miss Mcbride, by whom she was employed TO .ake
care OF the children She says that Mics McBridc
hired her as nurse, and that she never kept
farm" herself.
There Is every probability that the case will turn
out TO he what Is called In Police Court parianoe