Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-09-08
Baby Fqrmlng Ferross.
4hc Deah of Barnum's, CIroass.an GhPs
Child


Mr.. Sarah Coates, molIerly looking lady
10 deep mourning, was arraigBed~ in the Spe-
cal Sessions yesterday. Several of her neigh
hors swore to facts which belied her beneVo-
lent appearance and sent her 10 the peniteDtiary
She has lived at 205 East Sixty-third street
During last'July these neighborS, whose win
dOws overlook her premises saw baby, day
alter day, lying in basket in her yard She
put il out carly in the morning and left il there
With the sun pouring down upon its unprotected
FACE, the fliCs worrying il, and the dew falling
on it, frequently. until 10 o'clock at night. lis
cries, which gradually became feebler, aroused
the indignation of the heighbors, and they pro I
tested aganst such cruelty, but Mrs. Coates
dehed them. Onece her servant removed the
basket nsafer The fefite where the helpless
occupant was shaded, bnt The mistress angrily
returned it to the centre of the yard, say
ing, IL want it where these neighbOrs can see
One OF the witnesJes testified that upon throw
ing the basket down in the yard one morning,
With the baby in it: "Therei You'M stay
there all day, and all night, too, if l choose to
keep you there = At length, on the 25th OF
July, Mr. Cross, who lives next door, went TO
the Fifty ninth street police station, and told
the story Of Mrs. Coates inhumanily. Officers
Levings and Phillips we're at once sent TO inves-
tigate.
1--WE went 10 Mrs. Coates house." testified
Officer Levinks, "and found Elk babies on the
premises. She was angry at our intrusion, and
demanded our business. We went into the yard
and found the baby in the haskell as it had been
described atthe station. The sun was shining
right down into its face which was covered with
llles. Its cheeks were near blistered, and it
seemed almost dtadAtoo Far gone 10 cry very
loud. 1t was in q market basket without any
thing over it. The basket va large enough 10
hold il comfortably, If'it had been put in care
iplyi but, as it was its head was cramped over
on ot.e side. There was ragged rug under it,
and the basket was set on the ground. Mrs
Coates said it had been leftin her charge, and
man inteffered ia our takingft but We did
carry it to the station, basket and ALL The
baby was handed over to the Commissioners of
Charity and CORRECTION II diedin short time
afterwards
Officer Phillips corroborated the foregoing.
THE woMAN's STORY.
Mrs. Coates having been sworn; vas told to
tell her own story in her own way. She
said: .~s
This baby was bora m NY house, and its
mother left it in my charge She had TO 60
away, and | have not seen her since This was
on the 4th Of May and she is now traveling,
believe. have received no pay for taking
care OF the child buE did as much for it as |
would a. If it had been my own. IL wis sick a
good deal-had cholera infantum, and was very
low. AT the time these witnesses saw 1t in the
yard it was sick with teething, and put it out
there 10 get the air, DR.. White had often ad-
| vised me TO keep the babies ia the air "a much
as possible, and have had great deal of
experience in taking care Of children.
THE MOTHERS NAME
| "Who left this baby with your asked Justice
l,Bixby ..... ...
dts mother" was the reply.
"And who was ehe?' .u a
81 don't desire 70 tell,"
"YOu must answer the question, persisted The
JustiC, .. ...... -..
T 81 excelA TO that ruling" interposed Counsel
| lor Nesbitt
| The clerk will note your exceptions" cOnlin-
ued Justice Bixby, "and Mrs, Coates will an
sWer."
| 1.-THE baby was left with me by lis mother, y
lreplied Mrs cOatsa, sand her pa@el IS Mary
Cotton" --
! "What is her business?o
"She is aldre4sdh ksr b tradST : 2 E6f
"What Is her business noWf"
: "shs = travelling as a Careasiian girl with
Mrs. Mary Hursch and Mrs. Ann Hosler VIII,
have been living with Mrs. Coates swore tha
the dead baby was teething at the time Il wa
exposed in the basket. Their opinienlwas thai
liz had received good care.
The three Justices deibel0Ied ten minutes
upon verdict During that time Mrs COate
fdgCtcd nervousy in her chair. Drawing from
her pocket an envelope, she extracted a photo
graph Of a babb lskSmaIteG its death, and beg
ged anfdlifer ID pdbssit up totAebenCh. "Tha
will convince them that the child wasn't starV
ell at lsast" she niuttered, But when the mag
strates looked at it and Careessly tossed it aside
she aPnk hAQk ,apPVshsnslEsly. The verdic
4 laSing beea aefeaA upon ashs cluna t0Atla Tail
Jog as she stood up to hear it.
II "We have concluded 10 lind you guilty o
\ lmisdemeanor," said Jqstice Bixby, "and viii
send You TO the penitentiary for three mOnths.'
4 At this announcement Mrs. CeatM screamed
i hysterically.
j "Oh, brother brolhefr' she cried, "dont le
them take me o prison"
II Shestretched Out her hands appealingly, ar,
theF ProtheE-TR well-dreped, handsome man
went 10 her. 1She dung 10 him fantically, an,
the officers were compelled to pull her to tn
4 door leading to the prison. AS her cries die,
4 away the brother ran In front of the Justices, /
spite Of all restraint. andibegQn, q discounecte
appeal for mercy. lie was utterly overcome
the tears rolled down his face, and he wruD
his hands.
ave have been very laRient With your sister,
said Justice Bi1by kindly, And she is 4crtul
ate not to have got, a year.
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