Morning journal and courier., 1881-07-19
The Baby Farm Case.

Conclusion of Evidence and Arguments
 Of Counse1-Mrs. Bulkley Found Not
 Guilty of ManslnuGhter.
 The final hearing in the case of State vs Mrs. Frances Bulkley, the old colored woman who keeps 8 baby boarding house or ''farm" on West street, was concluded in the City Court yesterday afternoon. The &C., cused was present with her counsel, John W. filling, and her daughter, Mrs. Freeman. The adopted white daughter, Mary Lock wood, and the colored girl, Mary Hanly, were also present. The court opened at 2 o'clock, when City Attorney Pickett called Assistant Superintendent Coogan to the wit ness stand in rebuttal. He testified that he went to Mrs. Bulkleys with Coroner Boil man to see about burying the baby. but did not hear Mrs. Bulkley say that the child had vomited or purged. The State introduced the witness to rebut Mrs. Bulkley's testimo- ny that she told MT. Bollman these things. | This closed the evidence on both sides and | the arguments were commenced.
 Mr. Pickett opened for the State, and ar- | gued at considerable length in support of | the claim that manslaughter had been con- | mitted as charged. He quoted from Whar-  ! claimed that the authorities plainly support | ed the theory that if food was withheld by | negligence or carelessness, whether willfully or not, and the person dies, it is manslaugh- \ ter He claimed that Mrs. Bulkley had done | this by the child Robbie Thompson, and that | there was 8 p71nqG tac9e case again Mrs. | Bulkley.
 | Mr. filling made brief argument in reply, l in which he contended that there was not the least evidence whatever to convict Mrs. Bulk ley of charge of manslaughter. He said that the evidence had shown that she was a competent nurse and had always, and many times at sacrifice of fee or hope of reward, provided for the children placed in her charge. The attorney replied to MT. Pick ett's quotations of law bearing upon evidence in such cases, and closed with an earnest ap- l peal for the discharge of his client.
 l Judge Studley in reviewing the evidence, 1 said in substance have no doubt the coun- ! sel for the State is somewhat embarrassed in l the case because the evidence of the coro- | ner's jury was ruled out. From 8 careful l consideration I am satisfied my decision was right. It is for the court to find if the evi- dence is sufficient to convict in the high
 CT court. There is no half way ground in this matter. If Mrs Bulk ley is guilty of neglect, there can be no light penalty imposed. There is ques
 ton as regards the neglect. From the evi
 dence, think jury would find that the child Robbie Thompson did.not die from neg
 lect of food. It is evident from the evidence
 that the child died from marasmus, but, af
 sisted it might have been caused by insuffici
 ent food, or from the food not being assimi
 lated, or from bad air. It does not appear
 to me that there is any evidence to show
 that this child died from neglect. Respect
 able ladies testify to visiting the house ire
 quently, and none of them discovered
 any neglect of this child. I have weighed
 the evidence carefully, and after doing so
 find it my duty to find the prisoner no
 guilty, and therefore discharge her.
 There were no demonstrations in the court
 room on his honor's conclusion, and imme
 diately afterward the accused, her counse
 and friends left the court room.
 A Drowning Accident.