Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-05-05
TRAFFIC IN BABIES.
A Woman Who WHOLESALERS Infant
Humanity,
AND SUPPLIES BABIES ON DEMAND.
She Asserts That Her Work Is Justi-
fed by Her Conscience and
Humanip-Thirty Years in
the Business.

the Business.
The case of little Annie Taylor, in
this city, and the less recent case of
Lizzie Selden, in Brooklyn, has attract
ed public attention, to the operations of
/ persons who seem to make a business
of Observation-Disclosures in most in
stances perhaps, but illegitimately very
often it is ieared-children to be dis
posed Of in one way or another. There
are, to be sure, responsible persons of
| good character-and childless people
desiring to enliven their homes with
the happy laugh of children, the patter
of childish feet, and all the thousand
! joys of the parental heart. Others,
prompted by motives of pure benevo-
.enCe and humanity, seek to employ
their means in helping the fatherless in
their struggle for life by providing them
with homes and education. But such
persons find little or no difficulty in OBJ
tanning from the orphan asylums and
fOupdling asylums of the metropolis
children in whom they may properly
interest themselves.
An investigation of the matter during
| the last few days by q reporter brings
to light the fact that
Great Traffic In Children
| is carried on by persons in this city
who are so far from being reputable
that they are classed by the police Us
suspicious persons and constantly
watched. This trade depends almost
entirely on the aid afforded it by the
advertising columns of a certain news
paper. From day to day new born in
| fants and children of both sexes up to
years old are advertised "for adoption"
| Other advertisers express their desire to
| adopt children, particularly girls. The
utmost care and secrecy Is observed |
and no names are given. Thus persons |
who, doubtless, for good reasons, do not |
apply at the orphan asyIums procure |
children.
At the outset of his investigation the |
| reporter called upon Robert PinkertOn |
and asked bin to- give the result of his |
experience in tracing lost children and
kidnappers.
Chiid-stealing is so dangerous a
game" he said, THAT there is really
very little of it practised.
when Child is stolen,
whether it be of rich or poor parentage,
such hue and cry is set up by the
whole community that the kldnapper
| is almost sure to he traced and punished
very severely. A child is stolen not at
all for the sake of the child but for the
\ sake of the ransom to be demanded.
| Legitimate children can be procured
/ so easily that there is little need to steal
! them. In most cases where legitimate
/ children disappear it turns out that they
| have Strayed away Of their own Volt
! ton and the dime novel and other
! trashy literature are accountable. l
/ cannot tell YOU anything as to the traf-
| fic in illegitimate children, as detectives
| are never employed to trace such unfOr-
| Inmates and would not be called upon
| even if the children were stolen"
Persistent inquiry resulted in the dis
! cOyery that Mrs. Post, known to the
pOlice as Granny Post" was the prin-
| cipal person engaged in the traffic. She
was mentioned in the accounts of An
ME TaylOr's disappearance, 1t will be
remembered, as having called on Mrs.
Taylor and vouchsafed some informa-
ton as to the woman who had
Taken the Child Away.
She advertises constantly, giving va
rious addresses in BlOome street. Null
berry street, Grand street, Thigty-tifth
street, South Fifth avenue and Sullivan
street. The following advertisement,
which appeared yesterday, put the re-
porter on her track:
! NOR ADOPTION-LOYELYB LACK-EYED
! IL female infant: full surrender 81 sullivan
| street, near BrOome.
The neighborhood of Sullivan street
| is inhabited by negroes and low Irish.
| The house indicated is one of row OF
| three old small brick houses little bet
! ter looking than those around them.
I Walking up the low stOOp the reporter
| rang the bell and while waiting had
| ample time to notice that the house
| was unusually quiet in that noisy
\ ueighbOrhoOd, and that every blind was
I drawn and every shutter closed. Just
/ as he was making up his mind that the
| house was deserted q Slstternly girl,
| with sleeves and skirts tucked up,
opened the door cautiously.
~ want to see Mrs. Post" said the
reporter boldly. The girl admitted
J him, and after slamming the door 10,
| turned to run upstairs. "Show the |
! gentleman into the front room," said
voice sharply. Looking up the reporter |
! saw at the head ofthe stairs little old |
woman in dark dress, with large, |
| old fashioned black velvet bonnet on
! her head. She came down stairs and
| looked keenly at the reporter out OF
! pair of shrewd gray eyes. The door OF |
| the front room was locked, but 1t was
soon opened and the reporter was
seated opposite the little woman.
How did you know my name"' she
asked quickly.
"Oh, l saw it In the papers, replied
the reporter; ~ have called IN answer |
! 10 your advertisement to see about |
! adopting baby"
(Which advertisement"
This one about the little girl WITH
! black eyes. A cousin of mine who lost
her little girl asked me to see if could
find nice baby for her"
"Ahw said the woman, with o
chuckle Of satisfaction, you'd like to
see the baby; I'll show her to you"
AS she rose and went towards the
back door the reporter followed her, but
with her hand on the know she stopped
suddenly in an enumeration Of the
baby's qualities and said: mo, no; you
sit down here and Pll bring her toyou."
A glimpse of several children's cots
and brawny Irish woman filling a
" l. - n y.