The evening times., 1896-03-09
BABES FOUND BY POLICE
MystedousIy Cast Away by Their
Unknown Mothers.
MANY OF THEM MURDERED
Perpet rntOrs of the Crimes Are Sell
dom Cauxht-The Evil Seems to BE
Slightly increasing, but the o fficials
Say II IL Impossible to Stop It-cor-
Oner Hummett's Views.

In the past fourteen months the police
have picked up the bodies of Ia dead
infants from vacant lots, dark alleys,
sewers and sometimes seldom-i raversed
streets. The majority OF these infants
have never brcathed. Others have, and
probably some have laughed or cried.
The officials say that the number of
human beings thus mysteriOusly cast away
is increasing slightly is proportion 10 the
populations growth. But the increase
is not large. II has happened ever since
Washington was city, they say, and will
happen unless some Solomon comes forth
with a solut ion of how to prevent the
crime.
IL fear you might as well take n fork
and try TO stop the Potomac, said Cor
oner Hammett TO a Times reporter, las
to attempt TO remedy this evil. II is an
inipossibility. II is hard 10 capture The
performers OF criminal operations.
You can readily see that the police are
powcrless to do anything. Here in one sec
tion of the city woman will become a
mother. The deiverance will be scif-per-
formed, or some one else, nearly always a
woman. will have a hand in it. The infant
will be wrapped in rags and paper and laid
aside. That evening the wonian's partner
in crime will come and carry the object
away in pasteboard box or a basket.
CARRIED IN BASKETS.
"a man carrying a basket is not an un-
common sight. and why should he arouse
suspicion? He will probably go blocks
away to an entirely different section OF the
city. In crossing vacant lot or going
through dark alley he drops the basket.
The next mo-:'ing policeman or boy
will find it. IL s taken to the station house
OF the precinc CT IN which IL is first discovered.
The coroner Is notified. i go and look at
IL and closely question the finder. An au-
topsy is unnecessary, for some OF these in
fants are n OF over a span long. Aninquestis
a needless expense on the District. II would
develop nothing more than the coroner HIM
self can learn, namely, that crime has
been committed by some person unknown.
There is no law in the District prohibit
ing criminal operations. or course, If
the child is old enough to move, one impli-
Gated in the crime might be tried for in
fantcide. Most OF the babes are the chill
drcn OF colorcd people.
We believe that very many OF the moth
ers are young girls out in service. They
want to get rid of the child as speedily
a. possible. and they will take great risks.
How it is all 10 De prevented. / don't know
When DR.. William D. Moore. who has
charge OF the statistics and reports at the
Health Office. was interviewed, he said
he believed it good TO publish the state of
affairs that now exists. Some one may
suggest a remedy said he. but / can
not. The publication OF crime tends TO
prevent it. however.
These children are generally the first
born of young girls running about the
streets. NcwsbOys and bootblicks are the
fathers. If the girls could be kept in the
house at night, l think the crime would
decrease"
ALL BURIED IN POTTER's FIELD.
All infants so found are reported to the
Health Office as "still births,'' though
undoubtedly many of them are born alive.
The place OF birth is marked unknown"
the name of the parent is unknown" An
are buried in the potter's field at an eX-
pense to the District of about So in each
instance. Sometimes three or four are
placed in the same grave, and, of course,
there is no stone to indicate other than the
fact that human beings are buried there.
There were thirteen infants found last
month. All but one were colcred. The
month before there were ten and all were
Colored. There were also ten last Decem-
ber. Two OF these were white.
Three out of the number found were nine
months-old babes and the presumption is
that they were deliberately murdered at
birth. The others ranged from two 10 eight
months in age.
Out of SIX babes found last October four
y-cra white Two pf those wore certified hy
the coroner as nine months old. and though
dead when found must have breathcd, il
they did not live to utter sound. In
the month before that dozen waits were
found. Three of them were white and four
were of doubtful color.
For some reason that may only be guessed
at there are more of these infants found in
the Eighth than in any other precinct. In
the thickly populated First precinct but 2
out OF the Ia are recorded as having been
discovered. But few are found on the eX-
pansivc commons of Southeast Washington.
NEssINCREAsEs
The health office reports for the year
1894 show that there were 562 still births
altogether in the city. The coroner certi-
fled to 115 of these cases. Out of the 562
and taking that percentage it would indi-
cate that about fifty five OF the ''un.
known reached the same age. That is be-
licved to be high for the percentage. how
ever. when one views the figures of S9o.
1t may be presumed that each year the
perpetrators of the crime grow more adroit
in the disposition of the bodies. and if all
those disposed of were found the number
for 1895, 1t is believed, would exceed
that of 1894, instead of falling one less,
as indicated.
1T is pulling to me- remarked an emil
nent physician to the reporter. "how
these babes Of nine months are ever found
dead. There are undOubted evidences of
in some cases. They have been
found with cords about their necks. show
ing that death was produced by strdngula-
tion. Another way Of murder has been
where some one takes long hat pin and
sticks the child in the left side between
the upper ribs. The heart is pierced, but
there is no break in the skin.
what is strangest to me, though, is the
fact that any woman. be she ever so hard