The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-08
KILLED 800 CHILDREN
MRS. DYER THE MOST HEARTLEss
WOMAN THAT EVER LIVED.
London Police Now Dragging the
Thames for More OF the Innocent
Babes She Murdered.

In one OF the very prettiest reaches OF the
Thames-a place much sought by Americans
on account of its beauty-the police are
dragging the Nater for the bodies of the
rest of the baby victims of the woman-fiend
Dyer the numerous baby-farrner OF Read
ing.
The gardens reach to the waters edge,
which reflects the masses of perfumed
great bouquets over shore and stream.
Crowds follow the work of the constables as
their boats move to and fro, and the g.eam-
ing teeth of their rakes drop necessarily
into the water. Crowds stand on the foot
bridge beside the river, whence Dyer threw
some of her tiny victims. Curiosity has
brought all-even the police-to the scene.
but all in this case (the police as welD are
stirred by Indignation and horror over the
crimes that cause the work and the sight
seeing. Now and then a humorous soul
calls to constable. "What luck. pardner?
and the constable cries back, Not a bite"
but far more often the calculations from
the crowds are in the nature of curses upon
the fiends who took baby lives at $50 apiece
as If they were destroying cabbages.
Through the jests and curses. the sun
shines, the birds carol and the glittering
rakes dip increasingly in the limpid waters.
sent reporter down there yesterday,
and he has returned with a budget of news.
easily obtained, and yet not published in
the London or the local newspapers. The
police, to be sure, display the utmost ret
icence upon the subject Of their knowledge
regarding the murders. whose rumored num-
Der has startled England. The only state
mert they made that seems to me worth
reporting for America is that the case Will
prove 10 be the most serious of it's kind of
the century. They limited vaguely at the
near approach OF sensational disclosures,
and one of them said that he had not the
least doubt that the r1urderers have been
at their work for at least ten years, and in
that period have made way with at least
three hundred infants! The reporter, while
at Reading, CLEANED from various sources
the following facts concerning the nurse
See is a stout. well-but woman, five
feet eight inches in height. about fifty years
of age, and of very good address. She was
dressed when arrested in the garb of
nurse. She was convicted several years
since Of neglecting babies under her care,
and when living at Bristol, two or three
years ago, inquiries were made by the police
respecting child that had been in her care
and that could not be located. Mrs. Dyer
then threw herself into a canal In that city,
but was rescued from suicide and confined
as insane in the Gloucester Asylum. She
was afterwards handed over to the work.
house authorities at Barton Regis, where.
at the workhouse. she met with Mrs. Smith
(the Ceramic of this date whom she per-
lady consented, and they took rooms in
Bristol, later on moving to Cardiff. where
they were Joined by Mrs Dyer's daughter
and son-in-iaw, Mr.. and Mrs. Palmer.
STARTING THE BABY FARM.
They then rented large house and fur
Dyer obtained several children. and when
the rent became due they left and came to
live at Elm Villas. Caversham., suburb
of Reading. The Palmers left-presently
separated from the Dyer woman and went
to London, and just before last Christmas
the woman and Ceramic" took the house
in Kensington road.
Palmer is Mrs. Dyer's son-in-law and II
is believed that Ii will be made to appear
that he assisted her in her nefarious work
and received the premiums paid for the care
of the children. in several instances. He is
under the middle age. feet 10 inches in
height, of slender build, and when arrested
was gstylishly dressed In :. frock coat and
faultlessiy fashioned trousers. as we'll a
silk hat and shepherds plaid necktie. He
has auburn hair and a light mustache. He
Is feeling his position very acutely and has
grown very haggard.
If it be proven that the commission busl-
ness" in which ne has been engaged was
the receiving of the moneys paid by moth
ers who, for various reasons, desired TO
part with their little ones, it will be found
that he never took less than $50 at time
or f1O English noney-for in all her career
that was the figure at which Mrs. Dyer rated
her services. For many years she has been
advertising in the London and provincial
papers as willing to adopt infants on those
terms. She never took child or evinced
any interest in a customer unless and until
ments were all of the conventional type,
all too numerous even now. In the midst
don dailies and weekies. Her mode of adj
vertising was as foHows:
ADDITIONALLY having no child wish
es to adopt infant; premium flO; loving
But she was not of that band of baby
destroyers who go to the pains to pretend
an estate, and who say: Baby wanted:
must be from birth: would wait"
The house in Reading at which Mrs. Dyer
was arrested consists Of six rooms-three'
bed rooms, a parlor. a kitchen and a soul
lery. 1t forms one of long row of similar
dwellings, and is neatly and comfortably
elected the fact that Mrs. Dyer appeared to
them to be q quiet and respectable woman.
The story Of the manner in which the pres
ent case was developed against her has been
on Monday, March 80 parcel was found in
the river. and when opened 1t was seen to
dress on the parcel led to the arrest or MIS-
Dyer and the police are able to prove that
her a paper parcel on that day; also that
the string around the parcel was Identical
with the string she borrowed.
RECOVERING THE BODIES.
On Wednesday. April s, man who was
dragging the river brought up a parcel Of
linen rags. When the parcel reached the
surface of the water brick dropped out
and also the head of child, which fioated
upon the surfece of the river. On eSamina-
ton of the parcel 1t was found that some
tape had been tied tightly around the neck
of the deceased child
On Friday, the 10th. a third body was re-
covered, near the footbridge at the Clappers.
II proved to be that of a child. and was
wrapped ND IN a cloth and tied round with
a string. There was q large brick In the
parcel The body was that of child of
about nine months of age. 1t is, supposed
that the little baby was suffocated by having
something placed in its mouth. 1t is i'm
possible to say how long the body had been
in the water.
On the same afternoon another parcel was
| brought up from the center of the foot
| bridge In this were found the bodies of
| two infants. accompanied by such other par
aDbarnolc nc warranted a strong SuSnicion