The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-09

guilty. she gave bonds TO appear for trial
on Friday, July l6
The complaint is made under chapter
46i Of the General Laws, adopted last May
by the General Assembly. The penalty
is fine not exceeding 800 or imprison-
ment not exceeding one year. or both.
This new law requires that person TAX
ing infants to board under two years of
age shall have license from the State
Board of Charities and Corrections Mrs.
Westcott had no such license and when
that fact was made known to Agent Thur
ber he issued the warrant for the arrest.
John S. Il. Comstock is Mrs. Westcott's
surety.
The Wtsico,t Exposure.
On April 80 last The News made public
the startling condition of things at Mrs,
Westcott's private lying in hospital No.
Smith street, Edgew60d. During the
past two or more years she has been
maintaining a refuge for unfortunate as
well as vicious women. According TO her
own confession she had rs many as Ii
women in confinement at one time in the
Smith street house. She had averaged
about eight every week during the pre-
vious six months. The children born
there were all illegitimate and she ais
posed of them through baby farmers and
agents. She also admitted that many of
the mothers were not over l6 years OF
age. This traffi, in shame had been
known TO the authorities for consider
able length of time but there was no law
that would put stop to 1t and Mrs.
Westcott was left undisturbed until The
News gave the fearful condition OF affairs
publicity.
For some time tho State Board of
Charities and the Society for the Proven
tion of Cruslty to Children had been en-
deavoriDg to get the Legislature to pass
law that would enable the proper officials
to control 1.-The terrible practice of baby
! farming which had been carried on in
| thescity for years and which entailed So
much misery on helpless infants and
young children. Tho revelation Of the
| nigh handed proceedings at the Westcott
resort, as recorded In Inc News, brought
this subject prominently the public
and the law was passed. by the Legisla-
| turo.
Walter II. Wightman, agent of the State
Board of Charities, and charles ii. Thur
ber of the Society for the Prevention of
/ Cruelty TO Children, are determined to
break Up the practice OF baby farming,
and they are vigilaDt in the work.
Ag.nt Thurber's Visit.
A few days ago the two agents named
/ nscertained that baby farming was carried
on Illegally at the Smith street house and
Agent Ihurher visited the promises. He
! found tho infant Harold Wilson and an
other child. Mrs. W0stcott becoming
| alarmed at the visit of tho official adj
mtted that she was boarding the Wilson
| infant. but said she WAS keeping the other
| for friond without price. she knew it
/ was against tho law, but she had not been
/ disturbed since tho passage of the law
/ and she thought that nothing would bo
done even IL she did keep children to
| board.
About two years ago the police OF this
city asccrtained that Mrs. Westcott was
| Keeping baby farm over n store that
she was running.in the Hoyle building.
! The fact came out through the death Of
an infant On Investigation 1t was known
! that she had four children ut the time
under her charge The police made the
business so unpleasant fo- hur that she
left the locality and the next heard Of her
she was running the private lying-in hos
ptal on Smith street
Taken TO the Hospital on the Fourth.
-4ie infant Harold Wilson, was taken Go
the hospital as boarder on the fourth Of
July. IL was born April IL, aud was the
illegitimate offspring OF the mistress OF n
we'll known druggist of this city. Tho
mother Of the child, pretty young
woman, happened To visit the lying-in-
hospital just after the arrival of Agent
Thurber and she gave information relat-
ing to the baby. She stated that she was