The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1910-05-16
POLICE RAID
ASHMEAD FARM
Two Women and Man Arrested
on Serious Charge.
TOWN IN An UPR0AR
Accused Woman Was Twice Before
Convicted Police Claim to Have
Signed Statement of Patient.

Convicted Police Claim to Have
Signed Statement of Patient.
Millville, N. j.. May 16.-Enough
evidence to convict Mrs. Elizabeth
Ashmead of performing criminal op-
erations has been locked up in desk
at police headquarters for several days
according to member of the local
force.
Added to this, the police say, is a
signed statement made by Mrs. T. l..
Knowles, a young and pretty New
York matron, who went to the home
of Mrs. Ashmead but few hours be-
fore the officers descended on the al
legged "baby farm" and arrested all
who were there.
The entire town is in an uproar
over the sensational disclosures made
public by the arrests. Sentiment is
strongly against Mrs. Ashmead, prin-
cipally becs use she has twice before
been in the tolls of the police of Phil
adelphia. Mrs. Ashmead is locked up
at the city hall under $4,000 bail. Will
other cell, held in the same amount.
Man and Wife Held.
Held as witnesses under a police
guard are Mr.. and Mrs. T. L. Knowles,
of New York, and Mrs. Grace Stan
ford, daughter of the Ashmead wo-
man.
Mystery, crime and romance are
tightly woven together in this strange
case, which has startled not only
southern Jersey but the entire state.
Mrs. Knowles, who is under a strict
guard on orders from the prosecutor,
is said to be about twenty-five years
of age and a woman of refinement.
The police report that Mrs. Knowles
was attracted to the establishment of
the Ashmead woman by an advertise
ment in newspaper and later learned
full particulars by mail. The Ashmead
farm, now known to the inhabitants Of
this place as the baby farm" is about
two and a half miles out of the city,
on a quiet road. and is known as The
Pines.
For two years Marshal Charles
Biggs and Officer Thomas Breeder
have been endeavoring to collect evil
dence against the Ashmead woman.
Many times girls and young women
were seen to enter her carriage and
be driven off, Some were heavily veil
ed. These were seen to leave again in
a fw days, with haggard faces and
changed appearance.
Police Raided the House.
On Saturday night the police raided
the place. When they arrived all was
quiet at the house and. without wait
ing to knock, the officers rushed in
and told Mrs. Ashmead she was under
arrest. The woman tried to hide
something that she held beneath her
apron, but she was detected before
she had accomplished her purpose. and
the raiders confiscated a grip filled
with the surgical appliances. These
instruments are made only to be used
by skilled physicians in the practice
of their profession.
Turning to ascend the stairs where
voices coud be heard on the second
floor, one of the officers noticed that
Mrs Ashmead tried to make for a
pantry Shouting to one of the raiders
to catch her, the rest of the officers
went upstairs, where they found Mrs.
Knowles in bed. More instruments
were found here.
The officer who had captured Mrs.
Ashmead had in the meantime hand
cuffed her and, looking in the pantry
which she had tried to reach. found a
shotgun and .pistol. On the upper
floor the officers ordered the apparent
ly ill woman to dress and told her she
was under arrest as witness in a
most serious case. Stanford was also
found on the upper floor of the house,
The police found much damaging evi.
dence in the home.