New-York tribune., 1912-02-25
WOMAN ''PO|SONER"
CRIES FOR HER BABY
Asks for Own Child as She
Pleads Not Guilty in
Court.
CASE PUZZLES MAGISTRATE
Prisoner Says She Was Bull
dozed" into Making Confes-
sion md Then Retracts
Statement.

the Brooklyn Nursery and infants HOSP
tai. was arraigred before Magistrate Hy-
land in the Gates avenue police court yes
terday morning and was helG without hai
for an examination tomorrow. II is ex,
pected that she will be sent 20 the observa-
ton ward OF the Kings County Hospital
! 10 be examined as to her sanity
When she was arraiGned she pleaded
mot guilty" 10 the charge of homicide pre-
ferred against her by Lieutenant John
MacKirdy. of the Atlantic avenue police
station After reaching the Raymond
street Jail she repudiated her confession
and declared that she had been "bulidozed
into telling what was not so Later, It is
said, she admitted her confession was the
truth. Her case will be handled for the
people by Assistant District Attorney Louis
| Goldstein.
The woman was kept at the hospital Fri.
day night under police surveillance and
! was escorted from there to the court at 8
! O'Clock by Detectives MacKirdy, Connor
and Thompson. When she left the Gates
avenue trolley car she was met by a bat
terry Of cameras and sought to avoid being
photographed by covering her face with a
heavy blue veil and her handkerchief. At
the court Mrs. Ida Tietgen, the probation
ary officer. conducted her TO the women 8
pen. Detective MacKirdy told Mrs Tetgen
to make a thorough examination OF the
prisoners clothing. as he feared that she
might have some weapon concealed.
Woman Begs for Her Baby,
The prisoner began Immediately 10 beg
| for her baby. Ferdinand The police Sc
cured her confession, II Is said by threat
enins 20. remove the boy to another institu-
tion. The baby had been left behind at her
own suggestion, but tho fear that she
would not be fairly dealt with after she
had kept her part Of the alleged bargain by
confessing seemed to have entered her con-
| fused mind. As soon as the complaint
which charged her with the murder OF the
eight infants had been drawn up by Floyd
Adams. the clerk, and sworn to by Detec-
tive MacKirdy. Magistrate Hyland suspend
ed other matters TO dispose Of her case.
You are entitled to counsel in all the
stages OF this proceeding" said the magis-
trate as the woman stepped 10 the bar.
| The woman looked at him helplessly.
81 don't understand what you mean by
counsel" she replied. Il want my baby,
and I want him now. They told me 10
come here and sign some statement and
that they would then take me back to my
baby. want him. I am nursing him and
7 want him now. don't know what you
mean by counsel
'r mean that you may have lawyer 10
defend you I am willing 10 give you time
20 get a'lawyer."
| 81 can't get a lawyer, am a homeless
and triendless girl and want my baby
] am nursing him. judge. and must have
him. Oh. they told me that I might go
back 70 him.
DO you wish an examination here or
do you want 10 wsive examination the
court proceeded.
Il don't know what you mean" the
woman answered.
do you want an examination on this
charge
'T am not guilty Of this thing want
nv babv Judge, and you must have him
| sent 10 ne"
So she pleaded for her child throughout
the half hour that the hearing occupied.
Il want him. love him. she cried,
when the magistrate announced that he
would hold the case over until Monday
! and that she must 60 20 fail meanwhile.
! oI don't want them 20 have him. Please
don't let them Give me my babyF
Tai. Puzzles Magistrate.
Would YOU Ike TO go to a hospital and
b. exanined?" the court asked her.
! I'm all right" she declared. There's
rothing the matter with me- but want
INV baby. There was. something on my
mind. but kept It 70 myself unit! tod
| Miss Howard and DR.. Allen
! rbs magistrate told her 70 90 down
s,a,rs for a little while and he would see
Uba. could be done about the child AFTER
.be had left the room for the pen he said
be was undecided what action 20 take.
ue uas told that the baby vas IN good
| hands and that the morher might harm IT,
A. the Infants Hospital the authorities
.alrosd n believe that the child was better
wbAre I, was II is ten months old, and an
ae,ort has been made 10 wean it in the last
,,ontb Miss Louise Howard, the head
nurse OF the institution, told last nigh' no"
rho ypoman came to leave her child.
"As Winifred was leaving l said 70 her
n'Do you want to take the baby win
YOU? II you do, will dress him; II NOT
will take care OF him for you.
",No. I don't want TO take him. she re-
nued 7 want you to take care OF Elm ana
7 will come back for him atterward'
"cvery we'll ansv cred and took the
baby from her arms"
| lfss Howard said that the four children
vbo were III from oxalic acid poisoning
were holding their own. and that the au-
tborities were beginning TO hope that taey
would all recover.
! Dr William n. Aten. OF No. 100 Greene
avenue. who had been asked TO examine
into the sanity of the Ankers woman ar
rived about an hour after she had gone 10
the police court He said he would not
aveno,nA her now, as he was acting for the
hosnita, and his authority ended when the
,,,or,ao na sseS out OF the jurisdiction OF the
| institution.
assistant District Attorney Charles s.
wartasse, who reduced the woman's con-
fession 10 writing Friday night refused
Yesterday. 10 give out the text for puoiica-
ton. declaring that It. might be necessary
10 use It IN the proceedings as the pro-
scouting officers were compelled TO presume
the woman sane until she was declared
otherwise. He is awaiting the report OF
the chemists, who are analyzing the organs
of.the dead babies. He said, however that
the grand jury would not be compelled 70
await the report before taking action. The
District Attorney would have the woman
examined as TO the condition Of her mind
he believed. He thought there was no rea-
son for keeping the woman's child from her
and doubted the likelihood of her doing It
injury. ..E