The Washington times., 1927-09-10
500 CIT
F0RCH|LD
CITED
pictures on Page 81

Mrs. Effie S. Dyke, Takoma
Park baby farm" operator,
who is under fire from the
Maryland Board Of State Aid
and Charities, is selling her
wards at a good profit, it was
alleged today. by the Women s
Bureau, of the Washington
police department, which has
been called on to secure the
return of babies placed ther by
unfortunate mothers.
Fail To Find Baby
Sergt. Rhoda Miiliken told
of one mother who had placed
! her baby in hrs. Dykes instita.i
ton, later married the father Of
it and when the couple tried to
get the baby back, found Mrs.
Dykes had disposed of it. Cues
tioning by the Women's Bureau
failed utterly to get a trace of
the child, Mrs. Dykes stoutly
maintaining that she didn't re-
member" to whom the baby was
turned over.
Paid 500 For Infant
According to Sergeant Milliken.
Mrs. Dykes admitted to her that
one woman had made a gift" Of
500 for baby that was taken
from the Takoma Park institution.
The practice Mrs. Dykes uses, it
was said. is to charge the person
who adopts a baby all of the unpaid
hoard bills which had accrued since
, Ii was placed with her.
Sergeant Milliken also told of a
case where the mother was paving
$40 a week board and where Mrs.
Dykes is said to have almost pre-.
vailed on the unfortunate woman
to sign over" the child TO her
through the medium of a slip OF
paper acknowledged before a notary.
When the chiid's parents were mar.
ried they had to threaten to get
out a writ to get their child back,
it is alleged.
ID. C. Permit Revoked
Mrs. Dyke formerly conducted a
similar institution at SOL Thirty
second st. n. w. On May ii.
1925. when making a regular in:
spection, a health officer found
Mrs. Dyke had moved to MARYLAND,
Her permit was automatically re-.
voked. The District Health De.
partment stated today that since
January i, 1924. 3OS applications
have been filed for permits for
similar institutions, 1876 granted
and that $50 are now operating in
the District.
Mrs. Dyke was not at her home
today. Her son, however. stated
that Mrs. Dyke had not been re.
fused a license by the State board
and that she had never applied
for one. She expects to have a
conference with the board Monday
on the subject, he said.
Miss IrHna Mohr, director OF So
cial service for Montgomery county,
today is conducting another investi.
cation into the baby farm"
Miss Mohr is expected to make 4
report at an early date to States
Attorney Robert Peter. jr. The
home maintained by Mrs. Dyke is
said to ''straddle' the District Line,
the children sleeping i'm the District
and Mrs. Dyke in Maryland.
Babies Well Cared For n
Mrs. Dyke, at the present time
has Ii infants under her care. The
State Board, which conducted ar
investigation, admits that the ba.
bies are well cared for, well fed,
clean. free Of any unsanitary con.
ditions.
The charges against Mrs. Dyke,
on which the Board refused her 4
license to operate, are said to. be
that she fails to keep her records
in manner satisfactory to the
board.l Most OF the inmates OF
Mrs. Dykes home are children OF
unmarried parents, the mothers Of
some of whom are unknown.
She In said to have placed be-
tween rs and 80 children In, homes
where they were adopted in the
last three years. Mrs. Dyke de.
clares that the placing of the il
children, now IN her care, in homes
.Ara - fMvwx L. -