Year: 1870

Tho Baby Farming Case Trial-Co viction


and Sentence or the Dlurderess.


The trial of Margaret Wators, the Infamous woman
whose business It was to take infants to nurse for
consideration and then get rid OF them by starya.
tion or drugs was concluded at the Central Criminal
Court London. on the Esd September. The trial
occupied three days. She indicted for the muir.
der OF an infant three weeks old. The close OF the
case Is thus reported In the London Times


The jury retired, and on returning into court.
after an interval OF about threcQuarters OF an hour
said through their foreman, they found the prisoner


on being asked then by the Clerk Of Arragns II
she had anything TO say why the sentence OF death
should not be passed upon her, the prisoner SAID
been exaggerated. In the first place i've were not
lying on sofa There were two, one aged three
in basnet were two other children IN q clean and
comfortable blanket and on pillows. One was
beautiful. fat child, and that was fed thrice day
with bread food. The boy Cowen she said, was
very fine child, and she was very much pleased with
IT. but It aid not seem to get on whatever she did


Ing borax and honey to its mouth but to no purpose
She applied pennyworth Of laudanum In SIX drops
him. At length she had recourse to DR.. Harris. He
was homeopathic and the way that doctors OF that
three days with instructions that II patient became
worse they were TO be sent for. That was what
DR.. Harris did IN thus instance: The child did not
get worse and she did not send for him. He came,
however four days Afterwards. Her sister had a
bad breast at that time, and could not suckie the
came, but he saw the child three times. He after
wards asked her TO pay MIN two pounds for attent-
spS has ss plsa Of


upon which he asked II he could not send in bill
to them. She said ne could do just he liked about
that. He saw the children up stairs and advised
her to admit plenty OF air into the place. He also
advised her ito give 1t up" or otherwise she would


Satisfied and then went away She Was sorry T'to to
say she had led HE OF deceit and false.


suficIently express her abhorrence Of it. But


guilty Of murder she was not, nor OF contrlbut-


ing, in the smallest degree, to the death OF the child


and with death and eternity before her, staring lire


In the face, she soemnly called God TO witness that


she was as innocent as o child unborn. The child


Cowen, she said. was intended for purpose. She
| knew a couple In aflluent circumstances, and they
| wanted q male cnIld. She undertook to get them


one and they promised 70 lavish upon II the fondest


care Tor, and the death OF the child COwen was q


great loss shs to as her d. in pecunisry point


child. and for all the other children. With refer


ence to the children who died at the workhouse she


the Seep o@ he r
fed and in their wet Clothes first to the Lambeth
Police Court, where they were kept in that state


unul late In the afternoon, ana then TO the work
| house. Nevertheless, she was held responsible for
the death OF those little ones; but again she SAID
| she was innocent OF that foul crime as any one OF
the little children that had perished.


The Lord Chief Baron, having assumed the black


cap 70 pass sentence Of death his voice


prisoner. he said, the painful and terrible duty was
imposed upon him OF passing sentence Of deathupon
| her. She had been convicted after trial OF nearly
three days duration, by jury who had patiently,
calmly and deliberately investigated her case, the
greatest crime that could be committed by human
being She undertook the charge OF that poor
child, and while IL was In her aud Keeping by
the conduct she had adopted towards 1t, by shame


full and scandalous neglect In not providing 1t with
sufficient food and nourshment; by the admnistra-
tion al drugs calculated to put an end TO Its e and
BY depriyng it Of the chance Of any medical atten-
dance when ft most needed IL, had been the
means OF consgning IL to an early and premature
death. II there was any truth In the state.
ground ' she % was @ entitled % to any %ercimi p:nui
consideration, she must appeal to another
tribunal than that for he mad no p0we. 10 mitigate
the sentence nor TO deal with her otherwise than
| the law required He feared In addition to that
poor child, others had become victims to her
been done to death BY her It was necessary that hat
the strong arm OF the law should vndicae the JUS
,ice oi the country and take up the case OF those
poor innocent children. II panied him to ad-
dress those words to her-tne last sne would
hear In court OF justice-out IL renamed
| Tor him TO pass the sentence OF the law upon
her. Il she could appeal upon any ground in any
/ hope OF relief or mitigation OF punishment TO any


ether tribunal, he trusted that appeal would be


heard and that she would receive that mercy which
| ne had no power to extend. The learned Judge


then passed the sentence Of death In the form pre-
| scrlbed by law, adding that she would stand COM


mitted to the custody or the high sheriff OF Surrey
| in whose jurisdiction the crime was committed, and


the sentence would be executed; that her body
would be buried within the precincts OF the prison


In which she should be last confined and might the
Lord have mercy upon her soul


The prisoner was afterwards asked by the Clerk OF
Arraigns II she had anything TO say why execution
| or the sentence should be stayed. She did not at
| first perceive the meaning OF the question, but on
| Its being explained TO her privately by Mr. JONES'


the Governor OF Newgate she made sign In the ne.
! gative aud was removed from the bar.


Sarah Ellis, the sister OF the convict, then pleaded
"Guiltyu TO misdemeanor for conspiring TO obtain
money BY false pretences In relation TO the children
| referred TO In the preceding trial.