Canadian Child Care Provider Murdered Children, Maud Turner - 1909

FULL TEXT: Toronto Ont., Sept 22. – The discovery of a baby lying dead beside the railway yesterday near Niagara Falls with the word “Authors” on a ticket pasted on its back, led to the arrest of Mrs. Maud Turner, to whom had been given $100 to adopt the child a few days ago. This arrest and the publicity attached to it brought a score of letters to the detective department from people [whose] children she adopted but who fear theirs may also have been killed. When Mrs. Turner was arrested she had another child with her.

The police obtained information pointing to the belief that this woman has adopted scores of babies for a consideration and, having strangled them, thrown their bodies into Lake Ontario or some other obscure place.

The police assert that she advertised in Toronto, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, San Francisco and other American cities for children to be adopted; that she has two husbands in Toronto, one in Niagara Falls, one in San Francisco and many others the police theory being that these husbands have been accomplices. The woman had many aliases being known in Toronto as Turner Gwylan and Gwenlin.

Her Niagara Falls husband, who was arrested yesterday as David Steiner was known here as Gwelin. Her California husband is called Emelin.

Mrs. Turner is at present in jail without bail.

[“She Adopted Children For Money And Then Strangled Little Ones – Mrs. Maud Turner, Arrested in Toronto, Is Supposed to Be a Fiend of the Worst Kind.” The Ogden Standard (Ut.), Sep. 22, 1909, p. 1]

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FULL TEXT: Toronto, Ont., Sept. 27.— What became of four babies Mrs. Maud Turner had in her home? While the police of Toronto and Niagara Falls, N. V., are trying to solve this mystery, the woman herself sits unmoved in her cell, where she is charged with murdering a child by throwing it from a train.

Belief in the existence of an underground railroad by which babies have been disposed of has been strengthened in the eyes of the police by the arrest of Mrs. Turner. She will be put under the third degree unless something definite comes from her in the next 48 hours.

Authorities believe she is one of the worst baby murderers of a decade.

[“Did Woman, Held as Slayer, Run Wholesale ‘Baby Farm’?” The Tacoma Times (Wa.), Sep. 27, 1909, p. 1]

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FULL TEXT: Toronto, Oct. 21.—The jury in the trial of Mrs. Maud Turner, accused of the murder of an infant which she had taken for adoption, to-night returned a verdict of guilty of manslaughter. The jury had stood 9 to 3 for murder. A compromise was reached on the hypotheses that she had been trying to stop the infant from crying and had been too vigorous, resulting in strangulation. It is generally thought that the verdict is an expression against capital punishment in regard to women. The jury was out two hours. The defence submitted no evidence. Mrs. Turner; will be sentenced on Saturday.

[“Mrs. Turner Guilty - Jury Returned Verdict After Two Hours Deliberation.” Manitoba Free Press (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), Oct. 22, 1909, p. 1]

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For more cases of “Baby Farmers,” professional child care providers who murdered children see The Forgotten Serial Killers.

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