FULL TEXT: The charge against Annie Battin (70), the much
advertised “Madam B.,” of having caused the death of Ethel May Peary, at
Sydney, on October 21, 1902, was proceeded with at the Central Police Court, on
Thursday afternoon, before Mr. Smithers, S. M. Mr. D’Arcy Irving appeared to
prosecute on behalf of the Crown, and Mr. Levien defended. Sent for- constable
Allen, of Redfern, deposed to certain communications made to him at the Redfern
Police Station on Sunday, 6th inst., by a young girl tuned Essie, who had run
away from Mrs. Battin’s place, and came to the station for protection. He
reduced her treatment to writing. In consequence of the revelations made by the
girl.
He visited Mrs. Battin’s house in Regent-street to make
certain inquiries. He asked the old lady if she knew a girl called Essie, and she
replied, “Yes, I am in great trouble about her. She won’t away on Friday last,
and I have not seen her since.” Subsequently Sub-inspector Roche, Constable
Spring and witness visited Mrs. Battin’s house, and made a search. Some
instruments und medicine were found. They took Mrs. Battin to the Redfern
Police Station. I and confronted her with the girl Essie I and a Mrs. Waters.
The girl repeated her statement to the effect that May Peary was operated upon by
Mrs. Battin in October, 1902, and after the operation was driven away to some
other place. Three or four days later a woman came to the house crying, and
said that May Peary was dead.
After the woman left, Mrs. Battin told Essie she had Riven
her £1 not to say anything. After the inquest a man came to accused and said
she would have to give him something on, account of the way she had treated May
Peary, and Mrs. Battin promised to give him £5.
After hearing the girl’s statement, Mrs. Battin said to her:
‘1 have often slapped you in the face when you did not be have yourself, but
now I wish I had beaten you to death.’ Witness was cross examined at
considerable length on his method by which the statement was obtained from the
girl.
Dr. Sidney Jamieson gave evidence that his post mortem on
the body of May Peary disclosed the fact that she had died from septic
peritonitis, following an abortion.
The case was then adjourned till Tuesday afternoon.
[“Alleged Abortion, ‘Madam B.’ Before the Bench - The Case
Again Adjourned.” TRUTH (Sydney, NSW, Australia), Mar. 13, 1904, p. 5]
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FULL TEXT: Sydney, March 23. – In the Central Police Court to-day the case in which Annie Batten (70), a widow was charged with having caused the death of Ethel May Perry on October 21, 1902, was continued.
Essie Batten said that she had lived
with Mrs. Batten at 49 Regent-street, Sydney, as long as she could remember.
She had seen many women going to that address.
Counsel: What were your duties? – She
made me burn babies.
How many? – I could not say exactly.
Did she treat you well? – No she
used to beat me.
Continuing, witness said women who
went to the house were sick. Mrs. Batten would operate on them and witness
used to buy certain instruments for Mrs. Batten. Occasionally, by arrangement,
a woman stayed at the house.
Counsel: Do you recognise this
photograph (deceased’s photo)? – Yes: she was at our place, and was operated
upon by Mrs. Batten.
Did you have anything to do with it?
–
No. The woman afterwards said that
she was going to a nurse’s place at Darlingburst: Mrs. Batten said that she
would give the nurse £1 to keep her there. Witness, proceeding, said that after
the inquest on the girl’s body Mrs. Batten said to witness that she would give
Nurse Imrie £1 to keep quiet. A day or two after the girl’s death Nurse Imrie
came to Mrs. Batten’s place. She was crying, and said that the girl had gone to
Nurse Brown’s place. Mrs. Batten said that she would give her £1 to keep quiet
about it. Nurse Imrie said “Al right,” and accepted the £1. Nurse Imrie
subsequently said that she was going to leave Darlinghurst, and she asked Mrs.
Batten if she could move near to her. Nurse Imrie said that she was afraid to
come up, because the detectives might tail her up. Witness was taken to Nurse
Imrie’s place by Constable Spring, and she then made a statement before Nurse
Imrie with regard to the latter accepting the £1. Nurse Imrie denied it, and
also said that the girl had not been at Mrs. Batten’s. Witness did not see the
operation performed, but she saw one carried out about eight months ago. In the
particular case referred to Mrs. Batten told her about it. The girl had on a
previous occasion been to see Mrs. Batten in 1891, she thought. The deceased was
known at the house as May Marsh. Witness left Mrs. Batten’s house, because Mrs.
Batten was cruel.
Re-examined: Mrs. Batten gave her an
instrument to wash after Miss Marsh had been at the house. Henry G. Cohen in
the employ of Elliott Bros., stated that he recognised the girl Essie Batten.
He had sold certain articles to her. She generally bought a dozen at a time,
and had been purchasing the goods for about eight months.
At this stage the case was adjourned
to to-morrow.
[“Extraordinary Baby Farming Case. -
Shocking Revelations. Alleged Wholesale Infanticide.” The west Australian
(Perth, Australia), Mar. 24, 1904, p. 5]
FULL TEXT: The hearing of the charge against the much-advertised
‘Madame B.,’ otherwise
Annie Batten, who is charged with having caused the death of
Ethel May Pery by means of an illegal operation on October 21, 1902, was
further proceeded with at the Central Police Court last
Tuesday, before Mr. Smithers. S. M.
Mr. Mont appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. R. R. Levfen
appeared for the accused.
Dr. Charles Maclaurin said that he was called in to see the woman
Ethel May Pery on October 21, 1902. She was then seriously ill with scepticaemia.
Her pulse was 160. He advised her removal to the Sydney Hospital. She was
admitted there, and handed over to Dr. Coombes. When removed, she was under the
influence of liquor, which had been administered to her by Nurse Imrie. Her
illness was consequent on a miscarriage having taken place.
The scepticaemia was five or six days old.
To Mr. Abigail: The treatment at Nurse Imrie’s was all right
as far as it went, but it was not enough. It would be absurd to say that she
had been walking about 24 hours before I saw her. I believe that woman should
be confined at 5 a. m. and remain all day in account of justice; and then give
evidence; but bearing a child is a very simple thing compared to blood poisoning.
The woman Pery was very thirsty, as women with septicaemia always are, and
Nurse Imrie was administering whisky and soda to her. I should not have prescribed
whisky and soda for her.
Senior-constable Ashton gave, formal evidence.
George Clissold, a farmer, of Cobbity, sold that he was a
connection of the deceased woman by marriage. She was a married woman, whose
husband had gene to Western Australia. He did not know whether deceased was
pregnant or not.
Christina Waters said that she had worked for accused last
October as a general servant. She saw a good many women go to the house in the
evening. She washed the bedclothes, and twice noticed them stained with blood,
and she afterwards refused to wash such clothes. Essie afterwards washed them.
After detectives had visited witness about the case she saw
accused, who said, ‘‘I’ll give you £3 if you’ll try to make this case light for
me.”
Elizabeth Imrie, a certificated nurse, of 13 Olive-street,
Paddington, said that she took in Ethel Pery, or Marsh, the name by which
witness then knew her, and put her to bed. She got worse in the night, and had
a miscarriage. Witness sent for Dr. Maclaurin, and he and witness took her to
the hospital. After Mrs. Pery’s death witness saw Mrs. Batten, whom she knew as
“Mrs. B.,” and told her what had occurred. Mrs. Batten replied, “I don’t know
nothing about the girl.” Witness told accused that she (witness) was to attend
the Coroner’s Court. Accused replied, “It’s your affair, not mine. Get away,”
She was very much annoyed.’’ Witness did not make that statement at the Coroner’s
inquest; she did not mention Mrs. Batten.
At this stage the ease was postponed, but resumed again on
Wednesday afternoon.
Essie Batten said that she was 14 years of age, end was
supposed to have been adopted by accused, who used to treat her cruelly.
Witness had been living with accused at 49 Regent-street, as long as she could
remember. She had seen women visit the house, Mrs. Batten used to operate on
them, and witness used to buy catheters, a dozen at a time, for accused from
Elliott Brothers. Some of the women would write, and others personally make
appointments with accused. They would stay a day or two. Accused used to give
witness the babies to burn.
Witness could not tell, exactly how many. There was blood on
bedclothes that witness washed. The photo (produced) was of a girl that visited
the house about two months before Christmas, 1902. She was operated upon then went
to a nurse’s at Darlinghurst. Accused said she would give nurse Imrie. £1 to keep
her there. Afterwards, Nurse Imrie visited accused’s house, and Mrs. Batten said
she would give Nurse Imrie £1 to keep-quiet. When Nurse Imrie arrived, she was
crying, and said that the girl was dead. Mrs. Batten said to her, “I’ll give
you £1, and that’s all I can give you.”
Nurse Imrie said, “All right.” About a month afterwards
Nurse Imrie called again, and said that she was afraid of the detectives ‘trailing’
her. She said had been warned by the Coroner. A tall woman that was at Nurse
Imrie’s just before Mrs. Pery died, went to Mrs. Batten’s house and told Mrs. Batten
that she came from Nurse Imrie’s. Mrs. Batten said that she could not keep the
tall girl. Nurse Imrie said to Mrs. Batten, that she thought it best to send
her back to Mrs. Batten.
To Mr. Levan: Mrs. Batten used a long instrument on the
women. Sometimes she told me that the girls were going to have babies.
She told me that the girl (Mrs. Pery) was going to have a
baby at Nurse Irmie’s. Witness once saw an operation on a woman at
Regent-street about eight months ago. Mrs. Batten said that an operation had
been performed on the girl Pery. Witness did not see the operation Mrs. Batten
was in Riley street or Devonshire-street when Mrs. Pery first visited her. It
was in 1901. A tall, dark man took deceased to Mrs. Batten’s. His hair was dark,
but his moustache was between dark and brown.
Mr. Clissold resembled him. Mrs. Pery was known as Miss
Marsh in the house. On her second visit she stayed about a quarter of an hour.
Witness remembered her going upstairs to put violet powder on her face because
it was very red. When she left she said, “Good-bye.” She never, told witness
her right name. The first time deceased visited Mrs. Batten she remained in the
house three or four days.
To Mr. Mant: Mrs. Batten gave her black, instrument to wash
after Miss Pery. It was about six inches long and, two or three inches round or
in diameter. It had white stuff on it.
(Witness here rolled up a piece of paper to show the size of
the instrument, it was very thick, and appeared to be about two or three inches
in diameter.)
Henry Goldsborough Cohen, in charge of the surgical
instrument department at Elliott Brothers, said that he had sold the previous
witness elastic gum catheters. To his knowledge she had been buy in them for
about eight, months. He sold her No. 7 catheter, which was much finer than a
lead pencil. He had never supplied her with speculums?
(A note was here made on the depositions that the Crown did
not call Dr. Coombes at that stage, because of the expense of bringing him from
the country.)
The further hearing of the case was postponed until Thursday
at 2.30 p.m.
Some slight formal evidence having been given, on Thursday,
for the prosecution, his Worship committed the accused to take her trial at the
Central Criminal, Court, Darlinghurst.
[“‘Burning Babies.’ Startling Statements. – ‘Madame B.’s’
Business - Was She An Abortionist?” Mar. 27, 1904, p. 7]
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To learn more details about murderous child care providers in history, including baby farmers, adoption agents and baby sitters, see “Death on the Baby Farm,” by Robert St. Estephe, Female Serial Killer Index.
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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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[1673-6/2/19]
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