FULL TEXT (Article 1 of 2): At Waverley. yesterday the inquest on the body of the infant, Elizabeth Cohen, who died on 10th instant, at the residence of Mrs. Ellen Batts, No. 10, Vernon-street, Waverley, having been in that person’s care, was resumed before the City Coroner and a jury of twelve.
Mrs. Batts, who is now awaiting
trial, charged with the murder of two other infants, was before the court.
William Mogford Hamlett, Government
Analyst, stated that he subjected to chemical analysis the stomach and viscera
of the deceased, which had been placed in a sealed jar. The stomach was almost
empty, only a very small quantity of liquid being present. The membrane was
very much blackened and discolored. The liquid was examined and found to
contain traces of lime and carbonate of soda. The whole of the viscera was
divided and analysed, but no metallic or other irritant poisons could be
discovered. Neither were there any alkaloids or vegetable poisons; but there
were found traces of cadavaic alkaloids.
By the jury : It was not usual to
find lime and carbonate of soda in the stomach of infants. The carbonate of
soda might possibly have endangered the life of the child by preventing
digestion. By Mrs. Batts : The lime may have been given to the child with
water. By the jury : It was possible sometimes to trace the presence of
laudanum in the system; but owing to the rapid absorption of the drug it was
frequently impossible.
Dr. F. M. Smith, of Waverley, said
that, having heard the evidence of Mr. Hamlett, he was of opinion that death
was due to improper and injudicious feeding, which was tantamount to
starvation.
Dr. Goode corroborated Dr. Smith’s
opinion as to the cause of death. The average weight of a new-born babe was
about 7 1b, but the deceased, who was 2 months old, only weighed 3 1b 9 oz. The
average weight of a child about 2 months old was from 9 1b to 12 lb.
Senior-Constable Bobert Stove, stationed
at Waverley, testified to having handed the viscera of the deceased, which was
in a sealed jar, to the Government analyst.
Emily Stephens deposed that up to the
10th instant she was house-keeping for the late Benjamin Hyam Cohen, at No.
56, Newtown-road. She was present at the birth of the deceased infant,
Elizabeth Cohen, on or about August 11. The mother of the child, and the late
Mr. Cohen requested witness to take the child to Mrs. Batts’s place. Witness
accordingly took the baby there when it was about nine hours’ old. About two
months before the child was born witness and Miss Cohen (the mother) went to
Mrs. Batts and made arrangements about taking the infant. Did not then hear
anything said about payment. On the Wednesday after witness took the child to
Mrs. Batts the late Mr. Cohen authorised her (witness) to again see Mrs. Batts,
and ask what she would charge for adopting the baby, and added “Get her to do
it as reasonable as possible — say about £7.” Told Mr. Cohen that Mrs. Batts
would not take less than £9 10s, and the following day that amount was
accordingly paid her, for which witness was given a receipt. When witness saw
the child again it was sickly and was suffering from a cold.
Ellen Batts, after being cautioned in
the usual way by the Coroner, deposed that when she received the child it was
small and weak. Fed her on cow’s milk and limewater. Sometimes fed her with a
spoon. Never gave the deceased any carbonate of soda. Cleaned the
feeding-bottles with washing soda and water. Witness always prepared the food,
and gave it to the babies her self. Deceased soon contracted jaundice. Used
about three and a-half bottles of cod liver oil in all, but she did not get any
better. Deceased was then seized with the whooping cough, and witness gave her
syrup of squills. Deceased, like the other children, never could keep any food
on its stomach. Witness had sixteen years’ knowledge of the rearing of
children. Believed deceased to have died of whooping cough. Witness found the
clothing for deceased, but the late Mr. Cohen paid the funeral expenses. For a
whole month witness never retired to bed, in consequence of having to attend to
the children who were suffering from whooping cough. Never allowed the babies
to sleep together. Witness received £9 10s for adopting the deceased.
By the jury: She did not send for a
doctor, because the child did not seem to fall away, only when it was seized
with the whooping cough. Three babies were taken away from her charge. During
the past eight months she had adopted four children, all of whom were dead.
Within the past eleven months twelve children had died in her house. The
Coroner in summing up said that according to the evidence of the mother and
Mrs. Stephens, the child was strong and healthy when born, but this was denied
by Mrs. Batts. The evidence of the doctors prove that the child was healthy;
but that it had been deprived of food and proper nourishment, and they could
not in any other way account for death. Therefore the jury could scarcely come
to the conclusion that death arose from natural causes. The child had been
placed in Mrs. Batts’s charge, and she was responsible for its care. The jury
would have to consider whether this child’s death was due to wilful starvation
or simple negligence— one was murder and the other manslaughter.
The jury then retired to consider
their verdict, and after half an hour’s deliberation, returned a verdict of
wilful murder against the woman Ellen Batts.
Mrs. Batts was then formally
committed to take her trial.
[“That Waverley Baby Farm. - Inquest On
The Third Infant. - Died From Starvation. Mrs. Batts Again Committed To
Murder.” Evening News (Sydney, NSW, Australia), Oct. 23, 1889, p. 6]
***
FULL TEXT (Article 2 of 2): Ellen Batts, the keeper of a baby farm at Woollahra, has been
again acquitted on a charge of murdering another of the infants who died while
in her keeping.
[From “New South Wales” column, The
South Australian Register (Adelaide, Australia), Nov. 25, 1889. p. 3]
***
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.
For more cases of “Baby Farmers,” professional child care providers who murdered children see The Forgotten Serial Killers.
***
[1265-6/2/19; 1443-8/19/21]
***
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.
***
For more cases of “Baby Farmers,” professional child care providers who murdered children see The Forgotten Serial Killers.
***
[1265-6/2/19; 1443-8/19/21]
***
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