Child Care Provider Accused of Murder: Mrs. Fred West - 1907

FULL TEXT: Des Moines, June 4. – It is a strange web which has been woven about the lives of Mrs. Fred West, proprietress of a baby farm and Miss Anna Beattie, her head nurse, who are on trial in the Polk county court for the murder Baby Jim. There is no such baby and never has been is the defense. But if the prosecution presses the point too hard the attorneys for the accused women intend to produce boy and claim it is the one reported killed. The Iowa Humane Society through its State secretary Mrs. Elizabeth Baird caused the prosecution.

~  Babies in Furnace ~

“Babies have been burned at the West baby farm before they were dead --  thrown into the furnace to end their helpless cries” – is a charge which Miss Flora Goble, the chief witness for the prosecution and a former nurse at the home makes. In a sworn affidavit she declares she saw Miss Beattie give ten drops of laudanum to Baby Jim under the direction of Mrs. West.

“Mrs. West asked me to give the laudanum to the baby and brought me poison bottle,” said she. I refused. Mrs. West told me not to be foolish – that it was the they always the babies gave any trouble they them out of misery as fast as possible.”

~ Babies for Playthings ~

That there has been traffic in babies is admitted. The Infants wore bought and sold and when this was impossible, given away. Inmates of disorderly houses [bordellos], it is said bought the babies using them as one would a poodle to play with. Only girl babies were wanted by these women but they were to pay good prices. Mrs. Baird claims also to have discovered that the baby farm proprietors were running their own graveyards without legal formality.

Baby Jim is alleged to have been adopted by a family who wanted a baby to get a fortune, but he became afflicted with an eye disease and exchanged was for another. Then he disappeared. Miss Goble declares that Mrs. West ordered him put out of his misery with laudanum. Mrs. West denies this and says she will produce Baby Jim.

[“Babies Instead of Dogs Said to Be Sold in Iowa – Woman Charged With Killing Unsalable Child – Accused of Throwing Noisy Infants Into Furnace.” The Washington Times (D.C.), Jun. 4, 1907, p. 4]

Shown are two classified ads placed by Mrs. Fred West in the Des Moines Register (Iowa):

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HOME for unfortunate girls; babies adopted; strictly first class work furnished if needed. Mrs. Fred West, 1314, 35^th.

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TWELVE nice babies for adoption, inquire Mrs. Fred West, 1314, 35^th.

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[Classified ad section, Des Moines Register (Io.), Jan. 25, 1905, p. 7]

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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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