A BOGUS BABY CASE.
Bv J. FERGUSON WALKER.
IT is difficult to say what constitutes the
acme of audacity in man, but the ques
tion admits of a plain answer in the case of
woman. To procure a new-born infant and
deliberately attempt to palm it off as her
own, is at once the most daring and most
difficult feat that a woman can set herself to
accomplish. Such an attempt has perhaps
never been made with greater coolness,
foresight and resource, than were shown by
Mrs. Salisbury in the circumstances disclosed
in the extraordinary case of Salisbury v.
Rawson tried in London several years ago
before that famous judge, Mr. Justice Haw
kins, and a Middlesex special jury. During
a trial which lasted nineteen days, and which,
owing to adjournments, was in progress for
two months and a half, the public interest
was excited to a degree scarcely equalled
since the notorious Tichborne trials. The
simple question at issue was whether the in
fant plaintiff was or was not the child of the
woman who positively swore she was her
mother. Round this question there gathered
a somewhat complicated story.
Certain property had been left by will to
Mr. George Henry Salisbury for life, with
remainder to his issue in tail, if he should
have any; but if he had no children, it was
to go to a Mrs. Archer for life, and her
children after her. The property was worth
about £1000 a year, but Mr. Salisbury had
lived an improvident life and, at the time of
his death, was unable to make any substan
tial provision for his widow. No child had
been born to him during his lifetime, and
Mrs. Salisbury's position was this, that if a
child was born, she would have a consider
able allowance for its support during min
ority. It became therefore a matter of su
preme importance for her that a child
should be born within nine months from
her husband's death. Her story was that such a child had been born, and if her story was true, the event was a piece of singular good fortune for her. Mrs. Salisbury was at the time of the trial thirty-eight years of age. She had been rather a pretty girl, and having entered the theatrical profession she succumbed to the temptations which are specially incident to such a life. A child was born to her when she was living in Kensington road, London, and she named it May Montague. Some months after this event she met Mr. Salisbury and was married to him according to Scotch rites. Five months later she was so unfortunate as to have a miscarriage, and subsequently she gave up the stage. Some years afterwards, when she was expecting another child, doubts were suggested as to the validity of the Scotch marriage, and accordingly she and Mr. Salisbury went through the ceremony again before the registrar at Tottenham, England. This was followed by the birth, of a seven months' child, which was still-born. On that occasion no doctor was present, every thing being done by a Mrs. Pike, who was a sister of Mrs. Salisbury. Three further miscarriages took place after this, and with in eight months of the last miscarriage her husband died at Bridport in the county of Dorset. Mrs. Salisbury then informed the trustees of the property, through a solicitor, that she was expecting to be confined, and they con sented to make her an allowance; provided she would remain at Bridport until the child was born, and give the names of the nurse and doctor who were to attend her. Mrs. Salisbury at first assented to these condi tions, but finding that she was being watched by detectives, she resented the suspicions
