Amelia Sach

Amelia Sach and Annie Walters were convicted of murdering a three-month-old child and executed.

Amelia Sach had given the child to Annie Walters to dispose of and Annie Walters then poisoned and asphyxiated it at her home in Islington on 18 November 1902 by giving it a drug which contained opium or morphia after which she went out to dispose of it but was arrested.

Amelia Sach ran a business at Claymore House on Hertford Road in East Finchley for women in confinement to give birth to their babies. However, it was later determined that they had been what was known as 'Baby farmers', and had been taking money from women to see that their unwanted newly-born children were adopted but were instead murdering them and keeping the money. The operation had been run alongside Amelia Sach's legitimate nursing business at Claymore House and evidence was heard that Annie Walters would solicit the women with their adoption service and that after taking the children away would murder them.

The police had been keeping watch on Annie Walters's house at 11 Danbury Street, Islington after receiving some information and had started the day before on 17 November 1902. They were keeping watch from 9 Danbury Street which had a clear view of the door of 11 Danbury Street. On 18 November 1903 the police arrived at 8.45am and later saw Annie Walters leave carrying a bundle in her arms in the same way that a person would carry a live child. The police followed her to the corner of St. John's Street Road and City Road during which Annie Walters repeatedly looked back to see if she was being followed. She then entered a Wareham Green omnibus followed by the policeman who got on the top of the bus and went to the South Kensington Metropolitan Railway Station where Annie Walters got off. She still had the bundle in her arms and was followed by the police as she walked about outside the station for four to five minutes before going inside and going into the lady’s lavatory.