Suspicions surrounding the illegal fostering of children in Reading had already been aroused two months before the discovery of the macabre parcel in the Thames. In January 1896, an elderly, benevolent-looking woman, broad-bosomed in a buttoned-to-the-neck dress and thick shawl, had stood gazing into the window of the NSPCC office for such a long time that Charles Bennett’s wife had felt compelled to step outside to see if the woman was quite well. She had been moved to discover the old lady in tears, clearly most upset at the state of the children in the photographs. Pointing to the pictures, the woman had wondered how people could be so cruel to “the little mites”. Mrs Bennett had ushered her inside and put the kettle on to boil. Once seated in the parlour with a cup of tea in front of her and a comforting hand upon her arm, the old woman had calmed down. She seemed to welcome the kindness shown to her and before long had begun to reveal her own situation.
She lived across town, she said, off Oxford Road. She had been in Reading only a few weeks, having previously lived for a while at 26 Piggotts Road, Caversham, a short walk over the river. She was a widow lady, she said; she had lost her husband and her own three children. Her husband William had been a labourer in Bristol. When he had died she had been forced into the workhouse and had been all alone without a friend in the world – but she had met a woman in the workhouse who took her out with her and said they could live together as sisters. That was who she lived with now – Mrs Thomas. This woman took in babies to nurse, little dears, which was why seeing the photographs in the window upset her so. Mrs Thomas had promised to pay her to help look after the little ones – a shilling a week she had said – but in reality all she received in return for cleaning the house, making the beds and other household chores were her meals. The babies were often taken away – she didn’t know where to – but she missed them terribly; she always grew very fond of the blessed creatures. Mrs Thomas adopted the children, she said, “in consideration of a money payment”. They were mostly illegitimate, and there was one at the house now who did not look well at all. Number 45 Kensington Road, that was where she lived, she said. Just off Oxford Road. The tram stop was just at the top.
Mrs Bennett informed her husband of the incident when he returned home from work. Charles Bennett listened carefully; as an NSPCC officer he was only too aware of the failure of the authorities to keep track of all persons involved in the often shady business of fostering and adopting children. He certainly had no knowledge of any such individual being registered to adopt children in Kensington Road and resolved to investigate without delay.