The sun., 1873-04-17
THE DEATH OF MRS. THOMAS
TIM CHTHDRBY's ATD SOCIETY BE-
FORE THE CORONERs.



The Natron Of the ~. Marks Place Girls
Lodging TIousc Censurcd for Lack of Juds-
ment-A Narrowing story Told by the
PeIioc asd ether Witnesses.
Yesterday afternoon, In the Aldermcn's
room In the City Hail. Coroner Kessler invest-
gated the case Of Mrs Mary Thomas, who before
hor death said that she was turned out OF the
Girls Lodging House, q st. Marks place, ON the
night OF March II, by the Matron Of that institu-
ton, Mrs. Elizabeth $. Hurley. At tho appoint
ed hour Mrs. Hurley entered the room with Mr..
Charles Il. Whitehead, director of the Chill
drens Aid Society and also counsel for the
cictv; the Rev. Charles l.. Brace, the Secretary
of the society; Mrz. hIoGat of the BROOKLYN Asy-
lun, two other gcntlewomen of imposing pres
ence. and wan and weary girl, AN inmate Of
the Girls Lodging House. Coroner kcsslcr
noted the fact that all tho wltne sos subpunaed
were present except the Iii taHs rom licll'-
yue Hospital who he said mad manifested IA re-
luctance to testify in this case.
The first witness. MIR. Charles SNYDER, n Ser
feant Of the Firth street police station said that
o'clock. he entered the police station and found
Mary Thomas lying on the floor. She was In dis
trcss, and said, " For Gods sake have some one
do something for me-" her means aud cries were
80 affecting nat the Sergeant' sittinR at the
hear them. She told Sergeant snyder that she
had been
TURNED OFT or THE HOUSE,
No.H 81. Marks place, because she was about to
be confined, and complained bitterly that her
own sex had done II. She said that had IT not
been for officer Ross. who found her, she would
have been compelled To lie In the street.
Onicer Judge, the next witness, had never
seen Mrs Thomas, and all he knew of the Ca'o
was that he went to the Girls Lodging House
and got the luggage belonging to Mrs. Thomas.
OfIicer Henry A. Ross testified that he saw
Mrs rhoma near o'clock on the morning of
| avenue cnrs were. She told him she had
been put ont Of 2. st. Marks place, be-
cause she was about to he confined. such
| wa. her suffering, sho could hardly talk.
AMI he took her to the police station at First
| Dr. A. ". McClay testified that he found Mrs.
| Thomas In the Fifth street police station In the
last stage OF labor. She was suffering great pain.
| aud in Fifteen minutes after her arrival at tho
| police station she gave birth to child. lie said
her labor was hsstened by being turned out oi
| the house. woman In that condition turned
| out into the street would be apt to take coll
and impair her health. II was very injurious Ia
| move her at ALL 1t Il dangerous to move any
| woman In such condition.
tn. NATIONS TESTIMONY.
Mrs. Elizabeth 5. Hurley, the next witness, tes-
| titled that she was matron Of the Girls Lodging
| House, q st. Marks place She said the Kind
ness Of her heart would have prevented her
| from letting Mrs. Thomas 90, but that Mrs.
oered 70 1Go semG one f of tie girl @ With her but
| Mrs. Thomas insisted upon going alone. She
| had not seen her since. She did not call ~
| Bellevue Hospital t. see Mrs. Thomas. She said
| that Mrs. Thomas was not forced to 20, but
wont voluntarily; and in reply u question by
| a
| It was follS for Mr.. Thomas to go out Of the
house In such condition at midnight; She did
not know that Mrs. Thomas SO i'll. and did
| not know she was about 60 be confined until shc
| WAS 50 Informed by another woman.
Mr.. Elizabeth V. Moirai. the nrst dircctrcss Of
| the Homeopathic Iaytug-iu Asylum IN Brook
| lyn, testified that she had given MIR. Thomas a
| ncrmit to enter that institutions and that Mr..
| Thomas had said that her husband had ahan-
| duned her. hut returned To her aftor the death
~ their nrst child. and that she had since been
obliged to abandon him.
Mr.. l.. y. Weston testified that he had several
| times seen Mrs. Thomas In lclltvue Hospital,
and stated in substance that Mrs. Thomas had
| lie also said that lac had tull Mr.. Thomas what
| Mrs Hurley had said about her voluntarily 60
| iu- out II the house. and Mis-. Thomas said II
| was iui possible.
prHEcroRs TESTIMONY.
Mr. Charles T.. Whitehead testified that he wac
a direct 'r Of the Childrcn'~ Aid Society that
| lac knew nothing ot the tircum- stances Of thi-
case. The lodging house II kCpt for young girls
aud none are admitted above the age OF eighteen
..u cl.cwhcrc. Nunc regret tni, accident tallud
iutt" tho death II Mr.. Thomas NOR" than tn
| tuilrcu'> Aid society. lie L,NcN,d the uu
ir"u. Is story There is h' prov 30 in the build
'ne tur women To- hc confined, nnd eurh scene
managers uf the taildrtn All society would
not lave couuteuanrrd the act ~ t.rn ~ NJ
/ Thomas into the street 10 they had huuWn -h,
Was dDuUt tu be- confined.
TIM sECW rARy oN rur srN>p.
The Rev. Charles l.. Brace. the >ecr,tar, .; th.
~"rirtv. pronounced q culosy upon Mr.. Hurley
! 90. W tfruu, Tor whom hc entertained the Ni-N
/ e. 70. pcct, believing that .Le wa, Irpmpt,d bi
! humane motives.
| d.. Burhard and harrington sent word from
| Bellevue IIosnitM that they could not attend
and tuat Mrs IN lmas died from pucrprral fever
Dr Lro testified that the act pf walking oul,
| hasten the hirth of the child, aud mo- dpuh
weakened the woman aud Influenced the result
| which followed.
The Coroner charged the jury that he found
no evidence against the thildren's Aid society
and that the officers Of that institution shOul,
| Ice cXonerated. lie said the testimony was con
| nicting. That while three witnesses Swore tina
| Mrs. Thomas turned out Of the house y IT
Mark : place at midnight the matrpn testlfe,
| that she lett voluntarily. Whether she left vol
unfairly or was turned out. II WAS wrong for
woman I'm her condition to he allowed Ia 90 int
the street.
The jury were ont about an hour and returne,
with the following verdict
That they eNoneratc the Chldrcn's AM society al
that Mn r. = Hurley, the uatruh If the Girl- Lodg
House, "a ~. Marks place has shown lack Of Judl
mtnt IN allowing Mary Thomas To leave thr house IL
the middle OF the night lu the situation she was IN.