The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-10-01
MABEL LEONARD In PRISON.
THE STORY or THE CHILD ACTRESS As
IT rs TOLD M HERSELF
Arrested on the Stage OF the Brcckiyn Acaa-
envy Of Music-Au Engagement 10 Act for
WsIinck This Evering Probably Broken.

envy 81 VtWstc-hu tnHuuemtUt Act
WsIinck This Everins Probably Broken.
The City 81 Churches and the dramatic
profession enjoyed n sensation yesterday OF tho
most realistic nature. The absurd msstatc-
ments OF the local papers In relation to- the ar
rest Of the child nctrcss. Mabel Leonard. and
her mother. Mrs. Rogers. intensified somewhat
n feeling already great. and caused the parties
concerned much annoyance. Among other
matters 1t was reported that Mabel u child II
years of age was arrested by Deputy sheriff
Hardy. who took her to his own residence.
where she would bc detained until to-day In
consequence Of this Mr.. Hardys door bell was
in II constant state Of agitation all day and late
in the evening. and his servants were wcaricd
in assuring reporters friends of Mrs. Rogers.
and members Of the profession that no one was
there no one had been brought there. and that
Mr.. Hardy had gone cut for the day.
The facts arc that Mr.. Hardy went behind the
the scenes at the fall Of the curtain in the Acad-
envy Of Music arrested Mabel and Mrs. Rogers.
and after a delay Of more than an hour took
them to the Raymond street Jail. whore they
were delivered TO Deputy Keeper Julian. who
in turn gave them in charge Of Mrs CavanaGh.
the matron. That worthy woman assigned
them to her own bed, whore they spent sleep
less night consocd somewhat by the presence
OF a little son OF Mrs. Rogers and II hope that
the morning would bring them help.
There they were found yesterday afternoon
10y representative Of THE SUN. who through
the courtesy Of Warden Thomas A. Stinson.
was enabled 10 see them The story Of Mabel
Leonard n told by herself ms she sat perchcd
upon the War1on's bed. was full Of interest
Tho little woman very naturally feels deeply
and speaks with emphasis Of her wrongs and
suffering She is apparently 10 or IL years
old. petite. pretty formed. and very graceful
in her movements. Her hair. eyes. and skin
are dark. She looks like Jcwess. and bids fair
10 be very strikngly handsome woman. She
speaks clearly and intciligontly, giving indica
tons " an acute mind. sharpencd by necessity
and deepcncd by experiences as sad and grave
~ they are unusual in a life so young.
Being asked 10 tell the story Of her life in gcn-
crnl and her experience with the Society for
Tho Prevention OF Cruelty to children in par
tcular. she said. rs she fourishcd n lnrgc pair
OF tuilOrs shears and now and then labbed them
through tn" quilt. Certainly. III tell you all
about IT, In the first place 10 tell you the truth.
| am fourteen years old. On the stage. you
W arc. look Ike n child. hut I've con"ihroueh
enough to make woman OF me. and know ~
much ~ a woman. too. first went on the stage
wnen Notro Dame was played in New York,
attention. Then went TO Wallacks and played
in inc Romance of q Poor Young Man with
Mr.. Montague. Then travelled all over. Since
then have been either with Mr.. Palmer or with
MISS Clara Morris. You know WIS in Miss
MstiN Wiifn II WAS nfSt produced. ana nave
been ever since. Wherever Miss Morris played
1w"nt played In Chicago. too. loveto play.
NM ih'n IN" pay Is good; | don't know how
have 80 when travel
But If you are doing so well. why does the
society with the long name trouble you SO -
- u tell you all about that, too You see my
mother in thu other room. We'll. she the dear
est woman and the best mother in the world
III anything She IF too good too indulgent 10
me. l love her very dearly and she loves mo
very dearly. and II they Try 70 part Us Tomorrow
Well. this mnn Rogers is the cause Of all our
tr9Glhn,es. Hes the capse Of all Of it,,
Husband! Yes. but what kind Of hus-
bandit He; getting nicely fixed for his mean
III tcll you all about 1t. He was awfully in love
with mamma and wanted her 10 marry him.
When We nrst knew him he was very rich and
had great many diamonds. Hes Ieweller.
and his ia;her is very rich, hut he don't want
npeyhody to know i This Rogers used to 60 on
cned TO shoot mamma, because she wouldn't
thing. Mamma. got afraid OF him. and said.
%a man ." INK 'briotGerlI with a i friend. aud
S SSv Mf bo 70 lon g, w Gn das the Of e sI
friends and went 10 Washington. just as soon
angry and determined To- Gct his revenge sonic
way. So he went TO the Ollie Of the soei"ty and
told them about this poor, little abused actress,
who's bad mother had abandoned her. run oil
% Washington with n man. and all that sort of
nonsense. Then Mr.. jenkins, the agent. or
whatever he is, went 10 my mothers friend and
told her mamma had sent for me 10 GO 10 WASH
ingion. II seems that mamma had written
something about IT two weeks before. 80 she
| believed II and let me go was taken before
Judge Smith in Fitty-ninth street. There
Ind quite time. H. said, Sign this paper.
But it, let me rcad it, 30: iii read i'' il Ycr
YOU, Tlen hc pretended 70 rcad mi after
paper; | WAS scared and signed it. Then.
do you know, he read a lot Of stun about the bad
mother who had abandoned her child"
Whit did you do :"
sad HSrg ySg qst EPe ny NJ nrT ne on
! he laughed. ana then they took nae 10 the shell
What Kind Of a place is ;ha'i'
III tell you MI about i. N know they sny
| ! was poor and neglected and all that. We'll.
don know, thought looked prory nice. l
mad nice hat and scaskn IA. X and mamma
| had lust given me new pair of boots TINT she
pnld - for. Do you know they took all
those things away from me took of my nice
! new boots, ana made me wear great coarse
shoes They have women there to take care Of
us. Before had been there long they actually
made me scrub the floor. Well. thee, had
never done any kind OF housowork before, and
i almost killed me. | had airiend; ana ! got
and what do you think f-thcy shut me ny in n
! dark closet for two works with Il horrid old mat
trcss and a horrid old pillow. because wouldn Z
tell who wrote That letter; hut never did and |
/ never Will. A. soon n mamma got il she tainted
away She telegraph"d "a know II was th're.
Then Sic came on. but they wouldn't let me- SEQ
her. My lawyer got me ont on "A habeas corpus,
md then was sent u llisr Norris her husband
/ being my guardian. Then ran away"
But meantime how about EogersY'
on mamma married him, suppose, hoping
10 hrl me"
And hrf'
We'll. suppose he married 20 500 what he
could go. H. Thought he q got ne, suppose.
" But he dIdutf'
But he didn't; and he never will, that's
! more
Why did you run away from Miss Morrsf -
! - BcNunef her husband treated mt lik a log.
Hos os cross aud ovorhoarnG rs he can hc.
IN" id'n of that greut, strong man max ing that
SICK woman .TqrN! Hos Just kuling h.r.
| wish yDu could hear him order nr about. We'll
] mamma went ny 10 his place Ia SEQ me- and ho
wasn't going a. let her src me-. lie talked awful
! IS To- hor | hoard him. ! knew all about H.
and lust made up my mind T. leave. and did.
Then came The trouble. and Rogers vino knew
no more about il than Miss Morris, or any ono
else, was locked NJ for contempt ~ court. DO
you know that although | was sent to Boston
and played there. never got one cent Of my
payx ~, 49,,
he court. So they say. AT all events,
didu get II, nor mamma.
II the society let You alone and the court
| kindly permitted you 10 earn your own living
could you get nm engagement -
" Why vDil re iokinH. Why. I'm engaged "a