The New York herald., 1878-03-29
THE SWISS SINGERS.

TIE sroRY OF THE EpKRHARDT sIsrERs-A
DEPRAvgD PAREST-rHE CHILDREN SENT TO
AN ASYLUM.
For over three years they have been going about
two little girls, with large dark eyes, warm CON-
pIexon wealth Of j,t black hair falling between
thor shoulders 10 long tangled braids Sometimes.
during the summer nights, when uptown residents
sought tho air the piazza stoop, the pair have
como wandering along the street and surprised tho
listeners with sudden burst OF melody
which at once won attention and sympa-
thy. Many time lady or gentleman,
charmed by the rich and by the perfect time,
would conceive interest In the wallis sudden
IL was transient; but it seldom that their ques-
lions were satisfactorily answered. and any marked
manifestation oi curiosity tho signal for tho song
stresses TO hastily retire The ceins them
they collected hurrediv, and then IL their custom
to sock remote locality before beginning their
performance anew. In this way did AMMO
aud Bertha Eberhardt lrst become known
TO the public. Ono but eleven years old, tho
other only eight, when they lrst attracted attention.
but even thsn. moro cnidrcn as they wore they had
developed to wonderful degree their powors OF song
and, what was more, displayed y knowledge OF human
nature and o selt-reliance that than WON
any. year or so passed, and then the two singing
girls appeared loss frequently thaa before up
town. The district between Tnirtietn ana
Forty second streets, on tho west side, which
they had before infested, saw ltte OF them now and
In time they disappeared completely from fashion
abe neighborhoods Street characters, no matter
how familiar, drop out OF everyday experience
tced and doubtloss the little E0crhardts passed.
from tho memory OF many VINO listened TO their
strains, when they brought into the garo OF
not0rlcty which Ii shed from The Bar VI police
court.
SINGING Low SALOONS.
N r-
cumstancc which. several tmes repeated since, oc-
CURED nrss IN inc winter Of 1910. Inat was no.in-
Children that there were two little girls singing IN
nursery. II was true. There had suddenly fitted
into popularity Ia lager beer halls and cellars on
tho east sido pr OF Juvenile singers whose tuneiui
rendition OF The lays OF switzerland und the
| Tyrol overcame Teutonic phiegm, and In many
low drinking den aroused tho drowsy TO patri-
otto frenzy and consequently, to generous patron
sge Of the bar. These two, with an eyv To German
wcakuess, srrayed themselves In tho costume tho
Swiss-sh0rt bodice, pulled sleeves. white snow,
abbreviated skirts adorned with ribbons All that
could W essaycd by more prsteptous performers to
| tho nt.le songstresses. The result that
their fame spread, and when the summer
season came aud pcnics and scheutzeufcsls
began ag,tYte the German residents VI the lower
east sido the Eberhardt sisters were engaged by
many Iesve c0terie 10 triil their lays during the
pageant OF the duy. Tho expereuos the saloon and
dance hail. however, had done It's work. In tneH tho
ba,,on was tnc ioudest and to them again tho little
girls accordingly vent IL was their own Will " do
| 10 tt thought NJ urkt Dut tn0 another actor
| appeared in their history.
THEIR Mornxa's IxsExsipLuY
This was their mother, who resided then in Suffolk
| street. Some VINO wuther tho children were
drting spprisod her OF What WAS in store Tor them.
She laughed ~ the warming and encouraged tho chill
dren still TO frequent tho OF The pleasure sock
| ing. Her informant wont further. He mad hoard
children s,ng. ana knew how rare the GIT they
possessed. He offered the mother So week Tor their
services IN \ choir on Sunday. She at once declined
tho o1er, on tho ground that the saloons
were moro lucrative hcld Tor their efforts.
|
untutored woman. Sho had received q good oduca-
,iou, was OF Respectable family ana haa, AFTER u
separation from relatives, niIcd tho position or
g0verness in house 0i some prctension In her native
land She had framed her children too Both Of the
little girls we're educated beyond those OF their ase
and class. ioJ tins was her dicum, and tho person
who iuterfered 10 save the brands IRON tho burning
us IL were, constrained 10 see tho ltilo girls
60 nightly 10 the hsunis where infamy ~ limo would
leave Us stamp upon them. Al ths time !hsro came
OF Cruelty 10 Children OF Tho Eberhurdt girls cond
s,on and Oaicor Frederick Lundbcrg Was instructed
to have eye thsm He learned that they hau
gradually drted into sho low saloons about Buyard
street and the Bowery, ard soon had opportunity
hrs quest through Bayard stros,, WHOM he heard n
fresh. clear voice siug,ng German aIr. II was
Of glasses broke IN upon tho rofrain, and
tho air rocked with ine tunes OF tobacco
AMI beer; but tho music sounded sweclcr
by the contrast and when another and sghter voice
joined In the melody tho listener WIS psrsuadvd that
no had at last come upon The objects Of his He
entered the place. dark but earsn and crowccd with
taccs, some Of them scottish and many ruInany The
Eboruurdt Sisters wore singing, uud LOOK Oi alarm
into the face Vi tho elder she the officer,
whose object she knew. doubtless her mother had
warned her TO beware OF him, breaking of song
She turned from her astonishcd auditors aud to
the OF the saloon, dragging her sister with her
The olicer inado "a movement to follow them, when
the pair, with scream, lcapcd through tho window
into the yard and hurried AWAY. hat In the iai
OF last year, ana the yocicty's agent has then
been abo TO Ind tho girls ongagcd IN their
tion, Is necessary 10 authorize him TO arrest
Ouco twice has them lifting from sa-
loon another their dmsy osgery hidden by cloak
shawl anu their almost bsrc limbs exposed
weather. but they have always deteclcd him
escape.
SECURED
On Wednesday night, however, Onlcor Lundberg
where u had become familiar. This time IN the
saloon OF Bosses Brotnsrs, Ut No ~ Cerysiie stree
that the girls wcro singing. The officer stole down
stairs and entered suddenly There wore tho SISTERS
In aii tho gayety OF their Swiss costumcs ANNIE the
elder, whom lie Know but "a child sitting upon
tho lap OF some fostve patron Of the establish
carOiing Tyrolcso ditty with all The
the most depraved ot bor could DO capable oL
The sisters were taken into CUSTODY and their mother
kout Tor She Is a uiIdde-ase cd woman. with repul-
sive countenancc, whereon lines traced that
denote strong and gross passions; but wthal she ~
lively amusement and seemingly younger than
Norfolk street, and Il must be said that IL Is every
way neat ana comfortable. Yesterday tho family
wore brought 10 court, whonco the httlo girls, who
arc now ten ana thirteen years old wero sent tho
Juvenile Asy lum anu the mother dschars scd VII
reprimand, which Is all Tho Law allows for Tho drst
| occurrence OF her oncnca