The sun., 1879-05-04
MARTIN JENNINGS, WAlF.
THE CLOSING CHIPTER or mrs VERY
BRIEF HI>IORT URIIJEN.

what Came or Moiher Jerowr's SmnII He-
ginning 5000 VAIN out Of One Basket.
The greater part Of the history OF little
Martin Jennings has been told by THR Sun
his discovery by John Hesse in n hallway ut
1913 sixth avenue; his experience in the Police
Central Offirs his delivery to Mr.. Blnke. Su-
perintendrnt Of the Department Of Charities
and Correction relating to She outdoor poor; us
journey to the Founding Hospital on Randals
Island. after being named Mabel Jrnnngs-a
name that proved to be inappropriate; his be-
ing put In charge of pnuper named Amelia
Lockwood; his baptism by II Protestant clergy
man. There remains one more event In Mar
tin JenninRss history to be- chronicled. He
died on the 9th OF April. and was buried in the
paupers' graveyard.
The physician VINO attended him. n pleasant
faced youngish man. said that the baby grew
weaker from the day 1t entered the hospital. II
took cold from exposure. and began to cough;
then bronchitis intervened. The little fellow
was fed from bottle until the last IN rec days OF
his life. and then an attempt was made TO have
him nurse hut he could not digest anything.
and 80 he died.
II Martin Jennings failed to md foster
parents. 1t ia very unlikely TINT another and
more recent founding will be- adopted. This
latter case strengthens the illustration fur
nished 10y Martin Jennings of the almost un-
varying routine OF the foundling's life after II
becomes foundling.
About o'clock on Thursday evening Mrs. r.
vanderemde. who lives ut A st. Marks place.
heard a baby's shrill cries apparently next
door Carefully laid on the door mat. and be-
hind the outer door of the next house. which is
one OF a block OF handsome hrownstone. high
stoop houses. she found = baby crying pitt
fully. She took the wnif into her house
and found that 1t hal very black hair.
heads
unlike Martin Jennings in all respects. II
was much Younger. not at all pretty, and was
notified. and he took the baby to the police
SfSP oieSr tqnGsG ] It urea in f"iaory @ GnS manner 9
and soothrd II TO sleep and then cnr-
1%2 turned fTiO1S over TO marou 3 oRb %bS rSnrS rS
wns nothing attractive about the little one. On
| baby was sent to the Department of Outdoor
Poor and on Friday morning il was sent 10
Randall,s Island. precisely e was Martin Jen;
this name will not 10 changed by Mr.. Blake.
msns @' pToSdsd wSs ''Psa Sy ,6o n T%n Sn saT
was placed in crib in the reception ward, and
| OF milk. Her face was worry dark an alum
| dance OF straight black hair covered her head.
srrd nH With dark fun Hr wTnSi Ths Wore farshsSd S9w
| was very low: her tiny hands very scrawny.
Yesterday morning she was put in Ward 10.
| The chances are against her. judging from the
| appearance OF her baby companions. The
iously clean. There were babies in cribs. babies
on the floor babies in chairs. babies in beds.
were quiet, snyo oc' c'aslonally when feeble cry
was heard. children 2f l. 2. or years sat
piaythings wers visibe: there was no noise Of
children playing; there waS mute. sad look
| Capt. Mount Of the Fifty second street police
station has had a wider experience in the mat
| ter OF tnundlings than any other officer OF the
| foundling asylums that the city now contains,
| these walls were much more frequently found
| by the police. Capt. Mount WAS in charge OF
| Church street station then. and there WAS sell
dom a night thnt his men did not bring In at
least one babe. Father Quinn. now the Vicar
the Church rendered him extremely popular.
| Capt Mount gathered from Father Quinns
| sioop, Opposite thH church. a. many as six
foundlinss u one week Their parents
to b-isve that the good priest would
| give his personal protection and care TO the lit
Capt. Mount removed to tho Fifty ninth street
| station foundlings were rs plNntful there. The
quiet street, numerous buildings In process Of
consiructona and vacant lots that the precinct
| contained. afforded excellent opportunities for
the abandonment of children. II was the Cap
| tain's custom to send these children To the Nsw
| York Founding Asyum. made prosperous rs
we'll ~ famous by the ln6ors of Sister Irene OF
| the Sisters OF Charity. The asylum was near by.
| and the Captain knew the he'll pless babrs would
| recei ". the very hest attention there. BY order
| of the Board OF Police. however. all foundlings
| that fail into the hands OF the police are now
sent to the central office and from there to Ran
dalls Island. This In TO insure accurate statis-
| tics.
BY far the largest number Of the children who
are deserted 10y their parents Ia New York. nnd
| their way to the private institutions. OF which
| Sister lrene's WIS the first. and is the largest.
| The attention OF Mother Jerome, the Superior
that hundreds Of foundiings wero gathered
| from the streets by the police every yenr. and
that there WAS no haven l9r them except the
| ferinr asylum for the foundlugs in comparison
with what Il has since become. Eighteen hun
| dred and Sky nine was a memorable year Tor
| loundngs. Their number startled the good
| Mother Superior, and without funds she
| founded in II dwelling in East Twelfth street
| Irene at lts head This was In October. and
| the asylum WIS TO he thrown open the next
| month. Mother Jerome said II the need WIS as
| great as she believed 1t To be. the asylum would
grow rapidly and be mainlained by The charItn-
fore November thirteen had been left at the door.
| although the house WIS only partially furnished.
| are .634. the buildings cover nearly square
nj Slxty-eighth street and Lexington avenue.
| aod there Hre twenty-five members OF the sister
hood under Sister Irene. including two chief
| assistants.
| The feature OF the system at this nsylum
whch corresponds 70 tho Lost Chldren's De-
| pArtment through which Handalls Island IL
reached hy the foundlinRs is wicker crib
| which in Twelfth street stood in the porch. but
in Sixty y-eRhth street IL left in the vestlbule. 1t
| IL simply Il swinging basket, curtaned with
pink and white muslin. and IL only large
enough for one baby. Two al time have been
found In it, however. and II has held
and brought TO the asylum neary six
thousand babes whose mothers would have
destroyed them or consigned them 70 the
dangers OF exposure in the streets and those
other dangers on Randall's Island but for its
existence. 1t Is altogether an ordinary looking
basket but Sister Irene claims that 1t has saved
thousands OF lives. saved the honor OF many
families. and. since tho mothers are often
brought in with their babes, has saved the
honor Of many women who are now res pectable
and prOsperOus. The Sisters say they had to
move the crib indoors because they found that
| children were sent 10 It from every State in the
Union and two or three are known TO have been
imported from Europe especially for IT, Be
sid g. II was impossible 10 cnro Tor all thnt came.
| Nearly all these foundlngs are the offsprin ng
OF misguided women. Some however. are de-
serted 10y women who are too poor TO care for
them. or who ara kept from earning living 10y
the necessity OF retaining them. Two or three
times night the asylum door bell rings, the
door IL opened 10y sister, and woman carry
ing n child is admitted, The woman lays the
babe in the basket and burries out 10 the street.
Often not word IS spoken. But when tho
mother by her appearance and manner.
especially interests tho sister, gentle
hand IL laid upon her arm. and in a
kindly tone the sister asks whether she will not
4 ~, md, Gnr la