The New York herald., 1879-12-30
MISTAKEN SYMPATHY"

lish sy Pail &. . q Iaeth e., 7Sx:5; Tho -,
MISTAKEN SYMPATHY"
WILLIAM HowARD's STORY FOUND TO BE uN-
TRUE-JUsT RETURNED FROM THE PENrrEN-
TIARY-rHE CONDITION OF HIS FAMILY DE-
cLARED NOT TO BE so BAD AS REPRESENTED
Mrs. HowARD's STORY.
Tho good poople who had been touched by the
story Of the afflicted Howard family and hastened to
relieve them were sorcly troubled yesterday by the
new developments in the case. When william
Howard arrested he said. in reply to the usual
questions put to persons in similar positions by the
presiding magistrate, that he had never before
been arrested. and yesterday it leaked out
that he had not told the truth and that
in reality he had but just returned
from serving out . sentence OF eighteen months in
the Penitentiary. Howard took his stepson to the
Office of J. G. Patterson, the cotton broker yesterday
morning. in compliance with request from Mr..
Patterson. who promised to give tho lad situation.
As they entered the Office the boy called his step
fathers attention to gentleman then in conversa-
ton with the broker. ''Thats Mr.. Sears. said the
boy. "He's one o. tho bosses where mother used to
work In Bleecker street" Howard waited until the
interview between tho two gentlemen over, and
then asccrtained that the facts Of his previous life
had become known and 1t was considered prudent
in the brokers' office to have nothing to do with
'Billy." the boy.
Mr.. Sears Of the firm Of e. Potter 4 Co.. of No.
f9 Bleecker street. said yesterday to reporter Of
the HRRALD:-''It is q case Of mistaken sympathy
throughout, and think ought to be attended to, as
1t will undoubtedly prevent people from sending
relief in the future to really worthy people. Mrs
ri al her md m
week. Yes, that's good wages for . woman. She
fell sick and is certainly very ILL., and think it
Is certain will recover, but they were not
starving nor anything like 1t. The work girls up
stairs here made up little purse Of $40 for her and
sent 1t to her on Christmas Day. Her son
Billy employed here too. Well. the other boys
will tell you all about him. They say Billy will
never want for anything to eat He the dirtiest
and most slovenly boy ever saw. don't believe
there is anything that would keep that chap clean.
About year ago the girls bought him complete
rig. underclothes and all. and few weeks after he
got them he was as bad ever. Mrs. Howard, I
think took her cold on the way back from visiting
her husband on the Island. She's very sick and de-
serving of sympathy. He returned from prison on
sns o him to return to the od
ness. good man, willing to work, can
always ind employment. ls and there n are. no
this largo city. but this is not one Of them. Mr.
Potter gave the sick woman medicine, and the girls
sure If they needed moro they had only to let us
know. Billy left here mainly. think, because
he did not like to work. He has since been going
around the city with blind Howard was sent
to prison for stealing money from his employer in
Centre street He was 5snsor OF the building In the
went into the Office and carried of part Of the
money. He was arrested. tried. convicted and sent
to prison."
'sI1i tell you the whole truth; there's con-
was sent to prison for eighteen months and has only
Just come home. II WAS the first wrong thing he
ever did in his iife and don't see what good Mr..
Sears expects to accomplish by hunting him down
for it now. He was employed by MI. Van Zandt
the time, and that gentleman took the rent of the
rooms we were living in out Of his wages, and he
found himself Saturday night with only 81 for
me. That worried him terribly and he went out.
man he met there about his troubles when the
man asked him whether there any money in the
office. My husband said. Yes there's lots Very
and take IL and pay yourselfY Howard little
in liquor. and he wont to the offce and took $50.
made him them. The frst heard of 1t was
when came in and told me Howard
money. and the whole crowd in there sponging
of him. I went over and brought him homo. l
took the money money from him. and heb he had a. $iso saia
and he began to cry, aud said he thought there
$50 there. and he wondered how he would be
was was then saturday night. and Mr.. Van zandt
out on Sunday with some friends
went to him and told him the ONCE had been robbed
He hadn't the nerve to toll him he did It and give
him back the money, and Mr.. Van Zandt sent out
for detective When the ofAcer came Howard
asked his employer to come to one side and speak to
him. He did so. and thcn Howard told him that he
had taken the money and that had it. Mr.. Van
Zandt said he couldn't tell the place had been broken
into and that he robbed, and the officer said.
This has been done by some one new to
the businsss-a man who did not know
what he was about Well. they all came
owner. pawned my shswls and dresses that had
from my first husband, and sold the tickets to mako
mp the money that was deficient. Tho gentleman
fused to prosecute my husband and afterward paid
up the money. When they going back from
the house Howard said to the officer, Cant you
walk on little ahead7 don't want any detective
NO. The officer got offended at that and
rested him on the street six months later. Mr.. Van
Zandt advised us to change our home, and we did,
but the detective found us out and locked him up.
and he was sent up for year and half.
Now he has paid the penalty Of what he has done
and returned the money, and think they ought to
let him alone. think Mr.. Sears ought to be prose-
cuted for persccuting That's q fine business for
a TO bo engaged in. His wife is forewoman in
the workshop. and his sister fell sick. They gave
money; all the time on my feet but yet have
doubt IL did me good My son got 81 q week for
carving and backing chairs after he left Sears and
he got the Same for leading blind man when he left
them. l had to let him do something to keep
alive and save the shelter over our heads"
Assistant District Attorney Bell called on Mr.. Theo
had been done with the funds collected for the fam
lily and consult about what had best be done with
them in view OF the new features that had como to
light in the case. The $50 sent anonymously to JUS
tice Flammer was yesterday deposited In the Green
wich Savings Bank by Clerk joseph p. Bruner in
trust for Mrs. Howard. to be drawn on as required
for her use.
ANOTHER HOWARD STORY"