Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1881-05-30
Price Four Cents,
Abandoned.
Judge A1lfson's CastigatiOn of tiAe Sa-
Called Charity System of Philadelphia
A Remarkable CO0rt Room Scene

oC1OTS lilo NudItcE oebS1OAS asOurb OF Till
city for several days a case of peculiar inter
est, not only from Humanitarian point OF
view, but because of the charitable dogmai
which it has destroyed. It's sudden ending
this afternoon furnished tittingly dramatic
climax to one of the saddest pictures of oul
SO called civilization that ever was put in
words. The facts were that on a cold snowy
morning during last winter dead child was
found In an area in the rear of tail tene
ment house, the upper floors of which were
let out to nightly dodgers. Police investiga
tion promptly revealed the fact that a young
woman who had engaged the rear room on
the previous evening had given birth to the
child, and she admitted having thrown it out
of the window, declaring that it was born
dead The girl was dragged from her bed,
forced by the police officer to walk down
three flights of stairs and to the nearest sta
ton house, where she was at once locked up
Brought before the committing magistrate a
few days later, she was promptly sent to
Moyamensing prison charged with infanti.
eide and certainly would have been convict
ed had not two young lawyers, who were
and Lincoln L. Eyre, come to her assistance
The story of her life is az commonplace as
could be imagined: The prisoner had been
living with song and dance performer in
New York named Edward or Ned" Aaron
son, who, when she was about to become
a mother, brought her to Phil
adelphia and heartlessly abandoned
her: Friendless and wholly unknown,
realizing the terrible position in
which she was placed, she wandered for days
about the streets, until, finally forced by the
ravenous and unnatural hunger induced by
approaching maternity she accosted a Young
girl on the sidewalk, who gave her few
cents and lodged her for the night On the
following day, again cast out upon the ten
mo nraTaC Cf1f hA, u,
woman of the town, as the Commonwealth
fully succeeded in showing, but that her
heart was warm the evidence no less clearly
proved. In her company Lizzie Aaronson,
as she was called in the indictment, for davs
sought asylum in some hospital where the
dreaded ordeal of confinement might be
passed. The testimony of Ida Wilson, the
girl who thus labored in behalf of another
woman in distress without hope of reward,
can be briefly summarized as follows: sI
heard of this friendless girl and asked her to
my quarters. They were poor enough-onlv
one room-but such as had tried to give
her The stranger passed most of her time
in tears, and seemed utterly hopeless Re-
allzlng the Importance of medical aid for her
In the hour of confinement, and being too
poor myself to procure it for her, started
with her on the second day to find such
place Lizzie Aaronson, the prisoner in the
DOCK, was utterly penniless-had been left
without a cent" Then follows the story of
charity's cold shoulder to actual and evident
distress.
THE RULES THAT FORBID.
First we applied at the Nurses Home or
Lying In Charity as it is called, at Cherry
and Eleventh streets. The matron heard the
case and admitted that it was a desperate
one. She then asked if Lizzie could pro-
duce her marriage certificate and pav S. per
week for board, but when she learned that
Lizzie could do neither the one or the other
the scene ended abruptly Thence we went
no room for Lizzies admission The Young
physician in charge said she must go to the
almshouse. To the guardians of the poor, then.
we went-to the Office in Seventh street A
clerk told us I must take my companion be-
fore Magistrate Pole and ask her commit
ment. We went to the magistrates, but he
to commit her unless she would give
the name of her husband and swear out a
warrant for his arrest, SO that he could be
compelled to pay the county for her keeping
This, after some hesitation-desperate as was
her situation-she refused to do 1 advised
her to do So We next applied at the Home
Mission, No. 533 Arch street, in hopes of
getting Lizzie ticket to New York, but the
officer in charge would not give her one, al
though she pleaded piteonsly for it. He f.
nally offered to sell her one for ST.. Neither
she nor had so much money. We then
went to the Young Women's Christian asso-
citation, on Seventh street. The
matron said firmly and prompt
y that she could not do ANYTHING
for her. as soon as she saw her condition,
asked for her certificate and made Lizzie cry
bitterly. Finally she said we had better go
TO the Sixth Ward Relief association a branch
of the Young Women's Christian association.
There we had almost similar experience
Finally we went to an intelligence office, No.
Ill Arch street, in the hope that she might
find some kind person who would take her as
a servant, under the circumstances. She
there met an elderly gentleman, who en-
gagged her, but seeing her condition declined
to take her home, although she begged him
TO and declared that she would work for
nothing long enough after her trouble to
cover all the expenses. He still firmly de-
slined, but expressed his sympathy by giving
her 81. Lizzie and / Immediately spent this
money in food 1 had not eaten ANYTHING
that day, and she not since the morning of
the previous day. When it was too late we
recollected that it would have procur the
coveted ticket to New York Then we both
felt sorry. But we had been SO hungry At
last she returned with me to my room. On
several mornings thereafter, seeing that she
was burden to me, as she said she left. I
afterward learned that last resort she
pledged her small gold ring-the only article
Of jewelry she had left-for twenty five cents
md took the room in which her child was
oorn." This was the last witness for the de-
.ence.
DRAMATIC CLIMAX.
District Attorney Graham stepped forward
md addressed the jury. He spoke of the
proof, and the doubts cast upon the girls
rhine by the testimony of the defence.
Therefore he thought it wise, and with the
ldvice of the judge, to abandon the case
There was hum of surprise in the court.
Judge Allison then directed the two girls
Who had been called as witnesses, Ida Wilson
md Lizzie Flick, to come to the bar He
gave them seats on a raised platform in
ront of the jury and in full view of the
crowded court room. Having first referred
10 the remarks made by the district attorney
md commended the wisdom of his course
With deep and evident emotion he thus ad-
iressed the jury:
Gentlemen, l have called these two girls
% the bar of this court, that you may see
phase of this case This defendant, Lizzie
Aaronson, was shown by the testimony of
he defence to have come to this city an utter
stranger, to have been a homeless wanderer
IN the Streets without money, without
friends. In her utter loneliness and friend
essness, driven to seek charity from passer-
oy, she accosted this girl here (pointing to
shared her poverty with her, giving her a
share of the money and comforts She pos
,essed. This other young woman {pointing
% Ida Wilson, who, unfortunately, has not
ed correct life), however much her moral
nature may have been warped in one respect,
gave an exhibition of practical Christianity
of practical Christianity, 1 repeat, with
she likewise gave
his poor friendless sister shell
;er, that would furnish wholesome example
10 most of those who are clothed with pur-
pie and fine linen. I am sorry to admit that
f this poor, friendless girl had applied to
nine out of ten of those very people who
compose the wealthy classes she would prob
IDLY have sought in vain the shelter she re-
,eived from this despised outcast. I, there
lore, regard this as the time and the place to
make mention from the bench of the kind
ness of heart displayed by those two girls,
ind have for that reason dwelt upon their
acts because of the striking contrast which
hey afford to the conduct of the so-called
charities of this city. It has been clearly
shown that this defendant, in the midst of
ner wants, and when the critical hour of her
motherhood was near, went from one of
these SO called charities to the other
and at each of them sought admission with
the evident intention of giving her child re-
spectacle birth. In this laudable desire she
was thwarted at every turn in consequence