Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-08-21
MARIA HALPIN.
The Story Ofthe Wrongs She Suf.
ferei al the Hands of Gro.
Vcr Cleveland.
As Told by Herself 10 a Citizen of
Buffalo, on the 29Ih Of uly Last.
The Charges Made Against the
Democratic Candidate sub
Stimulated From The WO-
mans Own Lips.

BUFFALO, August 1.-THE Buffalo
Telegraph appears to know how to take
care of itself, and is making good, as it
promised, everything it has said about
Grover Cleveland. Here is an article il
C ,ntained this afternoon, which is plain.
matter-oi-fa fact statement from the much
abused woman, Maria Halpin. 1t says:
when the Telegraph unmasked Cleve-
land il did not know where Maria Hal
pin was. When it succeeded in locating
her member of the Telegraph staff
" as detailed to visit New Rochelle, y.
Y, to get, if possible, from her own lips,
the story OF her relations with Grover
Cleveland. He found New Rochelle a
place of some 5000 or 5000 inhabitants.
ON the New York Il New Haven Rail
way, seventeen miles from New York,
and largely populated by the families OF
men doing business in the metropolis.
Here Maria Halpin, whose name for the
few weeks has been conspicuous IN the
newspapers of the country, has lived i'll
seclusion for several years as house,
keeper for an uncle-in-law, James A. Sc
cord, an elderly man, by trade a carpen-
ter, and she has there lived quiet, hon.
est, humble and useful life. The Tele-
graph representative talked with num-
Uer of responsible and well-informed
citizens of the village, and they all gave
the same testimony. Maria Halpin had
lived among them for years and had
conducted herself with propriety, had
made friends, was esteemed a good wo
man, and until the recent exposure
growing out of Grover Cleveland'S nom
ination for the Presidency was not
known to have blemiSb on her life.
La fact when it was first reported that
she was the woman in the Cleveland
case those of New Rochelle's inhabi
tAntS who knew the quiet, decUrouS, I'M
Obtrusue hOusekeeper ut the modest
Secord home could hardly believe that
she was the Maria Halpin in question.
Having satisfied himself of her standing
in the community where she lived the
Telegraph representative turned his
steps toward the Securd dwelling. He
found it to be a modest frame building
on street adjacent 10 one of the village
cemeteries, and he was met at the door
by James A. -Secord. Mr.. Secord is a
man seemingly about sixty years old, of
plain address, who has grown gray in
New Rochelle Mr.. SecoTd jealUuslY
guarded his niece from newspaper men,
and as he seemed endowed with the
gift, to large degree, of determining
their profession, they could not gain ac+
cess to Ler, although not a few had
tried. The Telegraph representative
Was turned from the door after few
moments parleying, but citizen of Buff
& .arf.a
Halpin as the bearer of message from
a friend, and received from her state
ment of which the following is an inn
portant part:
MARIA HALPIN's STATEMENT:
al was employed at Flint & Kent's
when Grover Cleveland persisteDtly
sought and finally made my acquaint-
ance. | was not as stout as | look now,
being tall and slender, and it is won
der that | endured all | suffered in the
years from 1874 to 1877. My child, Os
car Folsom Cleveland, was born Sept.
IA, 1874. Grover Cleveland is his father,
and to say that any other man. was re-
sponsible for his birth is infamous. The
attempt to connect the dead Oscar Fol-
som with me or my boy, OF which hear,
Is utI duu Ahu Dul q
slight acquaintance with Oscar Folsom.
1t does not seem possible, after all l
have suffered for Grover Cleveland and
my boys sake, that the attempt will be
made TO further blackeu me in the eyes
of The world. No one knows the extent
of my sufferings. After my child was
taken from me | begged Cleveland on
bended knees to let me have sight of my
baby. He was immUyable. | found
where the boy was, and one day | rush
ed in upon his keeper, snatched him up,
and ran away before they could stop me.
My sufferilgs subsequently, my fruitless
efforts To have him (Cleveland) fulfill
his promise of mrrriage. his neglect of
myself aud child, my abduction and YIO-
lent treatment by his hired tools are
truthfully but only partially told in the
Buffalo Telegraph of July Il. II would
be- impossible to cover events that made
up those years of shame, suffering, and
degradation forced upon me by Grover
Cleveland
The above is the part of Maria Hal
pins statements hearing most directly
upon the points in the Cleveland Halpin
case brought out clearly in the Tele-
graphs terrible tale. 1t is substantially
her language, and it is exactly her senti-
ment. The statement was made on the
afternoon of July 20, 1884, and lodged
with the Telegraph, duly attesled, few
days later. The gentleman to whom she
made it says that in the course of long
interview with her, she wept bitterly as
she told of her wrongs. Her manner
and appearance carried the conviction
of sincerity.
WILL NOT EXONERATE CLEVELAND.
when told that it was reported she
had made or was about to make a state
ment exonerating Gov. Cleveland from
the charges preferred against him in the
Telegraph of July u, Maria Halpih
draw himself up as if preparing for
supreme effort, and replied in a most
impressive and earnest manner: ME
make statement generating Grover
Cleveland! Never. l would rather put
bullet through my heart She said
she could not truthfully make any
such statement, and Grover Cleveland
would not dare ask her to humiliate her.
self again that he might enjoy honOrS
and wealth, while on his account she
was eXiled from kindred and friends pa
tpntly waiting for death TO end her
misery. She then went into details of
what she had suffered from 1884 tO1S77
at the hands af Cleveland or his agents
that would melt heart of stone. Her
statements are fortified and corrobOra-
ted by facts known in the case. and by
circumstances and records bearing upon
that eYentful period of her life"