Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1884-11-01
AN IRISH GIRLS SAD FATE.
The Strange Story of Maggie Burton of
Marysborough, County Queens.

| The Strange Story of Maggie Burton o
| Marysborough, County Queens.
In the winter of 1880 young woman
was sent from Port Jervis to tho county
insane asylum near Goshen, N. Y, anC
he four-weebs-old infant to the county
house. She was Mrs. Maggie Hart. Hel
maiden name was Maggie Burton. She
ran away from her home in Rathlague
Marysborough county Queens Ireland, il
l87 because her parents would not per
| nit her to marry dissolute lover named
John Hart. She had an uncle living in
Sullivan county, n. Y, few miles from
LackawaXen station, or the Erie Rail
way. She had just money enough, on
landing in New York to take her to hel
uncle's. She obtained work as a domes.
tic in Port Jervis family. She was a
girl of good character. and was much
liked by her employers.
In the spring of 1877 she took train
on the Erie to 90 to Lackawaxen to visit
her uncle's family. The train had near
ly reached that place when the locomo-
tive of train passing on the east-bound
track jumped the track when opposite
the car in which Miss Burton was sitting
and, striking it, completely turned ii
nj ha II t,l-
from the wreck unconscious. 1t was
thought she was fatally injured. Her
skull was broken so that the brain oOzed
from the fracture. She was taken to a
hotel in LaCkawaxen. Before a rhysi-
clan arrived so much of her brain had
been lost that her death was nOmentari.
ly expected. She remained unconscious
for seven days, when she revived. She
recognized objects and persons. The
Erie Company engaged the best surgical
aid to attend her. Her case was consid.
cred so remarkable that careful notes
were taken of its progress, and it was re.
ported in medical journals. In three
months she was able to continue her
journey. The company paid all her ex.
penses and gave her 81 900 in cash.
She returned to Ireland. Her lover
was still unmarried. She married him
| and resolved to return TO America after
two months stay in the old country
and bought tickets for herself AID hus.
band and younger sister. Her hus.
band had friend whom he was anX-
ious to have accompany him TO America
The two made up the story that the
friend. Thomas Foster by name, was be.
ing hunted by officers for violation OF
the game laws. This story awakened
sh paid Fosters passage to America
also.
On arriving here Hart was not able to
obtain work at once. Mrs. Hart paid
the way of the entire party to Lacka.
waxen, where she had hopes that her
husband might obtain employment. He
did not. Foster was also idle. The wo,
man supported them all until her little
fortune had dwindled to less than 500.
In December, 1877, she succeeded in
getting her husband work on the Erie
Railway. He was to 60 to work the
next week. The Sunday before that he
and his wife and Foster were out walk
ing. Mrs. Hart had all the money she
had left in purse in her cloak pocket.
Hart expressed fear that she might
lose it. She handed it TO him for safe
keeping. When she called her husband
to supper that night neither he nor Fos-
ter could be found. They had run away,
leaving the poor woman penniless.
For weeks she and her sister lived on
the charity of friends. Then they both
procured situations. Mrs Hart got a
position in Fort Jervis. She bad been
there a year when her head began to
trouble her Her sufferlngs became so
great that she was unable to work and
became destitute. She was but % years
old, and very attractive. In her friend
less state and despair she consented to
live with an employee of the Erie Rail-
way. He cared for her until 1880. when
she became mother, and he deserted
her. She became insane, and was placed
in the insane asylum, and her child be-
came a county charge.
After stay of nearly two years in the
asylum she was discharged as cured.
She procured work in farmers family,
and soon afterward took her child from
the county house. A year ago, never
having heard anything from her hus-
band and believing him dead, she mar
ried a young Irish laborer. They soon af-
terward removed to the fiagstone quarry
region near Hawley, Pa, where her hus-
band had obtained work. A few days
since he sent word to II friend living in
village that bis wife had received let
ter from John Hart, her first husband
whom they had thought dead. He had
heard in some way Of her second mar.
riage and her whereabouts, and had
written her from Colorado that unless
she sent him 500 at once he would
come East and have both her and hel
new husband imprisoned. she had re-
Gently become mother. The letter had
unsettled her reason gain, and she had
become a raving maniac. The poor wo.
man has been taken in charge by kind
hands. 1t is not believed that Hart will
ever present himself in the region. Ir
the present mood of the quaryrmer
there it is said that he would be sum
marily dealt with.