St. Paul daily globe., 1888-08-19
INDECENT Irish Men and
Women Brought Here in
Bondage.
Threatened With Starvation,
They Eagerly Snap at Capt.
tails Glittering Bait.
Hundreds Of Them Herded in
Barbour's Mills at
Paterson.
Some Startling Facts Devel-
oped by Ford's Congress
sional Committee.

New YORK, Aug. 1S.-Chairman Ford,
of the congressional committee investi-
eating t1ie evils of immigration, opened
to-day's proceedings by calling to the
stand Ward Detective Michael j. Reap,
Of the Eldridge street police station.
Witness said he had been attached to
that precinct for number of years,
during which he had noticed the steadily
increasing number of Polish and Hun
g&rian Jews within the bounds of the
Eleventh precinct. At present they
abound in Ludlow, Hester and
Essex streets and in the lower
portion of the streets running
from Grand to Division street, east of
the Bowery. These foreigners, witness
said. are exceedingly filthy in their
habits. Home influence is wanting
among them. Numbers of them peddle
stale vegetables and decaying fruit.
They never attempt to learn English
Their living costs little. very much less
than the cost to workingmen of other
nationalItieS. They cause much trouble,
and sanitary officers are constantly in
their midst to insure partial cleanli-
ness. 1t is
DISGUSTING T. v EN- 10 TRAVEL
where these Poles and HungarianS con-
gregate.
Mrs. Jane Ryan, young woman en-
ployed in Barhour's flax thread mills, in
Patterson, \. j., was the next witness.
She came over with four other girls in
1885. When asked if her fare was paid,
she hesitated and said piteously: IF |
tell the truth Mr.. Barbour will not give
me any more work" Finally she ad-
mitted that Mr.. st. John, a clerk of Bar
bour'S, had given her a ticket in Ire
land. She had paid him back at the
rate of 30 cents per week after her arrival.
witness earned seven shillingS per
week at home. Here she earned $40
i'll two weeks. Agreed to work for Mr.
Barbour eighteen months. Worked
for Barbour from July, 1885, to August,
1887. Then she married and left the
mill. When she grew i'll Mr.. Barbour
offered to pay her fare home, but she
became better and did not go. About
100 girls came from the same part of
Ireland and are working in Barbours
lively that they came under the same
circumstances. Her passage was S15.
About 100 men and boys have also come
from Irelaud to work i'll Barbour's mills.
Kate kearney. a handsome Irish girl,
all employe of Barbour. testified that
she came here under similar circum-
stances to that of Mrs. Ryan. but would
not say that any agreement was made
about wages. When threatened with
Imprisonment for contempt
SHE BURST INTO TEARS.
and was led to another room to recover
her compOsure. Eliza Foster proved a
very frank witness, and Miss Kearney,
her eyes swollen and red from CRYING,
was returned to the committee room
that this witness might reassure her.
Eliza unhesitatingly told the COM
mittee that she came from Belfast, Ire
land. where she worked in Dunbar 81
McMaster'S flax mills being enabled to
cross the ocean by receiving a ticket
from McMaster. On landing here she
went to work in mills run by the same
firm in ,Greenwlch, Conn.,, and had paid
the cost Of her ticket in weekly INSTALL
ments. In Belfast she received Z shill-
1ngS and pence week, and in Green
wieh 1924 a fortnight. She worked in
Greenwich eighteen months and then
secured position in Barbour's mill in
Patterson. While there. in February
last, Supt. Seton furnished her with
to this country her father, moth
er, brother and two sisters.
and young girl friend. All, with the
exception of her mother, were given
work in BarbOur'S mills and are now
employed there. Witness left Barbour
employment and now is working in the
Dolphin works. Her father is
NOW PAYING THE DEBT
she incurred in bringing the family and
friend over here. Congressman Ford
now replaced Miss Kearney on the
stand. He told her of Mrs. Ryan's
statement as to the circumstances under
which she (Mrs. Ryan had come tc
this country. but Kate persisted
statement on the subject. She
said that before leaving Iriland Supt
Long had told her she would be en-
ployed in the Patterson mills in teach
ing hands the trade. Her wages are 81
week. Witness was asked if she had
not had conversation with William
Barbour in reference to bringing friends
OF hers to this country.
81 decline to answer" said the wit
ness.
Did you receive tickets to bring peo-
pie from Ireland?" was Mr.. Ford'S next
question.
Il decline to answer" responded
Kate.
And when the persons refused tc
come over here, weren't YOU charged S.
piece for the tickets?"
Again came, Il decline to answer
Witness denied that visit she had
made to Ireland was for the purpose OF
inducing persons to come to this country
to work in the Patterson mills. She re
fused to state whether or not the ticket:
she had sent to Ireland were used by
the persons for whom they were intend
ed. because
THEY WERE ''PAUPER TICKETS"
On returning from her visit home
witness brought her sister with her. The
tickets for this purpose were sent hel
by Mrs. Sarah Jane GeddeS, an employt
OF the mills.
After recess the committee to the
stand an 1riShman named John Muir
ply. He has been here for year il
the Patterson mills. He bought foul
tickets on the installment plan. One
he used and the other three friends O.
his used, who are now in Barbour:
mills. His wages are S11 a week. out o
which 81 are deducted to pay for hi.
tickets.
Sarah Fl. McGrOgan, another of Bar
bour'S employees, was next called. Sh
had purchased eight tickets of Seaton
but was not expected to pay for then
until her people arrived and had got t
work. Thomas Mitchell, a watchnIal
at BarbOur's mill. testified that h
bought nine tickets Of Seaton's agenc
for his wife and eight children. Fiv
of his children are employed at Bal
bour's. Every two weeks he pays s. o.
the tickets. The Investigation was ad
journed until Monday.