The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-12-30
A Swedish Mother and Her
Baby Boy Perishing in
HobOken's Shocking
Barracks.
THE RESULT OF A FAMILY JAZZ.
Sad Degeneration OF a Once Happy
Home-A six-Year-0ld's
Love.

dllapideted tenement in Hobokeu a Young
and prepossessing woman was found By
the police yesterday afternoon almost 1t
deaths door from cold and htnger Close
oy her side was her six-year-old son
moaning pite0usly. When the story Of
tne Woman's privations became known
even the s1oIid policemen were moved.
and when sne Was brouIht into POLES
Headquarters on a stretcher and the Gu
rious thong looked at her wan aud
pincned face. which bore silent testI-
moDy 70 the sufIeriugs she endured. theirs
were many tear-bedimmed eyes in the
throng.
The woman's name is Lena Olsen.
Three years ago she was q happy wife
with loving husband and child. aud
nothing occurred TO mar the comfort Of
their home until one night she quarrelled
with her husband aud ne left saying that
be would never return. II he could bur
see the condition Of his wife and child
now he would rue the day that he left
them to battle with the world
Days and weeks passed, and as no It'd
ings were received from the missing hlfs-
band, Mrs. Olsen was compelled to move
into humber quarters She managed 10
exc out an existence for q while. but
finally. finding that she could not pay the
rent OF even this humble home, she hired
rooms in what is known as ~Ihe Bar
racks" on Madison street.
This was two years ago. Since that
time until a few months ago Mrs Olsen
was prompt in paying her rent but then
she was Ill for time and she fell into
arrears. The landlord threatened to put
her out She begged that she be allowed
time TO pay her rent He refused and on
Sunday night when the Thermometer was
near zero the woman was hustled ont
with her boy clinging 10 her dress The
unhappy pair wandered about the streets
for awhile and then. unable 10 bear the
cold any longer, started back 70 their
former home
As they entered the hallway they were
met by one OF the other tenants It WAS
after twelve o'clock at night. but the
tenants IN the Barracks are not par
ticular about the hours they keep.
For Gods sake let me pass, . moaned
the half famished womau.f' have been
pat out. but must find shelter or Will
perish with cold-D
The poor woman then dragged herself
and her BOY 70 her empty apartments on
the first floor. Then they lay down.
mother and son, slowly freezing to DEATH
About half past four O'Clock yesterday
afternoon one Of the tenants happening
TO pass through the hallway noticed what
he thought was pile of rags In the
empty rooms He was about TO pass on
when he heard a moan. Then he went il
and sad spectacle met his gaze. Ly1n9
on pile OF rags was Mrs. Olsen uncon-
scious. Her little son was By her 81 le
trying to open her eyes The tenant
took ia the situation at =
glance and rushing out alarmed the other
tenants Policeman Hearn heard of the
case. and he informed Sergeant Fanning-
IL was rumored 81 first that the mother
and child were dead; but happily this Was
not true. The woman was speechless.
Sergeant Tanning, after telling the land
hat
ambulance. When it arrived. there was
a painful scene.
The ambulance attendants were about
TO place the woman on a strescher when
Henry, the six-year-old lad, screamed:-
You shall not take my mother away
The poor little fellow could not be made
to believe that mis- mother was going to
be well taken care OF. He saw the brass
buttons OF the policemen, and he thought
that his mother was going Co be arrested
He jumped at the ambulance attendants
and attempted to strike them Final
and kicking into the ambulance and the
door was locked on mother and son At
the station house the woman was placed
on strefeher in a warm room and DIR.
Simon was called He ordered nourish-
ment for her and this morning her conGi-
ton was improved somewhat She will
be sent to the Almsnouse together with
her son.
As ''The Barracks" referred TO in the
above story, the police said, was worthy
Of a description, a reporter OF THE JERSEY
CITY NEWS paid them q visit this morn-
ing. They are a row of six four-srory
frame dwellings at the corner of Madison
and Ferry streets They are in a terrible
condition and are said TO be liable TO fall
at any moment. The Railways are DARK
and an invitation TO crime. The reputa-
tion Of the buildings has been so bad that
none but the poorest class occupy the
rooms. There are IN all about fifty fauli-
lies in the houses. When I entered there
was sickening odor in the Railways.
The police inform me that Nights are OF
frequent occurrence there. The owner or
the barracks is II. Witte. When a tenant
is behind in rent Witte has Il novel way
of getting rid OF him without the usual
dispossess process He takes the door of
the apartment Of the luckless tenants and
freezes them out.
Boboken Notes
One Of the Grove street line Of cars
caught fire from an overheated stove in
the North Hudson County Railway
stables, in Hob0ken. early this NOR ming.
An excited stableman rushed in Police
Headquarters and wanted an alarm sent
out. The morning squad of policemen
hustled around 70 the stables and pulled
the blazing car out into the street when
it was totally consumed.
= William Hendiey, broker of No. 60
Je1 rsOn street. Aoboken, was arrested
by Policeman Weihe last night on the
complaint of Policeman Granelli, who
charged Hendley with obtaining money
undsr false pretences. The Recorder said
that warrant had been issued for Heud-
ley's arrest on March IS. but be bad for
gotten the circumstances of the case
The police say that Hendley induced
Policeman Granelh to loan him SIS and 40
security gave him bogus paid up life In
suranee policy. Hendiey was bailed IN
the SUM of 500.
An excited woman. who said she was
KITE Bowrne. Of No. S2S Bleeker street.
New York. created scene at the corner
OF Fourth aud Garden streets last even
ing. She had crowd around her and
was pouring all sorts of maledictions on
her husband, -Jim.n Detective DAWN
happened along and arrested the wonlan-
This morning her husband did not appear
in court and she was sent away for thirty
days
Herman Pruser and John Landcake
two well known sporting men. vera
thrown from sleigh yesterday afternoon
on Eleventh street. They We're not badly
hurt The horse and cutter belonged 70
Hexamer.
Hudson Circuit Court
Calendar Wednesday, Dec. II, 1saQ-Supre4e
and Clrcuik Court cases. No. -.
Ey order OK the CotrE
HEENI. Mol FIar.k