The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-12-20
MAY ESTHER WEEPS.
Miss Mead's Postal Cards
- Not Trumps In the New
. ark Commissioners
VERSUS SENTIMENT.
William F. Howe Flashes His
Headlight, and Does the
Pathetic in Vain.
The Defendant Attired in a Plum
Colored Dress Is Still Held
in Bonds.
4 VERSUS SENTIMENT.

Mary Esther Mead. of this city, had an
examination before United States Com
missioner Whitehead upon a charge OF
sending threatening and scurrilons postal
cards through the mails to her uncle and
former guardian, Staats S. Mead. The
most startling feature Of the proceedings.
at least to the few Newarkers who
crowded into the Commissioners sruffy
little Office, was the appearance for the
defendant OF William r. Howe, the great
criminal lawyer OF New York, attended
by the ever faithful Joe Moss. Even Mr..
Howe was not as startling as usual He
was arrayed In a quiet black suit and
was content with the modest display OF
one large diamond which adorned his
immaculate white necktie. Mr.. Howe,
however, created sensation when IL be-
came noised through the building who he
was.
Miss Mead was on hand early looking
prettier than ever She wore a tight
fitting own of plum color and a stylishly
trimmed sack, which she opened and
threw back far enough TO display some
of the graceful curves Of her ample figure.
The excitement of her position brought
slor 10 her cheek which rivaled the hue
the deep red rose which rose and fell
Miss Hattie's bosom. There was some
delay caused by the absence of Assistant
District Attorney Depue, but when he
fiually came In with large yellow
chrysanthemum in his button hole and
had removed the large blue silk hAndker-
chief with yellow stripe, which envel-
I oped his throat Mr.. Howe moved to dis
miss the complaint. His grounds for his
motion. he said. were that no offense bad
been committed under the statute.
Assuming HAT the defendant wrote
these postal cards." Mr.. Howe went on.
ssthere is nothing in them which gives the
Commissioner jurisdiction. as no offence
has been committed against any act OF
Congress. The statute under which this
complaint Is made" Mr.. Howe contin-
ued, tapping an open copy OF the revised
statutes of the United States, ''refer5 en-
frely TO different matter"
Both the Commissioner and Mr.. Depue
hastened to assure Mr. Howe that the
statute under which the complaint was
made was not in that volume Mr.. Howe
examined the pamphlet containing the
Jaw and said that he renewed his mutton.
Then Mr.. Howe took up the postal cards
and read from the second.
Il swear to you, uncle, before my God,
to whom you will have to give an ac-
count" read Mr.. Howe, and then went
ON in his most solemn aud impressive
tones:-
''There is nothing in that, Mr.. Com
missioner. 1t is true, and as true OF you
and me. no matter how good q Christian
life we live"
MISS MARY ESTHER wEEPs.
He contended tnat although the postal
contained a threat 1t was not such
threat as was contemplated by the
statute. He said that they could prove
all the allegations contained in the pos
tails, but they wished to be saved the de-
tails, which would be painful 10 all. 1t
was true that the uncle had baseiy be-
trayed the trust reposed in him in most
cruel manner.
This declaration led Miss Mead to bury
her face in her handkerchief and SOD
audibly, whereupon Mr.. Howe was
moved to renewed solemnity and I'M
pressiveness, and the picture he drew of
the poor girls struggling for existence in
a cellar amid the most sQualid surround
ings, under the care OF a lunatic, was
most hearlrending. He scattered gems
from the Scriptures and Shakespeare
about with q lav1shness which simply
awed the white haired Commissioner
and charmed the tears from Miss Mead's
eyes
Then Mr.. Howe passed on to the next
postal card in which the girl declares that
her uncle has been wrecking lives in a
wholesale sort OF way and declares that
she will wreck his as he has wrecked
those of herself and sister. He drew a
most pitiful picture of the way Mr.. Mead
had wrecked the girls lives mentally,
morally, financially, domestically, in
brain. in heart, in soul, and several other
DdFLlculaIS lut TeIutllUIdQCc Ol WniCll
brought tears to the eyes of both Miss
Mead aud Miss Hattie.
The next extract from the posfals COM
mented upon WAS the one which asks the
uncle why iie refuses TO see the girls, and
warns him that many men more powerful
than he have been laid low. That, Mr..
Howe declared. was trueism, not a
threat, and he referred to many Instances
where mighty men of the bar, pulpit and
stage had heen laid low, aud he referred
eloquently 10 the case OF Mr.. Parnell.
Then, sinking his voice to the lowest point
District Attorney
II ask you in all charity--for you are
more than the Prosecuting Attorney. you
are the guardian of the p ople-that this
the victim of most cruel wrongs. Let her
aad her uncle fight it out in the civil
courts. am an old man with but a few
years TO live. In cases OF this kind /
would like to drop the role of the attorney
and become u friend. This is matter 1
would gladly drop aud be spared the
pain OF going into the details"
As MIR. Howe spoke a stiffness like that
of the tomb flied the place. broken occa-
sienally by the soos of Miss Mead who,
Notwithstanding all of Joe Moss bland
ishments. refused TO be comforted
MR. HOwE's ELOQUENcE IN VAIN
Wnen Mr.. Howe's impassioned elo-
Quence finally ceased Mr. Whitehead
denied his motion, aud ordered the case
10 proceed. Mr.. Mead who missed all
this eloquence. being concealed ia an adj
Joining room, was then called. When he
entered the room the Misses Mead turned
up their pretty noses and laughed at him
derisively but nervously.
He swore that he had received the pos
tai cards and that they We're with few
exceptions in Miss Mary's handwriting.
Al every question Mr.. Howe sprung mis-
old gag OF Il object. because it is incom-
petent and irrelevant" and every time he
was overruled he would murmur In lis
biandest manner 'sallow me the benefit OF
an exception, please"
See here, that won't do any good
here" said the Commissioner, after Mr..
Howe had murnured for the thirtieth
tiuse, There is no writ of error from my
rulings"
spite Of Nh. Howe's objections testified