Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1890-12-04
BRIDGETON N ]. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1890

McComber and her two children were
ushered into the Shefiff's office.
Mrs. McComber wrapped her arrIs
about her children and refused to 81
low Mr.. McComber to touch either of
them, although that gentleman plead
ed with them to come to him, telling
them he would take the best care of
them. Mrs. McComber said her hus.
band could have the boy but the girl
never. A PIONEER reporter, who was
present asked Mr. McComber if he
was the father of the little girl, and
with tears in his eyes he answered.
yes. Mrs McComber broke in i'm
mediately and said, you don't know
that. You had better prove it."
Jail Warden endeavored to persuade
the woman to give up the children,
but she refused. The reporter turned
to the little girl and asked her name.
The little one lisped out Mabel
Jones'" What" cried the astonished
father and husband, ''have you chang
ed their narnes?n To this the woman
did not reply.
Finally Mr.. Morris took the little
girl from Mrs. McComber, and ushered
that female to the women's corridor.
Hardly had she got in the Jail door,
before the children turned toward
their father, and the reporter asked,
"Johnny is this your papa?n and Ma
bel don't you want to go with papa?"
and both rem to hin, and the great
strong man burst into tears and with
head bowed over the children, strong
ly embracing them, he sobbed, THANK
God, they are my children, they know
their papa, they know their papa"
The reporter then took Johnny and
tbs little fellow the following
story without any hesitation or any
prompting:
After Mr.. McComber went to Clay
ton, Hank Smith came to the house
in VinelaEd, and sold furniture, and
took his mamma and the children
| away, coming to Btidgeton. Here
they got house, and his mother made
both children change their last name
| to Jones. Smith, she made them call
! papa. The li5Sle syslow said Smith
was not good to him, ''jawing'' him
terribly. Smith was good to Johnny's e
mamma, however, the boy telling the
reporter, that Whenever Smith was st
home, he would bold his mother in his
lap, and hug and kiss her. The boy
| also said that Mrs. McComber and
Smith roomed together.
Little Mabel told the reporter almost
the same story, while the grief strick-
en- husband stood by with tears rolling
down his cheeks. At night, Mr.. Nc
| Conber took his little folks TO the
Central Hotel, where they remained
| until the hearing this morning.
Mrs. McComber had not been in
Jail long, when she discovered that
owing to q brick being out between
one of the cells in the women's oorri.
dor and the mems, she could converse
with Smith, and they were soon talk
| ing over the events OF the day. The
Jail officials soon caught on, however,
and the cell doors were locked, and
Mrs. McComber threw herself down on
the settle near the stove and awaited
developments. She told Jail Warden
Morris she was twenty-nine years old,
and was born in Wisconsin,. The
woman is not comely, being tall, with
unkempt hair, and brazen face. Her
manner is unladylike, and she snaps
every one off who speaks to her. She
said she wanted something to eat, but
when she learned the pris on fare was
bread and molasses, declined to in.
dulge.
Smith is but twenty-fcur years old
a raw boned young fellow with small
dark moustache He seemed to care
little for the predicament in which he
was placed.
The hearing was held Tuesday morn
ing, when the story as related above wa.
developed, and the guilty pair were
each held in $500 bail for their appear
ance at Court.
Close OF the Season tor ktllfns
| Deer.
The season for shooting deer in New
Jersey closed on Sunday. Many O.
these tieet.footed animals we're killed
during the month just passed. The
deer, it is said, were never known tc
be more plentiful, and for the past
week the woods in Atlantic county
were alive with gunners. One hunter
Larner Duberson, Of Mays Landing