The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-03-18
NAKED, COLD 4 HUNGRY.
Sad Condition Of Mrs. Trim
let's Three Children.
A MOTHERS FALSE PRIDE:
The Father a Drunkard and Out
Of Work--Charity Begins
at Home.

dt fi0mes
1t is not surprising that Justice Still
sing, whose name, by virtue of his long
term of Office as police magistrate, has
become associated with terror to evil
doers in this city. remarked this
mornIng:-"f the churches would send
less money to heathens in foreign lands
and bestow their energies upon the heath
ems at home, their efforts would be thrice
fold blest."
An incident transpired in that Judges
court this morning that battles the theo-
ries of the keenest students Of human
nature
In the prisoners pen stood q middle
aged woman with as noble APP
pearance as ever graced the form
and address of queen. Report
says she was attired in borrowed habili-
ments. Certain it is the sombre mourn
ing. apparel of the prisoner had nothing
to do with the grace that adorned the
Grecian profile of the woman who stood
before the stern, yet soft hearted judge,
accused of cruelty to the ragged, half
starved children who played about the
feet OF the magistrate She was Mrs.
Ellen Trimlet. of No. no Warren street
Poor Master Hewitt informed his
Honor that his attention had been called
to the miserable condition of these three
children by a clerk in the employ Of Mat
thiesen & WiecherS, of the sugar refinery,
whose duty it was to collect the rents oi
certain properties owned by that firm.
The clerk, Mr.. John Bender, said he had
called q number of times during the past
week to collect the rent. Each time he
found the three little ones alone in the
two rooInss on the top floor Of the three
story brick building mentioned above.
shivering with cold and suffering with
the pangs of starvation. None of the
three looked as though they had been
washed or their ragged garments
changed in many months.
THE CHILDREN.
The youngest, Maggie, a little threel
year-old. was barefooted; and a dirty.
ragged, ill-fitting cloth dress, with many
rents In it, was all that protected the frail
form from the piercing drafts of cold air
last weeks storms The eldest boy,
Tommy, a bright witted little fellow OF
nine years, acting on the principle that
self-protection is the first law of nature,
had appropriated the only pair of child's
shoes available, and little Maggie's feet,
hands and cheeks were blue and pinched
with cold.
Yet in the depth of his little selfish
heart there was stirred feeling of pity
for his suffering sister, and he gathered
some straw and rags and paper and
kindled fire on the top of the ashes in
the stove. There were no clothes on the
bare bedstead that would afford suffi-
cient warmth to the three shivering
forms. Harry, a five-year-old. helped
Tommy gather the scraps of fuel
Such was the condition of m tiers when
Mr.. Bender entered the apartments one
stormy day last week. he searched the
pantry and found no article of food He
purchased fuel and a bag of cakes and
made the little ones happy. Then, in ac-
cordance with instructions from his super
intendent, he reported the matter to
Chief Murphy and Poormaster Hewett.
These officials visited the premises and
found matters far worse than even Mr..
Bender had pictured.
On the stand this morning Mrs. Trimlet
said she married James Trimlet eleven
years ago in st. Peters Church. Drink
had always been his curse. He was an
engineer. Four months ago he was dis
charged and had not done a stroke OF
work since. He was addicted to drink
and drank up a large portion of the
and ironing for relatives from whom
she, with false ideas of pride perhaps,
withheld the true condition of her pow
erty She did not wish her children to go
to The almShouse. She was trying TO save
enough to put them under the care and
training of the Sisters of Charity.
TOO TIRED TO WASH THEM.
In answer to Judge Stilsing's question
as to why she neglected even to wash her
children, she said when she came home
from her work she was always tired, and
tried as far as possible to avoid her hus-
band who often locked the door upon
her.
Nine-year old Tommy pulling his.
scant attire closer about him,
climbed into the witness chair. His
answers TO the judges questions were
honest and bright. He corroborated his
mothers story in every particular, except
| to give away what the mother had tried to
reveal concerning the fathers demand for
beer money.
| Justice Stilsing was puzzled as to what
| disposition to make of her case. Her
| husband she said, after being four
| months out of work, had secured job as
engineer on uugboat yesterday. The
ragged little haxen haired Maggie tod
| doled over to where the mother stood in
| the prisoners pen and the mother
| brushed the wayward tresses from the
| dirty forehead and dropped tear upon
| the cheeks of the little upturned face.
| Harry entered the prisoners pen and
| threw his arms around tine noble looking
woman's waist Tommy was telling the
| Judge that he liked his mamma better
| than his papa, because his papa beat him.
The children, against the mothers pro-
| test, were given over to the charge OF
| Poormaster Hewitt. Mrs. Trimlett was
| remanded till tomorrow morning.