The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-12-13
May Esther Mead and Her
Sisters Bitter Attack on
the Guardians Of
4 Their Youth.
MTIsa FOR ABleAIL's SAKE.
Uncle Wanted to Place Her in
sharge Of Her Mother, Though
the Latter Was of Tn
sound Mind.

That there will be great many more
facts developed in the Mead case. II an
other examination win be had. there is no
doubt. The story Of Miss Mary Esther
Mead. which was exclusively told in last
nights JERSEY CITY News, created sem
sation on the Heights, where the young
women are well known. The girls ap-
pear to have the sympathy Of everyone.
They are accomplished and beautiful, and
their character is above reproach. The
story which Miss Mead told is believed
by all who know her. and the statement
of her uncle Is not given much credence.
/ found last night that what the daugh-
tiers reluctantly said about their mother
was entirely probable. / went TO Harri-
son and called at the house in which Mrs.
Mead Is stopping on Two different Occa-
sions, and was told both times that Mrs.
Mead was not at home. To learn if the
young women had anything TO say in
reference 10 their uncle's story. called
at the house again last pight
''How about that letter which your TN
Gle presents for publication, in which you
thank him so cordiallyTI asked of Miss
Mead.
NOT A LEGAL GUARDIAN.
1T Is only within the past month that
! understood his duties as guardian" she
replied. s'when he assumed the guar
dianship. he never was appointed guar
dian. thought that everything he did
for us was favor. We were brought up
so miserably and led such wretched lives
that days happiness or peace we never
knew. Having nobody in this world TO
turn TO thought that by giving my uncle
TO understand that we would appreciate
all that he did for us, pretended to my
4 relatives IN Newark that they were doing
asoinething for us, but in reality they
Fwere doing nothing. as any stranger
would have shown us more kindness
I'VE were left without a father or
brother, and the only one to take care of
us was an insane mother. We were
never allowed to enter the houses of any
of our relatives III Newark, and were posi-
Allvefy prohibited from passing their
sSsoors. tried every way imaginable 10
ishve something done for my mother, first
tnlarrelling, then. pleading, and finally
! NtteFy, but my uncle seemed bent on de-
nfFoying us. Lately, however, learned
pithere to lay all the blame for our trou-
Ees. Uncle Stats assumed the guard
i4anship and shirked all the duties. For
years we have quarreIled with our
mother. but TO her we bear no hard feel
ing, rs we do not believe she should be
held responsible for her doings.
1.-The World states that mother accom-
panied us In our visits to court, which is
Untrue. / claim that If my mother is
produced IN court IL will bear out what /
have stated in reference to her. My
uncle knows better than to produce her,
yet it is only on November 16 that l re-
ceived the following letter from Lawyer
Hnlse. OF Newark. who is my unclc's
COUNSEL
Miss Mead then produced letter which
was addressed to Abigail and read one
portion of it as folIows:-
ssHe (Ineaning Uncle Staats) placed you
in your infancy under the care of your
mother aud in her care he expects you to
remain until YOU are of age"
SAYS HER MOTHER Is INSANE.
''Now. claIm," Miss Mead continued,
"that my mother is not fit person to
take care of Abigail and nv mothers aD-
pearance in court is all that is necessary
10 prove my assertion. We have been
compelled to watch over our mother.
Uncle says that mother was respectable
when she married my father. His sister
did not think so. All that ask OF my
uncle now is that ne produce in
Court the woman in whose care he saw
fit 10 place four small children and let the
Court Judge. Some more of what we
have suffered at the hands of our uncle
will come ont in the trial AT present i
am not at liberty to state what that is.
1t is only last summerEthat Joseph Uncle
Stats brother said that Staats had male
q mistake in leaving us with my mother.
MY sister Essie died of neglect. She
went about barefootei in summer and
nothing was done for her when she was
i'll. She died OF congestion of the brain. /"
After leaving Miss Mead | went 10
Harrison. / found that Mrs. Mead
boarded with a Mrs. Lynch at No. 534
Harrison avenue. On both of my visits
was told that Mrs. Mead was not in.
While / was talking to Mrs. lynch a
low-sized woman. apparently about fifty
years old, peeped in the door and then
Withdrew right away. l asked Mrs.
Lynch If that was Mrs. Mead She
appeared confused. and stammered a
denial that it was. Mrs. Lynch's man
ner. however. made me believe other
wise.