The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-12-27
DENS OF MISERY.
Shocking Scenes of Filth
and Squalor Along
Battle Row.
TRYING TO TRACE A CRIME
Maggie Murphy Released. Though
She May Haye Welded
That Bloody Axe.

After thoroughly considering the mat
ter Justice Stilsing yesterday parole1
Maggie Murphy. the young girl who was
accused Of hacking Edward McDermot's
skull with hatchet on Christmas morn
ing McDermott had pointed Maggie out
to Patrolman Hsrrigan as the person
who inflicted the gashes, but when the
girl was arraigned he declared he never
saw her before. and positively refused to
make charge against her. The patrol
man did not see the assault and he was
unable 10 make the charge Meanwhile
the police are investigating the matter.
A reporter OF THE JERSEY CRY NEWS
this morning visited the supposed scene
OF the accident on the second floor Of one
Of the houses in Battle Row, Morgan
street Residents in the neighborhood
had complained bitterly Of the awful
earryings on in the house at the extreme
east end Of the rickety old row 1t was 70
this house the reporter was directed. It
is the home Of Mrs. Tracey. After climb
ing a rickety fight OF filthy steps
and passing several open doors
that revealed only empty and
unoccupied rooms. the reporter at last
came to door OF its hinges, propped up
against the frame of the Opening. A
wide crevice showed as the only article
Of furniture a rusty stove. with ashes
scattered over its broken hearth The
presence Of two inches of unpacked snow
that had sifted through the roof on TO the
second flight of steps convinced the re-
porter tnat the upper story was unoccu-
pied So he descended Entering the
next door he assembled TO the second
floor. There were no signs OF life on fhe
- q A - - -
was met BY shivering pup Through an
open door he saw two elderly women.
who sat hugging a stove. A stout.
rather proposing young woman was
busy arranging The scant furniture OF
the room. She asked whom the reporter
was looking tor and replied TO his first
question that this was Mrs. Iracey's
home
NOT THERE.
81 am Mrs. Tracey" replied the eldest
OF the two women at the store As the
young woman addressed her as "mother,
she was presumably Nellie Tracey. Mag
gle Murphy's friend.
Mrs. Tracey cut on the reporters next
question with
you're q reporter, guess. Want to
find out something about that trouble
said TO have taken place IN my housef
Well, II didn't. It was next door,"
This wayg" asked the reporter. point
ing to the east end--the deserted house.
.No. next door" replied Mr.. Tracey,
pointing in the opposite direction. III
djan't take place In here"
QUEER ADMISSION.
You saw McDermott when be was
struck with the hatchet. did you notf
| the reporter asked OF the young wou3an
HE WASH { struck wish u hatchet- he
came in our house drunk. We never saw
/ him before. / didn't see what Maggie did
TO him. I was out in the passage. But
he threw Nellie down on a bed. She
served him right. but she didn't hit him
with hatehet"
but the patrolman said he saw the
hatchet lying near pool Of blood
Hes mistaken. ! guess he hit his
/ head against something in falling r."
| At this tuncture the other woman sit
| ting near Mrs Tracey st the stove called
loudly for Mr. Somebody, whose name
! the reporter did not catch.
! Mr.. Somebody, who had evidently been
listening TO the conversation. stalked
majestically forth, with bare feet, and
/ told the reporter to skin" out
The young woman seemed inclined TO
/ tell her own story of the case, and her
temper was somewhat rufffed because
Mr.. Somebody had cut OF further con-
yersation.
s.But merely called TO see II this man
4 McDermott insulted the women folk"
| said the reporter.
/ .Well, you'll have to find out some
where else. Pm master here. and my
/ orders are to be obeyed."
| While there seems to be no doubt the
assault occurred IN Mrs Tracey's home
| It is posi- bic that the midnight orgies OF
| which residents in the vicinity so bitterly
complain take place in the old deserted
/ house on the east end, which accounts
/ for the presence Of q stove as the only
article Of furniture in the building.