The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1890-12-03
SAD THANKSGIVING.
MRS. REAKDOS WATTS BY
HER DEAD HUSBANDS
BODY.
The Father Died of Broken
Heart.

The Father Died of Broken
| Heart. &
/ .gm New York Star
Mrs. Elizabeth Reardon Of No
20 Skillman avenue, Brooklyn,
appeared in District Attorney
Ridgway's Office on Tuesday
She was dressed in deep mourn.
ing. and asked to see District
Attorney Ridgway personally.
She was evidently suffering in
ternally and her frame shook
with sobs. One of the atten-
dants of the office remember the
woman as the mother Of u noto.
rious burglar named George
Reardon, who is at present serv.
ing a ten-year term for burglary
in Crow Hill Penitentiary.
Mrs. Reardon, who is a res
pectable woman, was in court
during her sons trial, and she
spent all her savings and used
every effort at her command to
obtain his acquittal. Judge
Moore, before whom the case
was tried, noticed the mothers
constant devotion, and when he
was sentencing the son, said he
was. prompted on her account
to treat lin leniently, but the
case had been made so strong
against him and he went about
the execution of the crime in
such a premeditated manner,
that he felt compelled to apply
the fully penalty of the law.
When he pronounced sentence,
Mrs. Reardon swooned and was
carried from the courtroom un-
conscious. I
Reardon's father never got
over the shock. He became an
invalid, and four months ago
was compelled to leave work,
He continued to decline until his
death took place on Monday
night. Young Reardon had
then spent over a year in Crow
Hill, serving out his sentence.
1t was for the purpose of secur..
ing a permission from the Dis
trict Attorney for her son to
take a last look at the body of
his father, whose gray hairs he
had brought in disgrace to the
grave, that the poor broken
hearted mother applied to Mr..
Ridgway.
When she entered his office
Tuesday in her widows weeds
Mr.. Ridgway knew that the
poor woman had received a sec
ond affliction. He passed a
chair to her. She thanked him
for his kindness, and drawing
aside her heavy black veil, ex-
posed a face that bore traces of
the most acute suffering.
Il don't come now for my
sons pardon" she said. IL come
to get permission for his tenn
pory release to enable him to
see his dead father"
District Attorney Ridgway
told her he would do all in his
power TO grant her request, but
as her son was now entirely be-
yond his jurisdiction, anything
he could do now would only be
what his influence in that direc-
ton would bring about. He
thereupon wrote a note to Chief
Clerk Short of the Department
of Charities and Correction, in
which he asked him to use his
influence in securing the TEN.
porary release of George Rear.
don, a long-term prisoner"
Armed with the note, Mrs.
Reardon loss no time in reach
ing the office Of Chief Clerk
snort. That genial official lis
tened 10 her sad tale, and. after
reading the note, he hastened
to place the matter before the
Charity Commissioners, who
acted upon itpromptly, and sent
Mrs. Rcardon away with their
permission granting her sons
relqasc. 40 that he could see his
fathers body.
The poor woman went home,
Her husbands was to be buried
Wednesday and she calculated
on having her son view it on
Thanksgiving eve. Two keep
ers were to accompany ReardOr
to the home from the Peniten
tary and after taking a last fare
well. he was ~ be at once con
duced back to his cell. Thi:
had been all arranged by th,
| Charities Commissioner, bat th,
plan was never carried out
Warden Patrick Hayes Of Grow
IHill received unofficial word o.
the action Of the g Commissioners
and he at once protested agains
allowing Reardon TO leave th,
prison.
at is against all rulss Of thi
L sl Ia. Z