The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-07-19
THREE WANT ONE
Efforts of the Ferrigan
Sisters to Get the Young
est from Their Step
mother.
OF DIFFERENT RELIGIONS.
One Sister Arrested on a Charge Of
Slander but the Charge is
Dismissed.

The efforts of three sisters, Lizzie,
Mary and Rose Ferrigan, to obtain pos
session of their younger sister, Sarah,
from their stepmother, Mrs. Charlotte
Ferrigan, of No. 40 Sussex street, are at
tracting considerable attention. Two
hearings have already taken place in the
First District Police Court, and the JUS
lice, though inclined to favor the STEP
mother, is impressed with the determined
efforts of the sisters to break. down the
testimony of the witnesses whom Mrs.
Ferrigan brought forward to contradicE
the charge of i'll treatment and cruel neg~
lect on her part toward the youngest of
her stepdaughteTs. Another week was
given the three sisters in which to sub
stantiate their charges Both sides have
marshalied before the court a small army
OF witnesses and the testimony is some-
what conflicting. All the parties directly
Interested are Of respectable appearances.
Mrs. Ferrigan herself is the proprietress
OF thriving little grocery at the above
number. She Is large, fine looking
woman and appeared in court each time
appareled in black silk. and her deport-
ment has had much to do with strength
ening her side of the case.
THE FAIR PROSECUTORS
The stepdaughters, who are pressing
the charge against her, are young women
whose appearance is more than ordinarily
attractive. The two eldest, both of whom
claim to have been driven from home
several years ago by the mothers i'll
treatment, have since gained their liveli-
hood by working in Lorillardss factory;
where. they are now earning good wages
They are willing. to spendsasgood portion
of their earnings to obtain possession of
their younger sister and prosecute the
stepmother for the abuse she has heaped
upon her. Mary, the next eldest, is the
would-be prosecutor. She is pretty bru-
nette, dresses attractively in blue and
wears large spectacles. Her department.
in che hearings, though irksoine to Jus !;
tice Stilsing, has impressed the Court
with the eaF1estness Of her suit. Rose,
the youngest OF the three turned away
from home, Is a frail-looking girl of f1f-
1 teen. anfi dresses in white. AlFthree are
boarding with their aunt absNo. AZ York
street.
The would be prosecutor had scarcely
stepped'from the court Fopm after the
hearing yesterday when she was served
with a warrant and arrested, o4a charge
of slander. This grefgout ofiche alleged
remark made concerning @ doubt that
existed as TO whether Mrs.sFerriRan was
her legitimate stepmother.
The hearing was held before Justice
Lockwood yesterday, afternoon, Mrs.
FeTriAan 5 Witnesses f9iis5 20 put. II a.
appearance and the girl swore she had
too much selfrespecI and respect for her
other sisters to make any such remark.
Justice Lockwood dismissed the case.
Mrs. Ferrigan immediately crossed the
street and tried to induce Justice Doug
lass to issue a warrant for the girls ar
rest on the same charge. Mrs Ferrigan
was excited and the Judge told her to
come this morning and he would see
about it.
THEY DIFFER RELIGIoUsLY.
Both sides sdenylemphabically that relig-
N In wi IA nm Frai
Mrs. Ferrigan herself is Protestant, and
came over TO this country from the North
OF Ireland. She claims TO be q member
of the Protestant Episcopal Church
When she first came over to this country
she was widow with four children, and
has in her possession evidences of the
good character shebore in Ireland. She
stopped with relatives in New York
when she first came over, and there met
Mr.. John Ferrigan, whose wife had died
seven months previous. Mr.. Ferrigan, it
| is claimed, at that time was on spree.
He accompanied the widow downtown
one day on an errand. When he re-
turned he introduced the widow as his
wife. This was not refreshing news to
Mr.. Ferrigan's friends, who were staunch
Catholics, and It's probable that this has
something to do with the breach
between him and his relatives. Mrs. Fer
rigan has misplaced her marriage certiti-
| cate. She says she was married by d
Protestant minister at St. Paul's Protes-
| tant Episcopal Church, in New York, but
the minister now lives in Reckland, Ill.
| Mr.. Ferrigan takes little stock in res
| ligion. yet Mrs. Ferrigan claims that
while the child Sarah. the bone of conten-
| tion, attended No. / Public School, she
also attended ST. Peters Roman Catholic
| Sunday School. Mr.. Ferrigan's first wife
was Protestant, but turned Catholic,
and the three sisters who claim they
were driven from home are staunch
| Catholics. But they claim, in addition
| to i'll abuse, their younger sisters educa-
tion is being altogether neglected. Mrs
Ferrigan says she will fight to the bitter
end but just as soon as the matter is set
| tied she will put the child Sarah into q
| Prorectory at her own expense.