Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-05
SHE HAD HER WAY.
A Woman Who Wouldn't be Shipped
Out of Pittsburg by the City,
UNLESS SHE WANTED TO 60.
Very Discouraging Experience of City
officials Yesterday.
CHIEF ELLIOT BECOMES DISGUsTED

The woman whom NJ. J. Dean, the Super
intendent of the Antl-Cruelty Society, re-
moved with her four children to the Central
station Thursday afternoon distinguished her
self again yesterday afternoon. She refused
point blank to be sent to her home at Spring
Hill, Lawrence county. Her husband, as
stated in yesterdays DISPATCH, is at pres
ent under hospital treatment for severe at
| tack of pneumonia. The family has only
been in the city for six months, and during
that time has been leading avery precarious
existence. The police officials listened with
a sympathetic ear to her tale of priva-
ton and sickness and promised to aid
her in returning to her home in Law
renee county. To that end they sollc-
tied the attention of Chief Elliot,
of the Department of Charities, and
Examiner George Hoffman called at the
station house and heard Mrs. Sullivan 8
story. She told him that she had no further
object in staying in Pittsburg, her husband
being we'll cared for, and would be glad to
| get back to her old home.
Mr.. Hoffman at once procured tickets for
herself and children over the Pittsburg and
Lake Erie Railroad. They were to leave at
o'clock yesterday afternoon, and the patrol
wagon was called to transport the party to
the depot.
WOULD DO AS SHE PLEASED.
Everything was quiet until the depot was
reached. Messenger Pearson, of the Depart
ment of Charities, who accompanied the
family, stated on his return that as soon as
Mrs. Sullivan stepped out of the patrol
wagon she defantlY declared that now no
one had any further authority over her, and
that she would do as she pleased. One Of
her acts was to refuse to board the train for
Spring Hill. Messenger Pearson and the
wagon men endeavored to persuade
her to get on the train and sue
ceeded in getting her as far as the
ladies waiting room, but there she made
another determined stand, and said that she
would 60 no further. Mrs. Sullivan raised
the pitch OF her voice to very shrill tone.
About the same time she was approached by
a couple of ladies, who asked her what was
the trouble. They were apparently under
the impression that she was being wronged
in some way, an idea that was instantly ab-
sorbed by Mrs. Sullivan, who accepted the
ladies' sympathetic offices as the signal to
weep and moan in very loud tone. In
twinkling the party was surrounded by
crowd of at least 200 persons, who supposed
that something tragic was taking place.
Messenger Pearson was disgusted and
angry. He asked the depot attaches to assist
him IN getting the party on the train, which
they declined to do. He then wanted the
policemen to take them back to the Central
station, but they replied that their duty
ended with delivering the woman and chill
dren into his hands.
Finally, as the train was moving out of
the depot, Mrs. Sullivan concluded that she
would go, but when told that she would
have to take later train, she declared once
more that she would not go at all now.
COULDN'T BE MOVED.
All Mr.. Pearson's eloquence failed to
alter her resolution, and he retired from any
further attempts, leaving Mrs. Sullivan do
as she wished She said that she would 90
back to her sisters house on Etna street.
where she was when arrested by Superin-
tendent Dean, and the last Mr.. Pearson saw
OF her she was plodding along Smithfeld
street in the mud and rain, with her chill
dren at herteels.
to the Office he was warm and tired, and his
finely polished shoes were splashed with
mud. He explained the result of
his errand to Chief Elliot, who
brought his clenched fist down on desk,
and declared that Mrs. Sullivan should re-
ceive no further aid from that office. "She
does not belong here" said he, "and is
strictly not entitled to the aid we did ex-
tend to her, but if she refuses to go to her
home, and intends to become charge on
Pittsburg, 1 will apply for an order Of re-
moval from the courts, and send her away
by force. This practice Of other counties
that have no poorhouses or any way of car
ing for their people is getting altogether too
prevalent. Why, it is fact that it requires
more care and work on our part to prevent
undeserving outside persons from imposing
upon US than to attend to those legitimately
entitled to relief"
ABANDONED HER CHILDREN.
Mrs. Sullivan, after hearing the officer of
the Department of Charities, went to the
living, and throwing the infant on the bed be-
side its father, left both the children and her
husband, and was seen wandering around
her old place on Etna street, and was said
by the neighbors to have acted very
strangely.
The wretched husband, although scarcely
able to walk, got from his hospital bed and
took the children to No. 80 Pike street,
where he left them and they are now being
cared for until taken care of by Superintend-
ent Dean. The latter want in search of Mrs
Sullivan, but, although she had been seen
by several people in the neighborhood at
different times, he could not find her, and
said that he would not be surprised to hear
that she had made away with herself
The woman, if found. and the children
will be sent to the Lake Erie depot in
charge of the city police, who were refused
admission yesterday because they had not
the tickets and the family will be sent to the
Women's Home, near New Castle, Lawrence
county, the authorities of which, Chief
Elliot thinks, ought to be responsible for
their care and safety.