The evening world., 1890-06-03
KIND MATROA WEBB GOES,
SuCcoTer Of GOtham'S FrlendlsSS Waits
for Eighteen Years.
Her Resignation Handed In 60 tho
Police Board To-day.

The Police Board when IL met to-day heard
the following letter read by Chief Clerk
Ripp:
mn. Ronorss. 9oasd er Ioiies ce.-i..ts.... :
shall have served the Polios Department. a. hatrun
help as would 1iEhtsn my dutiss while DOING iull
justice 70 once, sdmonsh me that the time has
/ ithsfetors respectfully ask the Board 70 see
or y :. 4 sus II tss d sss Bo =
appoint my successor hs,PsSstYf1vIsy;nn M..,,,
Mrs. Webb will retire without . pensio
or compensation OF any sort, although she
ia tho widow Of policeman.
Mr.. Webb. who died some Ave or six years
ago, was mustered ont OF the service 10 ac-
ccpt tho Office of janitor Of the Central Office
building in Mulberry street at an increased
salary. Soon after the salary was reduced
below his old pay a. pntrolman, but the
loss was partially made up for by giving
salary OF s4oo a year to his wife for her SER
In surrcndering this Mrs. Webb loses all
claim on the Department that can only pay
pensions. to widows OF members OF the De
partment. F
Yet Il evor there was member Of the
Department, In an active sense, 10 In this
old lady, who is known to-day from one end
The tradition OF the Department that 10
never sleeps 10 syerihe.l In her person. The
nursery bell at Police Headquarters has not
during which the matron has been at her
post early and late. Old age has come with
an imperative claim for rest that will no
longer be disreEarded. L., 49,
dio. says Matron Webs. iihe il going to
her daughters house in Hsyerstraw to get
it and to enjoy her, remaining years in
fa Il n
brick manufacturer there.
Matron Webb, though nearing the seventy.
nJa e9ssS sSmfs sGs 81 as1s ss
Bordentown its name. Her maiden name
was Mary Borden.
a. the sgS pf dig htsen s she S married ATtn9gr 9
Morgan. He Lett her upon her death twelve
years later with five children two Of whom
are yet living; One, 4 son. u IN C9liiornis.
will make her home when on August 1b her
| eighteen years OF service are up,
1t was ten years after her FIRST husbands
| Webb. and some years after that when she
moved into the top floor rooms at Police
Headquarters which she has since occu-
AS As Matron she has enjoyed the confidence
OF vast number Of people and been reposi-
| tory OF somo startling secrets. AL OF the
foundIings picked up By the police and the
runawSyp, Young and old. whom New York
continually attracts. have been shattered
Nearly fifty thousand lost children have
gone mp and down the stairs TO the police
nursery. and some ., 900 waifs have kept
With sauaiIlng protests against the reception
accorded them by an inhospitable world.
Last year the number Of lost children
HtGnse1 ta we're ~ FOUND @ deiberatsly abandonsd in
sred ere IN the city; I 10 live and s2 dead bsSlss
we're picked up in cI the street. Then The number
greater fifteen and eighteen years ago. when
the city was not nearly rs big or populous n
The children OF larger growth made
Matron Webb more trouble. however.
Young stage-.truck women. some OF then
belonging to the oldest and be best va families
q friend and protector after the police :
tracked them, spurred on by anxious feia-
tiyes. Occasionally erring runaway wives
Tn The Oo onee S famous Mrs. Bergiyan. the
erratic wife OF q Philadelphia millionaire.
Was one Of the worst to mind and keep out
But the saddeSt. as we'll as the. most lAbori-
ous, OF the mAtron duties has been 70 mind
the founding waits that come especially on
from exposure. They come with scarcely
pretense OF covering against the storm.
One strong, live baby came IN z few years
il still at Headquartera. Matron Webb has
a little collection OF messages taken tTog
the waifs--they do not often come labelled.
and the collection is not larRe-Huch es this.
In a wumAns trembling hand; Take care
OF Johnny. for Gods sake, ean't"
She recalls only three or four cases OF .
mother having cTuelly abandoned her child
returning for IL in after years. One was that
OF a Young woman who. after leaving the
evidence OF her shame to the cold mercies OF
the world, married a wealthy mAnufactlrer
in another town, and in after wears. when
her marriage proved chilhless. came to Ma
tron Webb, confessed her sin and asked her
TO help lind her child. that she might
Hstron Webb did help her and by refering
to the date when the baby was diserted and
the locality, both OF which were photo
graphed in the mothers mind With dis.
hnctness the years could not etaee. traced
the waif to the number in the rank aud hlo
OF the homeless little army on Randall Ia
land.
Founding Asylum was written IN Iresh lnk.
dead, The stricken mother, desolAts IN
her wealthy home, cried out her sorroW on
Win Matron Webb one Of the pieturssaue
features OF metropolitan life will disappear
from the stage.