The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-04-27
Deserted by the Man Rose
Cochran Loved, She
Sought Refuge
in Death.
A PLUNGE INTO The CANAL.
Rescued by a Watchman and
Herded With Criminals in the
Second Police Court.

In the prisoners pen st the Second
Police Court this morning there sat a
timid, shrinking young girl whose clear
pure face. lit up by big Innocent eyes,
looked sadly out Of place amid all the
misery and failure that daily finds harbor
In police court.
In contrast with her face on one side,
looked out the small, unwashed face of a
horse thief, whose weeks growth Of
bristly beard and small cunning eyes,
lent vile expression to his countenance.
Upon the other side of the girl sat an old.
bent woman, whose yellow. wrinkly face,
blear eyes and silly leer, made evident
her league with sin.
The girl wore a blue calico waist, a
skirt of the cheapest description and old
buttonless shoes which stopped loosely
about as the girl moved her feet She
hung her head and her eyes were hxediy
Kept upon the ground; nervously sne
twisted her fingers about as her fellow
prisoners made derisive or sympathetic
comments upon her. Her look was hope
less.
She was slight In build, of a dark COM
plexion. with regular features. Her
name was Rosa Cochran, and her story
was one Ol dll6LupOcQ SulCiOt, % cetu d5
her appearance was forlorn. She had
been the victim Of q man whose name
she fatuitously determined not to reveal.
BAD MANS VICTIM
For long time, she says, this man had
sought her company, and over and over
had spoken OF his devotion to her. He
had always accompanied his VOWS OF af-
fections with pleadings TO marry him.
The girl was OF trusting nature, and
not much skill was necessary TO convince
her OF her lovers affection.
Thus quietly, uneventfullv their love
episode continued without marring event
or slanderous story. Their lives were too
humble to excite envy or arouse criticism
and If the unknown lover had been as
sincere and innocent as, his sweetheart,
their courtship would long ago have
resulted In happy marriage.
Like many other lovers, however, he
was a villain, and the unsuspecGing nature
of Rose, which might under any other
circumstances have been a charm, was
only an aid to his loose design.
In while the girl began TO mourn, all
alone, her indiscretion. She waited the
return of her lover, but it was solitary
vigil; he had long since forgotten her and
her only companions were her regrets
Last Wednesday she sought MIN out
and pleaded with him to marry her. but
he refused to listen to her, and she re-
turned home to brood upon her woe.
HER LAST REFUGE.
All Thursday and until Sunday night
she brooded over her unhappiness and
approaching shame and agony increased
as the hours wore away. On Sunday
night she visited friend in Lafayette,
but left the house soon and walked down
Pacific avenue towards the bridge. When
she reached the bridge it was nearly
eight o'clock and the canal banks were
deserted, the water looked quiet and still
and very soft and it was very dark, as the
moon had not yet risen.
The girl turned from the bridge rail,
and walked to the embankment which
she slowly descended. Then she walked
up the towpath towards the Grifhng 1ro
Works When about two hundred yards
from the bridge she stopped, and looked
fearfully up aud down the path, and over
toward the Pickering lights on Grand
street. Then holding her hands close by
her sides she shut ner eyes and leaDed
into the water.
When she came to the surface with her
hair clinging wet about her face, and the
brackish water of the canal in her throat,
Night Watchman Williams of the Griffin
Iron Works was upon the banks. In the
stiffness of the night he had heard the
sound of the plunge. and hastenea TO the
bank. He threw rope about the girl and
pulled her to the bank. When be drew her
out of the water she wept Historically.
She was taken to No. 297 Halliday street
where here clothes were changed and
then she was given in charge of Police
man Solomon, who took her TO the Fourth
precinct police station for attempting sui
eide, and this Is why she sat in the prls-
oners' pen this morning. surrounded by
examples of the meanest vices.
She was reticent when questioned and
refused to give her lovers name, but she
acknowledged that his desertton had
caused her to attempt suicide.
When Justice Davis told her he would
hold her until tomorrow, tears welled TO
her ewes at the thought of spending
another night in cell, and the kind
hearted Judge told her to wait in the
court room and he would endeayor TO aid
her.