New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-21
. BOY'S REMARKABLE STORY.
vc HIS sTEPFATHER TRIED TO DROWN HIM
srrNs TO HAVE BEEN THROWN OFF
pMDGE INTO THE PAssMC RIVER
THE MANS DENIAL

THE MANS DENIAL.
,.hn " O'ConnOr, ffty-six years old, boiler
~, employed in the Pennsylvania Railroad
'sors on the meadows. and living at NO. lH
s1rnsvst. snY Paterson, n. j. was sent TO Jail yes.
- bv Recorder Stewart without bail on
-. of attempting to murder his six year-old
Ian Ernest Berry by throwing him from
-. into the waters of the Passaic River at q
,"..iv spot in the suburbs three miles from his
w. The bright little fellows story, as told
~ court Yesterday morning excited the utmost
nr,athy and horror. About half-past
'..,nck on Saturday night, David Alyea, young
~ living on the Bergen County side Of the
',v.r was driving toward his home from Paterson,
.rd approaching the Fifth-ave. bridge, when
.ar driving in an opposite direction told him
,,.re was q little boy the abutment of the
b,age who said he had been thrown into the
liver Alyea stopped on the bridge, heard groans
.,d looking down, could see dimly by the light
A. the rising moon, a child on the edge Of the
,hu,ment. Alyea took the reins off his
borse. made a slip knot and threw
u. end down 10 the child telling him TO
m. II under his arms. The little lad, with Won
s,rful presence Of mind and intelligence for his
vssrs. obeyed and was hauled up on the bridge.
pis clothes were soaked. and his teeth were chat
,.ripg with cold. He was taken to Alyea's house,
warmed dried and cared for. Then word was
sn, to Police Headquarters in Paterson, and the
ambulance took the boy to the station house, where,
after the city physician had examined him, the
little fellow told his story to Captain Bimson.
, The boy showed himself wonderfully bright and
lovsble. and his story agreed exactly with the
on. which he told to Alyea after his rescue, the
one which he later told in the hospital and again
In court yesterday morning, four times in all
aMr OConnor told ma" he said, he was
fOihg to take me for walk After we got out
Of the house Mr.. O'Connor told me to run back
and tell ma was going instead to sit with Minnie
while Minnie's father and mother went down.
town. THE Minnie referred to by the boy is
The daughter of OConnOrs son, David) when
got back to Mr.. O'Connor he said he was going
70 take me for walk to buy some pigeons. We
walked long way, till was very tired, and
when we came to an iron bridge he lifted me up.
lie said: You are quito heavy and then he
threw me In the water. don't know how L
got out"
When the boy was asked if he would sign
bis name he said he could write Ernie, and he
took the pen and wrote the name in plain letters.
Then he was sent TO ST. Joseph's Hospital
Policemen went to O'Connor's house There
their wraps to go to David O'Cohnor's TO bring
Ernes. home. Mrs. O'Connor was under the
belief that her boy was there, as her husband had
told her So This was about 10 o'clock, and
OConnor had been home half hour. 1t was
half-past Z, according 10 the mother, when he
eft the house with the boy. The police took
0Connor and his wife to the police station, where
O'Cennor gave such a story TO account for every
minute Of his time since he had left his house that
the uolice were for time almost shaken in their
belief In the boy.
o'oonnor positively asserted That Ernest haa
left him to go, as he supposed, TO David OConnors'
shout four blocks from his home. The ponce
captain and some officers went with the mothcr
10 the hospital and questioned the boy again.
Although drowsy and half-stupid with morphine
Ne repeated his story exactly. So O'Connor was
locked up for the night. and yesterday morn
ing was committed to jail, after the child had
told Lis startling tale in court. The poy was
then sent home with his mother
Mrs. O'Connor says her husband lost his former
wife about three years ago and married her iaS1
Nav He had never abused her or the boy, Out
hsd made their life unpleasant. lie failed 10 pro,
vide enough money for her proper support, "Iu ~
was gold and neglectful. AS FOR the poy, iIS ns
seemed to hate him He would refuse the clhiu
asecopd piece of bread and would speak so roughly
70 him that the child learned to hlde away l Wnei
he heard his stepfather coming. NIB O,SornO
has the reputation of being sober ana 1hdubuIous
man He has several grown children ny TWO
former wives and a son, who is serving term IN
States Prison for forgery peculiar clrcuhs%taSlce %
is that OC Connor had his shoes nicely blacked when
lie returned home on Saturday night, Wmch! ms
wife saws was not his custom. This looks as II ne
might have wanted TO Obllterate the traces ol hls
long and dusty tramp in the suours'