The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-05-17
Heartrending Discoveries
Of a Humanitarian
Among MorristoWn
Negroes.
A POOR LAME OLD HORSE.
But the Nretched Owners We're No
Better OF squalor and the
Shadow Of Death.
Special to The Sunday Morning News.

NEWARK, May l6. 159l.-Eecretar Ed
wards, OF the New Jersey Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, met
with q strange experience last week.
About year ago the Secretary was called
to Morristown to investigate a complaint
made against negro named Zeno kim
ball. Kilnpall had IN his possession q
very lame horse. The horse. apparently,
was not injured SO that it would not re-
cover, and as it was turned out to grass
nothing could be done except to warn
KimbalI not to work the horse until it
fully recovered. This he agreed to and
the animal was not disturbed. The So
cjetY has in MorristoWn particularly
active and wealthy mem Der In the per-
son Of Miss Elizabeth Almy Cater.
Miss Cater is Vice President Of the
Humane Congress of New JERSEY and
Is constantly on the lookout for cases OF
cruelty. She was In Morristown last Fri
day q week ago, and while crossing the
public square she saw q woman driving q
badly crippled gray mare. On examina-
ton it was found that the h0of OF the left
hind foot turned in so that the animal
almost walked upon the ankle joint.
Miss Cater requested the Chief OF Police
TO arrest the woman. Section 4. Of the
laws of New Jersey, relating TO cruelty to
animals, makes action on the part OF the
police of the cities imperative when called
upon by a member Of the society. Tie
Chief did not arrest, but ordered the
woman off the street, and she went home.
Miss Cater learned thai the woman con-
sorted with negro and lived on the
Basking Bridge road about two and a
half miles from Morristown. Her next
step was TO lodge complaint with Secre-
tary Edwards against the woman.
On Tuesday last the Secretary went to
Morristown TO inquire into the case. At
the depot he met Miss Cater, and the
two drove to the place where the woman
said she lived. 1t was on the Basking
Ridge road. about three-quarters Of q
mile from where 1t fntersects the road TO
Morristown There were two miserable
novels, and at first it was thought that
the hack driver had made a mistake, SO
Wretched were the surroundings. L. was
difficult to tell which was the dwelling
and which the stable, or whether both
were not stables. The two huts were
about fifty feet back from the road.
Four dogs Stunning themselves In front OF
the door Indicated the human tenement
A man was doing some repairing to the
stable, aud appeared very much discon-
certed when he was told to open the door
and Lead out the gray mare. As the man
obeYed he said.--t.Ihis mare Is ell right:
nothing wrong with her. We're going to
do all our blowing with her this spring
She's hog Eat now to what she was. The
mare was very thin in hesh. and so badly
s~.ffypIss2 that every step was torture.
While the animal was being inspected
white woman came out of the other hut
and Miss Cater at once recognized her as
the woman that was driving. the gray
mare in Morristown. When told that the
animal must be killed she began TO moan
and ring her hands In distress. She went
into the hut again and her voice was
heard for some moments in conversation
with some one. Presently she returned
and asked Colonel Edwards if he would
not step inside. The latter complied with
her request. and just as he entered the
door a sight meet his gaze which he has
not been able to get out of his mind since.
On an old broken lounge facing the door,
and within a few inches of an old-fash-
Toned cook stove, was negro. apparently
in the last stage Of consumption. His
hair was unkempt and spread out in
great mass over the pillow, making q
sombre background for an emaciated
face and pair or eyes so preternaturally
bright with fever that they shone like
Goals of fire. His hands and arms were
so wasted that they resembled the legs
and claws of some immense bird. The
flesh had left his face and the skin was
drawn tight over his cheekbones. making
them painfully prominent. A mass of
jet black whiskerS down on his breast
completed the picture
There was an instant recognition the
moment Secretary Edwards stepped in
side the door. He recognized the negro
as the man he had warned the year be-
fore, and the latter knew him. In a hoarse
voice, and scarcely above a whisper, the
negro said, you have come to take that
mare. That mare shsn't go way. I'll
cure her. PHI be up in a few days and
then l intend to fire her and bring her
around. gave Welch SO for that mare
when she was as poor as crow. and now
she is hog fat"
Here the woman interrupted him, say
ing, "She is not exactly hog fat, DEAR
ssShe's tat, anyhow" resumed Kimball,
land she'll get all right. She's worth
$40"
He was informed that the mare was not
to be taken away, and believing that final
dissolution was but question of few
hours, and ia order not TO distress him,
Colonel Edwards told HIM that il he and
the woman would promise that the mare
should not be worked until he (Kim BALL
could get around, she might remain, aud
no action would be taken at that time
Both gave this assurance. All the time
the conversation was going on the woman
appeared very solicitiouS lest Kimbail
should become too much excited. She
called him endearing names and stroked
his face and hands,
When they left the hut Colonel Ed
wards said TO the woman:-"I don't know
what relation you hold to that man inside
but | think it proper that You should
know that he will not live very long. y
Il have been afraid of that" she said.
sssince he refused to eat. Thele was two
doctors here about ten days ago and they
said they could do nothing for him.
The distress of the woman was evident
ly genuine and despite the miserable sur
roundings. and the strange and unnatural
between the woman and the
negro, there were traces of womaniy SEN
sibiiity in her conduct.
The animal in question will be looked
after and dispatched when the proper
time comes. Klmball is represented by
the people of Morristown as bad Mig
ger'' and one that it was dangerous to
cross. He has threatened to shoot on &C.
casions when he thought he was being in
terfered with. He has lived for years in
the same place and In the same hut,
which resembles nothing like what might
be termed habitatioD. Old rusted tin
taken from some house FERNS the roof. 1t
Is drawn across two horizontal poles rest
ing upon upright parts. Plain rough
boards nailed one upon the other and
Stats nailed over the cracks form the
sides. The entire howell is not larger than
six feet by ten, and where the woman
slept WAS a mystery In this wretched
Hoods ssrsaparills + on the fIooa tide 81