The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-01-29
HORRIBLE DISCLOSURES
The Rfett Examination Re-
veals mazing immoral
ity Among Children.
SEVERAL MEN INVOLVED.
How the Newark Flower Girl was
Ruined-Mary Williams
Story.

Tombs Police Court in the case Of Will
lam II. Rhett. charged with assault and
with abduction of Jersey City newsgirls,
brought to light state Of depravity
among the little waits who sell papers
and flowers at the Jersey City ferries.
The testimony Of the girls this morning
was of revolving nature. Besides conf
promising Rnett most seriously they in-
criminate Hoboken man, who is said to
be a collector, some man who has an office
In the Fuller building. this city.'and also
number of young men who are sup
posed TO be loafers about the ferry.
! There are three charges against Rhett
/ two for abduction aud one for rape.
\ The last of these was brought up this
morning The Society for the Prevention
OF Cruelty to Children, represented by
Elbridge I. Gerry, appeared IS complain
tauf. Mary Morris, fifteen-year-old girl,
ckeinp the victim. Ex-senator Thomas +.
otrady appeared for Rhett in conjunction
dqitn Lawyer Abney. Senator Grady
bked for an adjournment, which was de-
gtied.
4 The first witness examined was DIR. ].
Elif.on Edgar, of No. lis East Thirty-tifth
street, New York, the physician of the
Children's Society. He testified that on
January 26 he examined May Morris and
found she had suffered at the hands of
some man or men.
THE VICTIMS STORY.
Mary Morris, the victim, was then
called TO the stand. She was asked If
she understood the nature OF an oath and
answered affiT matively. She was then.
sworn and testified that she re-
sided at No 225 Mulberry street.
Newark, N. J. She has a mother
store. She has live in Newark two years.
Rhett was directed to stand up, and wit
ness was asked IL she knew him. She
said she did. and first saw him on De-
cember 5.
The girl had been selling flowers in
Taylor's Hotel. but business being bad
she went out on the street, and while
there talking to Katie Flynn, who wa 5
selling papers, Rhett came along.
She asked him IL he wanted to buy any
flowers. The time was about eight O'Clock
in the evening. He said he would buy all
She said she would If Katie Flynn would
they both went, and crossed the ferry
with him. On the New York side, al
Courtlandt street. Rhett hailed one
horse cab, and both girls and Rhett got
in He told the driver to go TO Seven
teenth street and Broadway. As the cab
,-sfsnt rRhett pulled down the shades.
The girl here hesitated, and when
pressed 10 tell what further happened
she burst out crying. saying she didn't
like to say 1t before the men present. The
spectators were ordered from the court
room. and she then told OF Rhett's as
saulting her. He gave her S1.50.
They did not leave the cab, sut stopped
at some saloon where the driver brought
diinhs to the cab. Rhett paying for them.
Then they drove to the ferry, and on the
Journey Mary changed seats with Katie
Fiynn, Katie being subject to the same
indignities as Mary. When they aot to
the ferry, Rhett gave them money to pay
their fare and then went away.
The girl was then cross-examined by
ex-senator Grady, who elected some
startling stories. She knew the girls
around the ferry. Katie Flynn and Mary
Williams were considered bad girls They
used TO ask men for money and also carry
on with the newsboys. They were also
familiar with men.
She was questioned as to whether she
was not also familiar with men. but she
positively declared she was not. She said
she never told anv one of her experience
in the cab, because she didn't think it
wrong The girls used to smoke cigar
cites; she did sometimes.
Ex-senator Grady questioned her
closely as to her actions, especially with
newsboy named Penny Hack. At last
the girl broke down and acknowledged
that another man had assaulted her.
ANOTHER WRETCH.
She said he lived in Hoboken and was q
collector. She mentioned his name. She
was introduced to him by Mamie Will
liams, who used to go away with him
often One night he met her on the Penn
sylvania boat going to Jersey City, about
Two weeks before she went in the cab
with Rhett, and took her on an Erie
street car TO a place where there were all
lois and only one house. There was u
fence in the back part and here the Hobo
ken man took her and assaulted ner- She
said she didn't mention the Hoboken
man before because she thought she had
trouble enough. Sne said there were
other Young men who used to 90 with
Katie Flynn and Mary Williams.
she said it was Saturday night she was
assaulted by the Hoboken man. He
promised to be over Wednesday night
following. but he did not show up.
KATIE FLYNN's STORY.
Katie Flynn WAS then called as wit
ness x-Senator Grady thought she did
not know the nature of an oath, but the
Court decreed she did. She was sworn
She said she was eleven years old and
lived at No. 43S Third street, Jersey City.
Her testimony as to the cab assaLlt was
in effect the same as that of Mary Morris.
AS 10 the Hoboken man, she said he had
assaulted her once before she met Rhett;
also that boy who lived in the rear
house of her former residence on Rail-
road avenue. between Brunswick and
Monmouth street. A man USED TO call
at / er home and buy her shoes and
clothes. He used TO sit her on his knee
and fondle her, but he never assaulted
her She, with other girls. used TO ask
for money from men and would go any
where with them for money. Penny
Hack and other boys were bad
She said she knew who the man was
who went to Wooster street. He was a
tall. slim man, with dark hair and NOUS
taches, and used to come over most every
dav for girl, whom she named. All the
girls knew OF il. but none but she ever
went with him. She said she stayed out
late at nights whenever she met the Ho-
boken man.
one Saturday night she said she and
another girl went up in an office in the
Fuller building, aud there man as
saulted the other girl to whom ne gave
81. She gave her fifteen cents. Mary
Williams told her that man used to take
her MARY Williams) around to yard in
York street.
She was asked if she might not be mis-
taken In her Identification OF Rhett, but
she positively declared she was not.
The examination of the witness was
Continued through the day. and develop
ments are expected which will cause sur
prise.
Hohoken's Democratic Committee
The Democratic City COMMITTEES OF Ho-
Hall IN that