The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-03-05
PHE WIDOWS FRIEND.
Ex-Judge Seymour's Appeal
to the Health Board-A
Lady's Compliments
-C0ntagi0n.

Jennie Wiley, the young woman who is
locked up at Eiizabe tn on a charge of kill
ing the six-year-old colored child. Pearl
Beekman. was once a resident Of this
city, aud her relatives and former friends
still live here. She tells q pathetic story
of how she was turned away from home
by her father because she persisted in
wanting to marry a man not of his ch oice.
She says that finding herself homeless
she was driven to a life Of shame to save
herself from starvation. She appealed to
her relatives for aid. she says. but they
refused her help, and she was finally
picked up by a woman who gave her food
and Shelter, gained her confidence aud
then tempted her TO lead a bad life. The
story is false on the face of it, for she
gives no reason why the man her father
objected TO did not marry her after she
had been driven from home for him. Nor
does she explain why all her relatives
took sides against her.
A reporter of THE JERSEY CITY News
saw a relative OF the girl yesterday. He
preferred not to have his name mentioned
in the matter, but he talked freely
about the girls career Upon being told
the story she had circulated, he said.
THAT is ali false TO begin with. She was
never driven from home nor did we ever
know that she wanted to marry anyone.
She went with the ball players around
here a great deal and think it is to them
she owes her downfall.
ION the night she left home for good.
she started OUT the door to go to a store
near by. Her brother cautioned her to
return in an hour, as the old folks were
out. You have been staying out too
much of late he said, be sure to come
back III an hour at the outside With a
toss of her head sne crossed the thres-
hold. We never saw her since. We
never heard of her again except through
outsiders"
"From her present attitude think she
is trying to gain public sympathy TO save
her from the gallows or a long term of
girl, put there was really no excuse for
her conduct. From first TO last it was her
own doing"
Several months ago Jennie was ar
rested in the house of Minnie White. a
notorious woman in Elizabeth. A num-
ber of white women live in the house,
although frequented only by colored men.
She served a term IN the county jail and
was released. After this, according to
her story, she tried hard to lead good
life. She obtained a position as a servant
in family at Linden, out was compelled
to give IL up. as the work was too neayy
for her.
She soon drifted back into the old
course of existence, and finally went to
live with a colored man named Beekman
as his wife. Beekman is a hard working
laborer, but he lives in bad neighbor-
hood in Elizabeth. 1t is for beating his
child. by a former marriage, that Jennie
Wiley was arrested. She says the bruises
on the child's body We're caused by a
blood disease, and were not the results OF
beating, as is claimed. She says she
did not marry Beekman because she
hoped to get enough clothes and money
together to leave HIM.
Now" she said with a sigh to re-
porter who talked with her, "there is no
place but the river left for me-"
Jennie still shows evidence of her for
mer beauty and of the good breeding she
received from her mother-that mother
that is now lying almost at deaths door
as direct result of Jennie's misconduct.
So sick Is she that her relatives carefully
Keep all newspapers from the house where
she lies, for fear the news Of Jennie's last
csc apade would kill her.