The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-01-12
A POOR GIRLS STORY.
Charged With Theft By the
Mother of the Man.
Who, She Says,
Ruined Her.
In A CELL AT SIXTEEN.
Driven from Home, She Charges,
By a stepmother's Cruelty,
She Has No Friend to
Help Her.
In A CELL AT SIXTEEN.

Alice Rawson, the sixteen year old
girl, who was arrested Monday last on
the charge of theft. languishes in a cell
in the County Jail, without friend to
help her. The charge was preferred by
Mrs. Verdon, of No. Park avenue,
Weehawken, whose son, Christopher,
twenty-six years of age, the child had
charged with an atrocious assault. for
which he had been arrested and Dailed
for the Grand Jury.
The amount involved in the charge of
theft is only about fifty cents, and in
cludes a few handkerch:efs and ribbons
found in the hat box of the child. Mrs.
Verdon said to Alics's stepmother
few hours before the arrest of
the child. that she had
warrant for the child's arrest. When the
arrest was made, no warrant was served.
and all efforts to trace such document
have failed. When O reporter of THE
JERSEY CITY NEWS last Tuesday night
visited Police Headquarters at Wee
hawken, no entry Of the arrest of the
child had been entered on either the
police blotter or the Recorders book. In
Weehawken every effort is being made to
about that the arrest of the child is a put
up job to get her out OF the way.
WHY?
Jailer Davis last evening refused to let
a reporter talk with Alice at the County
Jail He said he thought the matter was
being considered by the Grand Jury. aud
for that reason, did not deem 1t advisable
to let q reporter talk with her.
A SAD STORY.
The immediate events which have led
to this child's ruin may be confined in
this recital to within two weeks of Christ
mas, though In ract they might be traced
back to the day her mothers body was
ilv lived at No. 229 Willow avenue,
the neighbors knew Alice to be good.
hardworking girl, whose very life seemed
wrapped up IL her father, her brothers
and her sisters. Her stepmother she al
ways obeyed. though at times the many
whippings she received made her very
angry. Last summer the family moved
to No. 254 Second street, one of row of
dilapidated two-story brick houses. The
neighbors here were not OF the best, and
beer drinking took, up most of the time of
The women. One day, some two weeks
before Christmas, the stepmother chas-
tised Alice, and among other things, it is
alleged. spoke harshly Of her dead mother.
The girls anger, was aroused, and. in re-
taliatlon, she thraW a lamp Rr her step
mother For. this, an. awful fuss was
made. Mrs. Scnackel, the neigtbor up
stairs, was called down to view the
child's disobedience and assault. That
night, when the father returned from
work. Alice was declared fncorrigible.
and so the child was turned adrift.
The night was bitter cold, and for over
two hours the girl, not too well clad,
walked up and down before her fathers
home, sobbing bitterly, and praying to her
dead mother for guidance and protection.
Presently Police Officer John Kenny
came along from his post on Park ave-
nue. He asked her what was the matter.
Between her sobs she told him. His
thoughts went to his own childr n at
home motherless but a few short weeks.
The officer wei to the door of the house
aud rang the IL. He received no re-
sponse. He raped violently with the
same result.
.Poor child, have you no friends? Will
you come to the station house for to-
night" he asked her.
mo. no; not there; not to the police
station" she replied. sobbing ASH her
heart would break.
but you will be frozen if you stay
here. Come. now. tell me. don'G you
know anybody who will take you for to-
night?"
"There is lady around the corner who
was always kind to me- Maybe she
will"
And SO the two, officer and child. went
TO the residence of Mrs. Stain. No. 329
Willow avenue, where the Rawsons for
merly lived. IL is "a double tensmenT, four
stories heigh aud on the top floor lived
Mrs. Slain. They climbed the darkened
stairway and arousing the Slams, who
had retired, made known their mission.
The child was received and given shelter
OF this poor but honest old couple. Here
she remained for three days, trying from
time to time to return to her fathers
home, but always repulSed.
LIVING OUT.
II will go and live OUT she said. Mrs.
Slain gave her fifty cents. and with this
she entered her name upon the books of
Justice of the Peace John White, who
an employment agency at his
oIhce on Fourth street, between Garden
ana Bloomfield. She was overjoved,
Of No PARK avenHe, Weehawken, who
had applied to the agency for girl, she
was accepted, aud given ten cents to pay
her car fare back to WeehawKen next l
day, when she would begin her labors In
her new home.
She was afraid to go TO her fathers
home for her clothes, but lay in wait for
her younger sister, to whom she told the
story of her getting position, and whom
she asked to get her clothes. She waited
outside. and instead of seeing her sister
bring them out, she saw them thrown
out on the stoop. When she went 60
work, she promised Mrs. SLAIN the first
day she was allowed out to come and tell
how she got along.
Christmas passed, andaNew Years, too,
and Mrs. Slain, in her humble home,
often thought Of Alice. at the dinner
tuesday. January 8, she said she had
ireamt of Alice, and felt like going up to
see her. That afternoon Alice came b sck |
10 Mrs. Slams. The poor woman threw |
her arms around the child's neck, and
warmly greeted herr
'''And how do you like your place,
Alice?" she asked.
AT first / liked 1t very mucn." the
child replied, but not-not now. II left |
t today. Mrs. Slain, ana here's two dol |
ars the lady gave me- and there is an
other dollar in my hat box. / got for
Christmas present."
AS the child said this, she repeatedly |
sighed as y something were .wroag. Mrs. |
Slain noticed it, and closely questioned
he girl, but the presence of others In the |
.ooms prevented evidently the child from |
;elling her troubles, for when Mrs. Slain |
threw q shawl over her shoulders to go |
,ut to the store. Allie followed. and |
on the stairs, she told her story |
N effect. rs follows:-
A DREADFUL CHARGE.
At first she liked her new nome. She |
,ried hard to do her work right aud tue
lady was kind to her, aithoukh some |
lines she scoided when Alice tArried too