The sun., 1894-09-17
MAHAFFEY'S CHILDREN.
CONFINED AMONG THE VICIOUS
AND CRIMINAL.
The OnIy Persons who saw the Murder of
Their hother-HudSon County Has Ne
Place 60 Keep Them, Except In jail.

Place 60 Keep Them, Except In jail.
Two Of tho children Of Edward Mahaffey, =
wife murderer, OF Harrison, n. j., are tho unfor-
tunate victims Of circumstances, which necessi-
tate their confinement in tho Hudson county
Jail In Jersey City. sheriff Toffey has endeav-
ored TO alleviate their plight, but he ia controlled
by laws which cannot be evaded. Mahafrey lived
at ala William street, Harrison. On Sept. he
came home intoxicated, quarrelled with his wife,
and, early on Sunday morning, he kicked her to
DEATH Joseph, the eldest child, who is IA years
old, made q noble fight TO save his mother.
Mary, his 11-ycs--old sister, saw the assault and
called in the nelghbors Both the children are
detained as the only witnesses Of the tragedy.
Hudson county has no place for their legal de-
tention except the jail
The children have been In this building since
Sept. 3. Justice Lippincott's attention was
called to the circumstances, and he instructed
Constable Neville to take charge of the young
sters and allow them 10 play in the Jail yard
and take exercise In the open air.
The boy was found yesterday seated in the
corridor OF ward in tho midst OF group Of
boys, nearly all Of whom were stripped to the
waist. He wGs called away from q game Of
cards in which he was deeply interested, His
lips are colorless and his body ia meagre. He
Attached 10 q string about his neck was a scapu-
lar, and on his suspender was pinned the badge
seph Michael Mahsffey. Since he has been per
proved. The constable allows him and his sister
TO play In vacant lot near the Jail, but does not
The girl, Mary Jane, is the notwithstanding OF
care OF a hall woman named Bridget. AS re-
porter stood % before the the grating yesterday
about broom In the presence Of the little girl.
The language used was unfit for her ears.
GT TsFe Sng sS
who boastcd that she turned man out of 'er
winder." The little girl is pale and her cheek
bones are prominent When she was at home
younger children while her mother earned .
living washing.
Every morning the man lets us play in the
First we rode on tho electricity cars; another
the depot and back"
oners and hears whatever they have to say to
another.
I'VE tell her to go away when we are talk
Ing" said one OF these inmates. There is,
however, +, nowhers % ere for her to go to unless she
Constable Neville takes the children out about
o'clock In the morning and keeps them out
until IL O'Clock. He intends to take them to
some places OF amusement in order to divers
their attention from the depressing Influences
of the Jail.
them. His mother called at the Jail yesterday.
but was not admitted. She did not ask to SEQ
her grandchildren. The three younger children
are in the care Of their mothers relatives.
that the children should be kept in jail.
I'VE are afraid they might be spirited away"
he said, "and as they are the only witnesses Of
the murder, we must hold them. l intend 70
provide separate rooms for them. We feed
them better than we do tho other prisoners,
give them exercise, and that is all we can do"