The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-12-07
MAGGIE LBYDEN'S STORY
Substantial Corroboration
of John CliffoTds
Charges Of
Cruelty.
BRUISES ON HER BODY
The Girl is Now on Biackwelps
IsIand--Her Knees Sore From
scrubbing Floors.

In conversation with a reporter for "The
Jersey City News last Friday John Cliff
ford, the boy who escaped from Sister
Resale Grants Home for the Blind in
such sensational manner, said that a
girl named Maggie Leyden was confined
fourteen weeks in the room next to the
one he occupied in the home, and that he
understood that she had been whipped and
ill-treated. He also said that she had been
sent away from the home and sent to the
poorhouse. Inquiry at Snake Hill revealed
the fact tnat She was not in that institu-
ton, and after considerable difficulty the
News" located Maggie at the New York
County Almshouse on Blackwell'5 Island.
Through the courtesy of the Superfntend-
ent of that institution | was permitted
to see Maggie. She says she is % years
old, although she does not look more than
Is. She is short and stout and her eyes
are partially closed and badly indamed.
She sees well and apparently suffers only
a little from her affliction. AT first she
minded, but once having gained her con-
hdence her face lights up and she talks
nationally. Her memory both. for time
and names appears to pe good.
She was asked where she was before
she went to the island, and she replied
In Jersey"
Where in Jersey?" she was asked.
In Sister Roealie's Home,' was her
reply.
Asked if 1T was a good place. she said
1t was, and in answer to questions told
what they had for their meals Whatever
may be said of Miss Grant, if what Mag
gle says is true, she certainly fed the in
mates of her home well.
1t took considerable questioning to get
Maggie to tell why she left the home, If
it was such a good place, and she finally
corroborated young Clifford 8 story by say
ing that she was sent away for stealing,
and protested most strenUously that she
did not take the money. She said that
Sister Rosalie, as she called Miss Grant
all through, gave her fifty cents TO put in
the poor box of St. Patrick's Church. She
put the money in the box, but Sister Ro-
salie insisted that she did not, and told
her if she did not get the money she
to Father Carroll and told him all about
1t, and he gave her fifty cents. which she
took back and gave TO Sister Rosalie.
Nevertheless, Miss Grant put her in her
room and kept her there fourteen weeks,
as John Clifford said she did.
John Clifford said that he occupied the
room next to Maggie and the girl was
asked who was in the next room. She
After some further questioning she SO ID
that John Clifford was in the next * /
and slept with the adopted brother.
Maggie denied that Sister Rosaiie ever
had sad that she did. the girl declared
the Sister had never beaten her.
why that's strange, Maggie said the
superintendent, don't you remember that
when you came here you were covered
with black and blue spots, and that was
called to look at your
Maggie smiled a smile of intelligence
and said, "Oh, no, sir; that must have
been somebody else 1t wasn't me-
never saw you before
Don't you remember I was in uniform
that day; had on a. coat with brass but
tons gold lace2" Maggie still MAIN
tanned that she had never seen the Super
intendent before.
Then the Superintendent asked her If
she did not remember that her knees
were all sore when she arrived at the
Almshouse AT first she didn't recol-
leet, and then with the same knowing
smile she remembered, and said that that
was the night her knees were sore and
they became so by being en- them so
much, as Sister Rosalie made her scrub
the floors and stairs.
The Superintendent told me that when
the girl came to the institution she was
thoroughly examined by an attendant
who was so struck with the bruises and
sores on her knees that the Superinten-
dent was called in to look at her
Maggie said that she was in the Home
1lve years before she came to the Aims
House. That opened the superintendent
eyes, and ealing up an official he directed
eyes, and calling up an official he directed
had been in the institution that number Of
years she was clearly a resident of New
Jersey and not entitled to be an inmate
was of the opinion that some one had i'm
posed her upon the institution, and if he
could find out who 1t was he should have
the offender punished