The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-07-12
AGGRESSIVE FAMILY.
George and His Step-ma
Tangle Each Other Up
With Jersey City's
Finest.
SHORT sTop FOR A GEORGIA TRIP
January and August QUARREL
About a July Outing and the
Custody Of May.
SHORT sToP FOR A GEORGIA TRIP

Morgan " Gress of Kramer, Georgia, a
pretty suburb of Atlanta, was arratgned
before Police Justice Nevin this morning
to answer a charge of abduction preferred
against him by his step-mother, Mrs
George v. Gress. The prisoner was a
tall handsome well dressed fellow. about
IS years old, with smooth face and every
inch a gentleman. The child he was ac-
cused of abducting was his ten yeas old
step-sister, May, bright sweet little girl
Mrs. Gress was tall, dark and ususually
pretty woman, exceedingly stylishly
dressed. Her husband, man much older
than she, was of medium height, broad
shouldered and attired in neat fitting gar
ments. The appearance of the quartet
showed them to be wealthy.
From what the police have learned, Mr.
Gress is lumber merchant. His busi-
ness is in Atlanta; his home is at
Kramer The arrest of his son was
caused at midnight on Saturday by his
young and pretty wife.
The Southern Express over the Penn
sylvaria Railroad which draws out
shortly after midnight was in readiness
to start when Morgan Gress accompanied
by his little step-sister boarded it. The
trainmen were attracted by the pretty
child and watched her until she disap-
peared on the train. Scarcely. had the
couple passed through, when four people,
among them Mrs. Gress, put in an appear
ance. In an excited manner the lady
INQUIRED if anyone had seen a tail man
with a young girl pass through. Train
men replied in the affirmative and
directed the woman to the Southern Ex-
press. She dashed through the gates out
| on the platform and was quickly aboard
| the train.
No trouble was experienced in finding
| the young man and child. They were
| comfortably seated in a parlor car, walt
| ing for the train to draw out. The ap-
| pearance of Mrs. Gress did not at al
| disconcert the young man.
| YOU are an abductor, Mrs. Gress
| shrieked. "You are stealing my child!
| Turning to the girl, Mrs. Gress dra-
matically exclaimed, They shall not take
! you from me, May, my child.
! Seizing the child in her arms, she was
I about to leave the train when her step
| son intercepted her.
| Not SO fast my fine lady he re-
| marked calmly. s.Father has placed May
in my charge and I am going to take her
| home.''
You are going to do nothing of the
| Sort was the prompt reply.
| well, she won't go with you anyway
! replied young Gress.
| A hot discussion followed. Conductor
| and trainmen looked en- in surprise, not
! knowing exactly what to do. The train
! had been delayed five minutes already
| by the disputants. and the conductor
! finally advised them that they would
| have to get off the train and settle their
| troubles. This was satisfactory to young
| Gress He left the train, keeping tight
| hold on the chi3d's hand, who, however,
| showed little disposition to go to her
| mother.
| In the waiting room, the excited people
| attempted to explain the situation to De-
| tective Thomas Kelly. He finally sug-
| gested that the party adjourn to the
| Gregory street police station and explain
| the case. Carriages were engaged and
| the party repaired to the station house.
| Sergeant Reinhardt, who was in charge,
sent for Captain Farrier
| Mrs. Gress was wildly excited and in
sisted upon the Imprisonment of her step
son, declaring that he was an abductor.
The young man Protested his Innocence.
\ charge of abduction was entertained
! Gress was not put in a cell. Robert Mur-
ply coming to his Tescue s6 with a. suitaolle sui ale
on the express condition that she should
1 not leave the city until this morning. She
/ went at once to the Hotel Washington
and remained there, refusing to see any.
/ one. Morgan Gress procured rooms at
l Taylor's Hotel and took. the child with
| him, promising to be on hand bright and
Immediately after his arrest he tele-
| graphed his father. who was in New
| York. He also hurried to this city and
procured rooms at Taylor's Hotel. He ex.
| planned yesterday to the police that if
! anyone was an abductor he was the Of
| fender. as he had taken the child from its
son with instructions to take her back
| home to Kramer. The son was carrying
1 out his instructions, he said, when ar
| rested.
The trouble seems to be the outcome of
a peculiar determination on the part of
| Mrs. Gress to spend the summer at Garrl-
Mr. Gress was quite willing, it is said,
| to have his wife spend the summer
She insisted, however. upon going to
Garrison's, where she said she had
friends; It was owing to the fact that
! Garrison's, it is said. that her, husband
objected to her visit there.
4 Notwithstanding her husbands objec-
| items Mrs. Gress went to Garrison's, TAX
| ing her daughter with her. She accom-
| panied DR.. and Mrs. Van Doren Young.
| They were with her when she caused her
stepSons S arrest. So was q lawyer whose
name was given as Brown.
1t appears Mr.. Gress and his son went
to Garrison S rather Unexpectedly two
days ago When Mr.. Gress saw the place
4 and met the people, he was more deter
1 mined than ever that his wife should not
| remain there. RemonstranceS We're Of
| no avail. He finally took his daughter
| and started with her for home. He left
| the child in his son $ charge while he re-
manned in New York to transact some
business.
When the case was called this morning
! the court room was crowded.
] All the disputants Were present and
| they eyed one another savagely. They
occupied seats in different parts of the
court room Mr.. Gress sat apart from
! his son and seemed deeply interested in
boken, had to say. Mr. Aitken appeared
in behalf Of Senator w. D. DAILY, who has
been engaged for the defence,
Mrs. GreSS sat beside her counsel Fl.
". Condict. with her arms about the
child which is responsible for the trouble.
The disputants were such an unusually
well dressed collection Of people that the
! loungers craned their necks and ogled
Counsellor Aitfen opened the case by
asking for an, adjournment until four
O'Clock this afternoon. BY that time he
said Senator psly Eo.lld probably he back
| opportunity to familiarize himself with
/ H v. Condict, for Mrs. Gress. said he
4 was N1lll7ng 10 have a postponelnent and