The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-20
NICE REVELATIONS.
Haley Case in Chaneery Brings
Out Damaging Facts Against
the Petitioner.

The testimony brought out this morn
ing in the suit CT Jeremiah L. Haley
against the heirs of jeremiah Haley, for
merly of Essex street, whose fortune of
s150,0O0 Is now being fought over before
vice-Chancellor' Stevens, would have flied
Captain Chapman of Seelev dinner fame
with horror.
Witnesses actually swore that in a
Grove street plumber shop run by O'Con-
nor and Pearson, every day young girls
with euphemistic names like Irene, Lavine
n Corine, came there, smoked cigar
cites. drank gin toddy and larked with
the men in the shop. Among these nice
young ladies, 1t was alleged, was Miss
Mary Lavinia vreeland, who says she was
married to jeremiah Haley, second, n
her son is now fighting for the fortune
OF jeremiah Haley, the wealthy commits
sion merchant.
Another sensational feature Of this
morning hearing was that the defend
ants heirs insinuate that the petitioner,
haley, is the son of Howard Coffin, a
bartender of this city, and they base their
position ON the fact that Jeremiah Lor-
enc Haley had prominent ears known
as "f1appers." ~'spankers'' and sthippers,,
and 50 had Howard Coffin. for whom the
petitioners mother kept house.
Why, SIR said Austin W. Smith, a
terrapin merchant, to the Vice Chance1-
lor. 1T used to be ssaid of Coffin that if
his ears got a fiipring they would Zip
his brains out"
The godngs on dn the Grove street
plumber shop were described by plumbers
who served their apprenticeship In the
shop at the time Of the visits of the girls
In the sixties, and among these former ap-
prentices who testified was ex-Director of
the Board Of Education Michael E. Moran.
The star witness, however, was Wfniam
Allen, of No. 116 Railroad avenue, and this
is what he said of the visits
Il knew Lavine vIeeland, tina lady sit
ting there (pointfng to the mother Of the
petftioner) and her sister Cndfcating Mrs.
Jennie E. Winters OF Irvington) and other
girls who used to come to the shop. La
vnia vreeland there (nodding his
ta e 2 IN !. the direction OF that
Pearson had a load ON he would send me
over to a liquor store for sugar and gin
and cigars.I was then sent out on a
message; There weLs other girls came
eyman George Lockwood, married one
OF the sisters"
What was the character of the Vree-
land giris?' asked Mr.. Collins.
Very bad, sir. They was very bad
'Ex-Director Moran said that he remem-
bered girls coming to the store, sitting in
the private office and drinking hot toddy,
but he could not recognize the girls now.
Austin Smith, the rerrapin and soft shell
crab merchant, said that some time ago
he visited at a house at No. 152 Prince
street, Brooklyn, where he met Miss La
She was known as Mrs. Scofield and he
introduced her to his friends as Mrs. SEQ
field. When he saw her later she was
living with a man named Coffin, he of the
bad reputation When asked to Identity
Mrs. Scofield or Mrs. Coffin or Mrs. Vree-
hand, whoever she is, he pointed to the
mother OFF he petitioner, who turned a
deep crimson and hid her face.
Patsy Mcclure, al; he called himself, a
fish dealer, was the next witness, and he
sale he knew Mrs. Scofield or Miss Vree-
land. Patsy during his testimony yawned
lor Richard, who said suddenly
why are you gaping so much?"
"hCoS / haven't been in bed since four
o'clock this mornirg. See!' and Patsy
yawned himself out of the room.
Mrs. Fanny T. Howser of High street,
Newark, knew Jeremiah Haley the Sec
ond we'll. but she never knew that he was
married She was a niece of the elder
Haley. she never KNEW the pelftloneI OF
his mother until the present proceedings
were begun. On the day of young Haley's
funeral old man L0wrie drew her atten-
ton to two women standing on the side
walk Of the street opposite the house, and
said to her that he had instructed the I'M
dertaker not to admit them to any of the
carriages. Witness couldn't tell who the
women were.
1t is said that the petitioner, young Jere-
miah L. Haley. will call as a witness one
to whom his father introduced his mother
as my wife, This is Ed Hail. who
has a famous record The hearing will
continue this afternoon.