The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-04-15
FORGAYE THEM
Strange Romance Revealed
In the First Criminal
Court.
YOUNG COUPLE NET IN A CELLAR
When Arrested They Confess That
They Have Been Married
Since January.
YOUNG COUPLE NET in A CELLAR

Paternal forgiveness was obtained by
a young clipping couple this morning in
the strangest name on record. The
scene occurred in the First Criminal
Court room, n was the outcome of
what promised to be oneeof the worst
scandals ever aired before Police Justice
Potts. Robert Brown. twenty years old,
of No. II York street, and Mabel Mar
tin, eighteen years old, OF No. 80 Hudson
street, were before him on a serious
charge. They were arrested at midnight
last night by Patrolman Wilson, of the
Gregory street station, who found them
sleeping side by side in the cellar of the
apartment house, No. A York street
Several times in the last week n~eighbors
had complained to Captain Cox that a
boy and girl slept nightly In the cellar
Of the apartment house mentioned, and
that their conduct was the talk and the
begged him for the sake of the children
themselves and for the good of the
reighborhood to put a stop to it.
He detailed Patrolman Wilson to investi-
gate. Wilson went into the cellar at mid
night and found things as described by
the neighbors. In an obscure corner
were sitting Brown and Miss Martin,
their arms around each others necks.
They were sound asleep. Miss Martin
cried when arrested. Brown was fla
Both refused to make any statement at
the police station. In the First Crimina
Cour this morning they said that they
lad been to a ball and had returned too
late to get into their homes. They had
not cared to walk the streets all night,
so they had crept into the cellar for pro-
lection, and while sitting there had fall
len asleep. Police Justice Potts said
1t was a strange case, and told the
prisoners to sit apart until he had time
to consider it more fully. The prisoners
appeared as if they were concealing some
thing. Miss Martin, who does not look
to be over is years old, and who is as
pretty as a picture, blushed considerably,
but she did not appear as p~enitent as it
appeared she ought to under the eircum-
stances.
While the Justice was disposing of
other cases, Miss Martins father entered
the court room. He had a short CONVEX
sation with his daughter and then spoke
to Brown. When he had interviewed
them both he spoke to the Judge. He
opened his eyes in amszement, and to the
astonishment of every one present dis
charged the prisoners.
Before doing SO he made a statement to
the effect that Mr.. Martin had just
learned that his daughter and Brown had
been married since January Is, when they
eloped. They had preached the subject
Of marriage to their respective parents
after they had been united, and had been
SO thoroughly discouraged by the manner
in which their suggestions mad been re-
ceived that they had neither of them
dared to tell of the marriage. They had
not even dared to be seen together much
so they had me in secret in the cellar
every evening, and had visited until a
late hour.
All this time Mr.. Martin had been wor-
rying about the late hours his daughter
a been keeping. He was afraid for her.
When he learned in court this morning
the true state of affairs he forgave his
daughter and said that as long as she
was married to Brown they might as
well go home with him and live together
as they should. Husband and wife went
away together. happy at the unexpected
outcome of their strange adventure.