The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-11-12
HILL HOODLUMS.
Some Of Mrs. Woods An
noyers Get Free for
Lack Of Proof.

In the Second Criminal Court this
morning Justice Potts was compelled to
discharge three boys, for lack of evidence,
who belong to gang of children living
on Webster avenue, which, for months,
has been making miserable the life of
Mrs. Charlotte Wood, of No S05 Webster
avenue The young hoodlums congregate
on her sidewalk, yell like Indians, call
her Crank and other opprobrious names,
and when they think no one is looking,
break her windows destroy her property,
cover her premises with all kinds of filth,
and when they catch her on the street
bunch themselves and block her passing
on the sidewalk, and even try to upset
her. Mrs. Wood, naturally, objects to
their annoyances When she first objected
the Police Captain advised her to go to
court and complain He also stationed
policemen on the block to protect her. But
of course the boys, and the girls as well,
of the neighborhood are fairly intelligent
and knew enough not to do anything
when the bluecoats were in sight. Fin
ally Mrs. Wood did have some Of the boys
arrested and Justice Nevin bound them
over to keep the peace The neighbors on
the block at once resented this, consider
ing it an outrage. They could not under
stand by what right their mistrained chill
dren should be slandered by Mrs. Wood
and why she should object to being an
noysd by them. and so they got up a
petition saying that she was common
scold, signed it. and took it TO the police
court The case went to the Grand Jury,
which promptly threw it out. The only
evidence of her being common scold was
tnat she objected to being abused.
Recently she had Joseph Dunn, Andrew
Martin and Robert Austen arrested for
trying to lock her in her house by wiring
her gate fast. She caught these boys in
the act and made out her case on We'd
nesday, and Justice Potts said he would
fine the boys s. each. The fathers OF the
boys, some of whom are politicians, pro-
tested that they were not getting
square deal'' and wanted time to get
testimony. They brought their testimony
yesterday, and Counsellor Joseph Moo
nan tried to extract it, 1t consisted
wholly in the testimony of policemen,
who had been detailed on the block to
protect Mrs. Wood, and failed to do so.
They all said that they never saw any
one annoy her, and several said she had
d reputation s1S a Woltldi WIZ NJ iiut
peaceable. When pinned down they said
that all they knew of her reputation was
what they had been told by the parents
of the accused boys and others, who said
Mrs. Wood was quarrelsome because
and for this reason only-she made COM
plants to the police against their chill
dren. Of course the Justice saw the abb
surdfty of their testimony, but as the
three boys each boldly swore that they
did not wire the gate. the Justice was
obliged to let them go. He said
there was no doubt In his mind that
Mrs Woods was greatly annoyed by her
neighbors' children and that a stop
should be put to 1t. He said he could
not see why the police couldn't stop it,
but he did not think the evidence against
the three boys arraigned was sufficiently
strong to render them liable to punish
ment. He told them to tell the other
children in the neighborhood to let Mrs.
Wood alone hereafter, or they would get
themselves into trouble.
One of the policemen, named Whalen,
who has the bright red face Of good
liver was the only witness who showed
any bitterness towards Mrs. Wood. He
had been on that beat he said, about
eight years and knew all the old resi-
because he was unable to protect Mrs
Wood, and the latter also complained
against him to his Captain Els animus
towards her was evident.