The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-08-11
A RUNAWAY'S
STORY.
Jimmie Rooney Denies the
Woman Who Claims to
Be His Mother.
CITY HOSPITAL ROMANCE.
Photograph Taken Five Years
Ago Resembles a Ten
Year Old Waif Lately
a Prisoner.
CITY HOSPITAL ROMANCE

A bright little fellow. ten years old, was
released from the women's and children
prison this morning after having been In
the custody of Matron Wyatt since SAT-
urday last The boy says he is James
Rooney, Of No. II Atlantic street. He
was picked up as a runaway
A woman who said she was the boy s
mother called for him Tuesday. The boy
had said he was ill-treated at home. Ac-
cording to one of the prison authorities
the boy said that it was his stepmother
who did not treat him right. He said she
claimed TO be his mother.
When the woman called for him this
statement was incidentally mentioned.
The woman at once turned to the boy
with the question. Did you say that?,
and the boy answered Yes
Well, then, you can stay herel'' the
woman IS alleged to have said. and left
the prison.
had attracted the close attention of Ma
scene ia one of the wards Of the City
HOSPITAL, where five or six years ago she
was assistant matron. A five year old
boy apepars in the picture. He is stand
ing alonside of "Old Aunty, a super
anuated nurse, who IS almost the CEN
tral figure in the group. Next to Old
Aunty, Matron Wyatts picture is the
most prominent The more she saw of
the boy IN the Oakland avenue prison,
the more closely she studied the picture.
She questioned the boy closely and satis-
fled herself that the boy in the picture
and the boy in prison were the same. The
boy, besides, at least pretended to recog-
nize her.
She remembered hurry cali'' at the
Hospital one stormy night d few nights
before Christmas over five years ago DR..
Cooney, then an ambulance surgeon at
the hospital, returned later and handing
her what looked like bundle of clothes,
heavily sprinkled with snow, remarked
I've brought you nice little boy" The
boy had been found in house from which
the furniture had been removed and was
given to the surgeon by a woman who
did not claim to be the mother. The boy
was suffering with bronchial pneumonia.
He was tenderly cared for at the Hos
pital. Doctors and nurses took a great
interest in the little patient. Even while
convalescng he became a great favorite
at the Hospital. There was no one to
claim the little fellow when he got we'll
Warden Osborne advertised widely fof
his parents.
Among the frequent visitors at the
hospital was a Mrs. Mary Roney, who
was generally accompanied by thirteen
year old son named Andrew. Andrew
grew very fond of the abandoned little
fellow, when the hospital folk had named
Jimmy Tucker Jimmie became
locally famous Andrew wanted his
mother to adopt Jimmie and she made
the proposition to Warden Osborne. For
some reason Warden Osborne did not
favor the proposition The boy was sub
sequently, through due legal process
adopted by family in Lexington avenue,
near West Side avenue. The family sub
seouently returned the child to the hos
pital and it was then Mr.. Osborn con-
sented to allow Mr. $. Roney to adopt the
child.
The prisoner this morning said he had
been told by a cousin that Mrs. Rooney
was not his mother. He gave her full
name as Mrs. Mary Rooney of No. II
Atlantic street He said he did not wish
to go back.
When a reporter for seThe News called
at No. II Atlantic street this morning ne
found Mrs. Rooney in front Of her home
dressed in street attire She seemed to
be greatly worried When the reporter
asked about the boy she said he had been
discharged from custody and she was
worried because she did not know where
to go to look for him. She denied the
49,
mother of the boy.
Later Mrs. Rooney called at THE
News Office and selemnly declared she
was the boys mother. She said she had
an agreemnt with Justice Potts that he
was to be held until today, to cure him
of the runaway habit She was surprised
at his release before she called for him.
He had not come home, and, she says,
when he is found again she will send him
to an institution. She says he told the
stories given above just to excuse his
runaway habits. They were mere fictions
she said, picked up from other boys.