The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-03-22
LOVE VS.. LAW.
Board Of Guardians Tries to
Take Catholic Girl From
Jewish Home.
MR.. FRIEDMAN RESISTS
Says She Is Like a Daughter
and He Will Not Let
Her Go.

That portion OF the State duaruldH ia"
enacted last May, relating to the religion
of indentured pauper children, is involving
the Hudson County Board of Freeholders
in considerable trouble. The Board OF
State Guardians has displayed much zeal
in ferreting out cases where children have
been indentured to families of other than
their own religious faith.
The latest case is that of Mary Chess
ney, Catholic child, indentured to a
Hebrew family six years ago. About
March the following communication was
received by the Board of Freeholders:-
Mr.. A. j. Riordan, Chairman of Ans
house Committee.
Mary Chessney, Roman Catholic,
was indentured to Max Friedman,
Jew, on April u, 1894
The Rev. DR. Mcdowell, of st. Paul's
Roman Catholic Church, called our at
tention to the fact that the home was
not good one. Miss Day visited the
girl in the home yesterday and found
it in every respect an unfit place for
the girl. They openly stated that they
were going to place the girl at work in
factory. She has no religious privi-
leges and Mr.. Friedman Informed Miss
Day that 'if there We're twenty-five
laws in the State ordering her to be
placed in home of her own faith, he
her Immediate removal.
We have good home for her, where
she can be placed at once.
sincerely yours,
The matter was referred to Attorney
John Griffin to take necessary legal
means to have the child returned to the
county at once. Word was sent to Fried
man by Assistant Freeholder Counsellor
Alexander Young to return the girl This
he refused to do, claiming that the law
could not compel him to- A constable
was later sent for the girl, but Friedman
was obstinate and refused to let her go.
The Board of Freeholders have as yet
taken no further action in the matter.
Max Friedman keeps a small shoe store
at Old Bergen Road and Gator avenue.
He has lived in the Greenville section for
ten wears and is highly respected by his
neighbors. Mr.. Friedman was not at
home last night but Mrs. Friedman gave
her version of the case. She said:-
There is not word of truth in Miss
Days statement. 1 dare her to come and
face me and tell me so. Mary was in
dentured to us when she was ten years
old. She is now seventeen. We sent her
to the public school for four years and
she possesses a fair education. We never
interfered with her religious faith. She
could always attend any church she wish
ed, and can even now. She has fire.
quently attended st. Paul's Catholic
Church, but she stopped going because
some of it's members said unpleasant
things to her. We never desired the girl
to work in factory, and when she once
spoke of getting employment I told her
not to do so as we were in fair circum-
stances.
"An our family love her and we will
not part with her unless compelled by
law. She has good home with us and
is treated as one of the family. The chill
dren would be broken hearted if she was
taken from U.S. 1t seems to US a terrible
law which would compel US to give up
Mary, after she has been with us seven
years, all on account of a religious faith.
She has her own way here and only has
to help me with my three children. She
calls me mother and she is a good daugh-
ter to me.
sWhen she learned they were going to
take her away she wept bitterly and was
i'll for some time after. Even now she
worries constantly"
While Mrs Friedman was talking Mary
stood with her arm around her mother.
She is pretty and intelligent. When asked
if she wanted to leave, she replied
s.No, never! I wouldn't stay anywhere
they sent me- would run away and
come back home. She corroborated her
mothers statements and emphatically de-
MED the statements made by Miss Day.
Freebooter Joseph Murray said last
night that he knew the family well and
that it would be burning shame to
take the child away because of a differ
ence of religious faith.
Inc case is similar to that of Mary Nc
Carthy's, who was taken from an excel
| lent home through the efforts of the Rev.
| Joseph j. Mcdowell and returned to the
| almshouse
Friedman stated that he will use every
possible means to keep the girl.