The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-12-03
MOT HERS WOE
Her Objections to Her Sons
Marriage Bring Her
Before a Police
Justice.
PATHETIC SCENE IN COURT
With Tears in Her Eyes the
Old Woman Begs Her Boy
Not to Desert Her.

Mrs. Mary Langan, a widow, of No. 2o1
Hopkins avenue, stood at the bar In the
Second Criminal Court on Oakland ave-
nue., this morning, and. with tears in her
eyes. pleaded with her son, Thomas
Langan, not to leave the family hearth
stone and desert her in her old age.
Thomas wants to get married and says
that he will be twenty-one years of age
in few months His mother says that
he is only eighteen, and that she ought
to know Thomas is one of a family of
five children He has two sisters and a
brother older than himself and a brother
younger. According to his mother, he is
the best of the lot, because he has been
faithful in his employment and frugal in
his habits, and has given his widowed
! mother the lions share of his earnings
for years.
Thomas told his mother, as a dutifu1
son should two weeks ago, that he in
tended to get married that he was tired
of taking the laboring oar in the strug-
gle to keep the family together. and that
it was now his set purpose to furnish an
establishment of his own.
Mrs. Langan demurred. She reminded
Thomas of his obligations to her and be-
sought him to change his mind. She had
as an additional reason her dislike for the
girl that Thomas had promised to make
his wife, saying that she was not good
enough for him and that he would regret
it.
But Thomas was not to be swerved
from his purpose and so told his mother.
Happenings afterward brought both TO
the police court this morning. Mrs.
Langan was there on complaint of her
son, who told Judge Murphy that his
mother was making life miserable for him
both inside the house and out of it.
Judge" said young Isangan, my
mother follows me all over. She even
follows me to church She is trying TO
shame me before the neighbors and my
friends and 1 have no peace. have done
nothing. 1 have always been good to
her. Haven't l, mother?" asked the
young man turning aside from Judge
Murphy and facing his mother.
Then the mother commenced to cry.
eyes, you have been a good boy,
Thomas" she said meekly. But | don't
want you to leave me. Judge che con-
tinued, she is my only support and ne
wants to go off and get married and leave
me after all have done for him. Her
eyes grew red with the crying. She told
the Court a long story of trials and
tribulations of the loss of her husband
and the sacrifices she made to rear her
family of children, and now that che was
living modestly but yet in comfort hef
best boy was going to leave her.
Il want you to stop him. she cried,
addressing Judge Murphy. "He seems to
be able to withstand the tears of his old
mother she continued, 'Sbtu there must
be some law to prevent this"
'I am sorry, my good lady, but l can't
help you," said Judge Murphy. Il can't
stop anybody from getting married
eWhy. he is only mere boy yet. your
Honor continued the crying mother
ssHe is only eighteen years old"
sI'm pretty near twenty-one," spoke up
the would-be bridegroom.
.You're not. Do you know your age
better than your mother?" asked Mrs
Largan.
81 can dc nothing for you repeated
Judge Murphy. 'You better go home now,
both of you, and settle it among your
| selves
"You will have no luck" said the
mother to the son as she left The witness
| box.
mot after your prayers" replied the
son. and both repaired to the street
where again the mother smothered the
| son with kisses and tried to do by kind
ness and tears what bitter entreaty and
lresort to law made a failure.
.sYour love will grow cold, my boy,
said the mother. "and you will regret 1t.
You will wart tc come back to your poor
| old mother YETI she said in parting from
the obdurate son. who sought shelter from
| the ram on the Court House steps, and
| his mother went off home.
Young Langar is employed by the
Barnes Manufacturing Co., at West End
and is highly regarded by his employers
and shopmates He refused to give the
rame of his wife-to-be, and said he was
very sorry that mis- mother, for whom he
| had the greatest love and respect, acted
as she did His brothers and sisters We're
| y ell able to support her if they would, ne
| said. and that so far as that went she
| wouldn't want for anything If he knew
| ~ o.harhs,. he was married or single.