The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-07-12
IS SHE A SISTER?
W oman in Costume Of Epis-
copal Sisterhood Applies
. For Aid.
SENT TO DOOR OF HOPE
She Says She Wants to Do
Mission Work Independent
of Her Order.

Rather peculiar case has come before
| the Organized Aid Association which some
! of the members of that organization are
| inclined to think fake. On the night oil
| July last woman attired as an Epis-
copal Sister of Charity applied to Wnit
tier House for Aid. She stated she had
come from the West where she had beefr
doing mission work. and she intended TO
! continue her work in Jersey CITY, she
was homeless and without funds. Miss
Bradford procured her room in the
neighborhood for the night, 1t being
against the rule of Whittier House to
take in people and in the morning rec
commended her to the Organized Aid Asso-
citation.
Here she saw Mrs Badgley, the agent,
who at once proceeded with the usual
mode of investigation, asking for refer
ences Shese the woman seemed re-
luctant to give, but said she would write
home and get them. She belonged, she
stated, to the Order of st. Philip and ST.
James, of the Episcopal Church Sister,
hood, and that she was Sister Magdalen.
0drs. Badgley at once sent her to the
Door of Hope, recently opened by num-
Der of philanthropic women, at NO. Al
Belmont avenue, as there was no other
home in the city for homeless women.
She was the first inmate, and her costume
attracted some attention from the neigh
bors. 1t was objected to by one or two
of the ladies at the hoad of the Door of
Hope Association, but she still continued
to wear it. She was to remain at the
Door of Hope pending investigation, after
which the Organized Aid should decide
her fate.
Mrs. Brice Collard, secretary of the
Organized Aid thought it was strange that
the sister had not applied to the clergy of
her own church.
Miss Bradford when seen this morning,
had nothing OF say save that the sister
had come to her as before stated and that
she considered it an Organized Aid case
The Rev. Mr.. Elmendorf of the Church
of the Holy Cross. was also seen on the
subject He could find no trace of any
such order as the st. Phillips or St.
james, among the Episcopal sisterhoods.
She had no right, he said. to undertake
any mission work unless SO ordered by
the church in which case she would have
been provided for. He was inclined to
ts,trsl sst-sssszs ezsef-
whatever, but had procured the costume
of sister. She might be a religious
fanatic he thought At any rate she had
no right to go masquerading in her pre-
sent costume.
Miss Elizabeth Jackson, matron of the
Door of Hope, said when seen by
News reporter, that the woman had
been sent there by the Charities Aid AS
sociation on Friday last. She gave her
name as Sister Magdalen, and would tell
no more about herself voluntarily that
that she was a member of sisterhood
and had arrived here from Buffalo, N. Y.
on July T. She was stranded and she ap-
pealed to the Charities Aid Association for
a few days shelter in order that she
might have place to stop pending the
result of communications she intended to
have with friends or relatives for the pur-
pose of replenishing her very slight
funds. AS she appeared to be anxious to
tell no more of herself than was absolute
ly necessary to establish herself as per-
son of honesty and integrity, Miss jack
son made no further inquiry because the
woman was to remain in the hause buf
temporarily. Only in the cases of those
who are to become permanent residents
of the house are close investigations
made
Miss Jackson described the woman as
being about thirty-five years of age about
feet inches tall, plump and of very
regular features and a rather striking
face She wore black dress set off with
white collar and white cuffs and black
bonnet such as nuns wore. Around her
waist was a block cord at the end of
which,at her side, hung a gold cross. She
was evidently woman of culture and
refinement and education. Miss Jackson
says she got the impression that the
woman did some writing for The
Churchman, a church publication. She
wrote great deal, spending most of her
time at a desk, and though she received
no mail at the house she made number
of visits to the postoffice. Miss jackson
also said that she thought of installing
the sister as one of her assistants, but
that this plan was upset by the womans
announcement that she would leave as
soon as she could obtain congenial en-