The evening world., 1903-09-14
WOMAN CHA|nED
TO FLOOR I YEARS
Margaret Ryan Is Captive with
Only Two and 0ne-HaIf Feet
of Leeway in Moving About
Her Room.

For seven years Margaret Ryan. a
woman OF thirty years. has lived a
captive In her mothers home. Fastened
around her body is a heavy chain
which Is securely attached to the floor
by heavy iron staples. Two and a half
feet of free chain represents all the lib
erty she has had in those years. Her
only glimpses OF the world have been
through the two small windows OF her
prison room In the cottage OF her
mother In Dismal Hollow. Just north oil
Croton Lake.
There Is no furniture In her room but
a heavy stool and q trundle bed. The
legs OF the stool tell a pathetic story
OF her lonely, life. for they have beer
worn down to stubby points, and the
space within the radius OF her two and
a half feet OF hair is g~rooved by the
movement of the stool.
Mrs. Ann Ryan has made no attempt
TO conceal the fact OF her daughters
imprisonment from her neighoors. She
Is the widow OF John Ryan. a West
chester contractor. He brought his wife
and daughter from Ireland nearly thirty
wears ago. He built the little cottage in
Dismal Hollow. and when he died twelve
years ago he left 1t to his widow with q
modest competence.
Daughter IL Insane.
Seven years ago the daughter showed
symptoms OF mild insanity. She would
dart oIt of the house and wander for
DAYS in the woods until nelghbors would
find her almost lead from starvation
and exposure.
Finally. to keep her confined. her
mother chained her in the room. A
leather belt was placed about her body
and a chain attached to Il, which was
fastened to the floor. For three year,
she was kept in subsection. but one day
she loosened the leather strap and
escaped. 1t was In the lead of winter,
and the girl wandered for days through
the snow with hardly any clothing on
her. After that her mother put the
chain about her body, and In the four
years that have elapsed she has never
been free from 1t.
Il can not let her free for a moment
said Mrs. Ryan. cor she will run away.
l have to go out to work durin: tho
day and l have no one To watch her. IL
l put her in an institution she would
probably be brutally treated. for she
gets tantrums that paid attendants
would not endure. When she mLsbe-
HAYES l use a stout switch on her. and
l have to use 1t pretty regularly" Mrs.
Ryan displayed a stout hickory switch
that showed 1t had been In frequent
use.
Yes, and YOU know you have treated
me cruelty" said the girl. You have
often punished me when | didn't deserve
IL
sleeps In Bed.
Mrs. van said she fed her daughter
by placing her meals on u chair II
front OF ner stool, At night she rolls
uhe little trundle bed W 50 ina
the girl can lie In Ii and move abou
feet OF chain.
Neighbors say that the girl some
times screams all day when heI
mother In away from the house
When she is being punished her out.
cries are Dittful and can be heard al
over the valley.
Once there was n pathway for the
school children of the viclnity which
wound past the little cottage. but It IL
children hlv learned to fear the home
OF the crazy girl" and mothers ir
Croton Valley Scare their little one,
when they are unruly by threatening
10 take them to hear the "crazy girl
scream. There has been talk at times
of asking the authorities to take charge
of the girl n place her in an institu-
ton. but no one has had the courage
to take the initiative.