The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-02
GIRLMADETHE PARK HERHOKE
SLEPT IN ARBORS AND ATE
p SCRAPS LEFT by PICNICKERS.
Sad Story Of Hattie Barnes's Two Years
struggle to Live rs typewriter
Sent to Bellevue as overwhelmingly
Bitten by Mosquitoes and Was Starving


Hattie Barnes, the young woman who
was found in Central Park on Wednesday
night with her skirts inverted to keep
warm. was committed to Bellevue Hos
pital by Magistrate Whitman, in the York.
vile police court yesterday, after the Magis-
trate had listened to a pathetic story from
the girl Of her struggle for existence. Al
Bellevue where the girl repeated her story,
the doctors decided that she was insane,
but that much Of her story was undoubtedly
true. She had gone through terrible SUI
fering and exposure. Magistrate Whit
man and the doctors thought it hardly
possible. however that she had been living
in Central Park for two weeks.
Her condition verified her story to
considerable extent. Her face was mass
Of red blotches, which were found to be
mosquito bites. Her eyes were sunken
and her face emaciated. Her clothes
were torn and her hair unkempt. Al
though she said she was 20, she looked at
least IS. She ate ravenously OF the food
given to her by the matron at the East
Sixty-seventh street station.
When arraigned in court yesterday her
mind seemed to be somewhat confused
she had been doing.
park without food and didn't feel hungry.
Isn't that funny" said the girl.
When pressed for more OF her story,
the E talked in Tbany M Shs s and t ha
she had a brother, Charles Barnes, in Toledo.
She said she had been educated as a type
writer in the Cleary Business College. In
/ Ypsilanti, and came here about two years
ago: .,,. ;,
get work" said she All wanted stenog-
rapher, and l was only typewriter. 1t
was always the same. | got several places,
but lost them quickly. finally got place
with the Electrical Inspection COMPANY
| Then they said they would have to get
stenographer in my place. That was In
March
II tried opening an apartment in Man.
haitian avenue and letting furnished rooms
Nobody came and l was put out: Ihen
rented small room, at Is West Eighteenth
street think / had only few dollars
left could not get any work AMI pawned
all but the clothes | have on now Tor food
Two weeks ago last Tuesday l lett my
not face the landlady any longer, l had
not q cent then. | walked and walked and
walked. Finally l wandered into Central
Park. l found an empty arbor and slepi
there all night. The next day l WANDERERS N;an;1
around the Park, and when several picnic
parties left picked up the remnants OF
their lunches. That was all the food
had That is what have been doing ever
SINCE Sometimes / saw policemen aho
was on the point OF asking help. put couio
not get up sufficient courage.
The girl said that she had spent four days
In Riverside Park during this time and tha
several times while there she had been or
the point of jumping into the rive d ~, II
all this time she neyer Segged s9e save Wom ua
sitting beside her on bench for nve cents
With this she bought bananas. she nae
one beside her when the policeman iourI
her. In court yesterday, tho girl said tina
from the time she started to eat one Of thes'
bananas until she found herself in the sta
tion house her mind was a blank.
LIP to four weeks ago she said her brother
in Toledo had been sending her some money
She had not heard from him since. An At
tempt viii be made to find him and alst
her relatives in Ypsilanti.
When Magistrate Whitman tried to tnt
out some OF the addresses where she haf
stopped in New York she could not remem
points she became confused She hersel
asked to be sent to hospital.
DR.. Gregory in charge Of the Bellevu
insane ward, said yesterday.
THE girl is undoubtedly insane ne: = ne 1,e
time she has certainly been WITHOUT ZOO
and suffered from exposure. Had sh
been sane it is hardly likely ahe woul'
have lived in the park as she says she has.
G. F. Carpenter Of the General Electrico
Inspection Company said that the girl
story Of being employed there was tru
in every particular.
.She was hardworking girl" he sale
, although very nervous. We hated
, discharge her, but we had to have some on
who knew stenography. She told US the
it was very hard for her to get a place
1 believe that worry over this drove he
,, insane. and In that condition she has bee
living in the park. Had abe only com
here In her distress we would have tried {
tide her over or done something for hel
az We liked her very much"
Al IA West Eighteenth street, 1t was sal
{ Yesterday that no such person had eve
lived there.
. .COTyNTY CHAIRMAN AGAIN.