Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-13
REAL GRIEF AT FUNERAL
OF CHUCK C0NNORS' WIFE
ALL CoNDoLE WITH BOWERYS
NOTED CITIZEN
Nellie Taught Chuck How to Read
and Write and Had Raised Him
From Prize Ring to Vaudeville Ae-
tor

NEW YORK. Nov. 12.-They buried
Nellie Connors recently in a grave out
in new Calvary cemetery She was the
wife of "Chuck" Connors, the most
noted citizen the Bowery has afforded
in many year; yet she was never
known by the thousands who con-
tributed to "Chuck's' fame. She was
his good angel. the gentle and refining
influence that uplifted this tough fell
low. who began life as a professional
fighter. and felt that he had greatly i'm
proved his condition when he rose to
the vaudeville stage.
Nellie Neuman she was. a tmid.
shrinking little thing. when Chuck"
met her at dance nine years ago.
1T was all off for me the minute l
looked at her." Chuck" said yester-
day. sadly, to visitor in their little
fiat at Dover street. "The minute l
seen her l knew it was no one else in
the world for me. And at that could
hardly believe it when l asked her to
marry me, and she said yes. She was
the brightest kid on Jackson street.
She could read an write an spell long
words that amt talked in Chinatown
nor Cherry Hill. She never could get
wise to the Bowery talk, always speak
nor write nor spell when we was mar
ried.
And I'll tell you what she done. She
learned me to read and write. She was
as much gone on me as / was on her,
poor little gal, and no sooner than we
was married she begun to give me an
education.
From the start out she wanted to
make me wise. She taught me my A
B C's in three days. Then she learned
me how to spell and make letters. 1t
was most year before 1 could read a
primer, and me then over 30 years old.
But she plugged at me, and she drilled
at me. till finally she got me wise to the
readin' an writin', in a poor sort O.
way. Before I met her I couldn't have
read a sign hanging down from the
Brooklyn brige to the river. I'd a been
a stuffed nut only for her. God bless
her, an now she's gone"
During the night "Chuck" had
watched beside the coffin Friends from
Cherry Hill, from Murray Hill, from
the Bowery, from upper Broadway
came to console with him. To each
group that came in "Chuck" said the
same thing:
Boys, there's Nellie smilin' back at
us. Take your last look at her. She's
gone, an yet she's smilin' back at u.s."
There was great clock of red and
white roses from other friends. AT the
head of the coffin stood a branching
candelabra, the center candle reaching
almost to the ceiling. The walls of the
narrow little room were hung with
lavender crepe and white lace.
There was not a blotch of garish or
flaring color in this room of death. The
frugal simplicity of it all was solemny
impressive.
At 10 o'clock in the morning men
came with the hearse and carriages,
and they took the body of Nellie Con-
nors to st. Andrews church in Duane
street, near Park Row. There Father
O'Connor celebrated high mass. There
were some two score mourners. all in
humble circumstances, most of them
women who had known Nellie Connors
from childhood. Two lightweight pugi-
lists, men not eminent in the ring but
old friends of Chuck" sat awkwardly
in a distant pew, a little frightened at
being in such an unfamiliar place as a
church, but showing on their solemn
and battered faces genuine grief and
sympathy for their old pal.
AT the conclusion of the mass the
bearers carried out their burden,
CHUCK" Connors walking back of
them, his rugged countenance distorted
with grief, tears running down his
bronzed cheeks. No woman was ever
more genuinely mourned.