The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-15
WHO HURT MAGGIE HAYDEN ?
DID THE GIRL INFLICT 4 WOUND
on HERSELF?


Capt. o'Ieary Of the Second precinct.
Elizabeth, n. j., Is sitting up nights with
five anonymous letters and bit OF board
spread out before him on his desk. While
he sits he makes figures with stub lead
pencil and thinks.
The case don't amount TO a row Of pins, >
says Capt. O'Leary but it's the intellectual
elements. 'Twould make Sherlock Holmes
throw up his hands and quit.
It is the strange case Of Maggie Hayden
which thus disturbs the mind Of Capt.
oLeary. Maggie was struck on the head
or says that she was-on Wednesday night
and dragged into a vacant house. Yet
she has only a slight confusion on her fore
head TO show for It. Is Maggie telling the
truth? Was the Job done by member
Of her own family who has been in the in
sane asylum Or was 1t done by certain
adherents Of the Fulton Street Methodist
Church in an endeavor 10 stop the spread
Of Baptist revival There are ciroum-
stances which go TO prove all these theories
and circumstances which go TO disprove
them.
In a cottage on Marshall street lives
Mrs. Elizabeth Hayden, who has been a
paTalytio for many years. She has no
kin Of her own her family consists Of an
adopted son, known as Fred Hayden.
She took him in many years ago. he is
now SO years old. He has been twice in
an insane asylum, his last discharge oc-
curing two years ago. The third member
Of the family Is this same Ma ggie Hayden,
whose real name is Olsen. She is a quiet,
we'll behaved girl Of Swedish-Irish parent
age. whom Mrs. Hayden took In and
adopted several years ago. As a house
hold they run to religious rsptures. Mrs.
Hayden, from her living grave In her in
valid chair, has been accustomed TO rule
Der adopted children by the terror Of the
unknown.
i see a bloody hand on the WALL It
will catch you If you amt good This
the neighbors say, has been her formula
for disciplining Ma ggie. That holsters
one theory OF the alleged assault Of
Wednesday night
All three were members Of the Fulton
Street Methodist Church. Maggie was con-
verted and entered the fold about two
years ago. She was considered singularly
devout. The Fulton Street Methodists on
that edge Of Elizabeth look upon the East
brOtheTly love. The feeling grew almost 10
a break when the Baptists began a revival
about three weeks ago, and number Of
young people from the Methodist flock
attended. One of them was Margaret
Hayden. When the elders, at the close Of
the meeting, asked those who wanted the
prayers of the congregation to stand up,
some Of the eX-MethOdists rose. Margaret
Hayden was among them. Two DAYS later
she came forward and took her stand with
the Baptists.
About that time, the Rev. John V. Ellison,
pastor Of the Baptist church began TO receive
a series Of strange anonymous letters about
Margaret Hayden They we're in the
vertical exact, unfinished hand Of a child.
They warned him against winning the girl
away from her own church; they limited OF
terrors which would lie visited on her il
she kept attending the Baptist meetings.
The language in some places was pretty
broad. The girl herself has letters in the
same hand and to the same effect which
she says she received through the mails,
Maggie herself went to the pastor one
night, shortly after she professed con-
version.
I'D rather not 60 home alone after the
she said. You see-I've been
by ghosts!'
-Ghosts!' said Mr. Ellison, 'there are
no such things as ghosts
NO, don't think they're truly ghosts,
'aid the girl. I think they're make |
believe ghosts. But every night when l |
zone home from the meetings they run |
Il me from the vacant lot across the street. |
They're all in white, and they make an |
lwful noisel'
IF they bother you again, walk up to |
hem and slap them, said MIR. Ellison. |
SeyeTt heess, he always saw that some i
me went home with Maggie from the I
Nightly revival meetings. Sometimes her |
.dopted brother Fred came for her. Some |
z -. a. l. l. H.
Eith her the two or three blocks between |
he church and her home.
One night about a week ago she was |
Walking home with perhaps half a dozen |
'oung people, At her gate she stopped |
md pointed.
In the vacant lot across the street was a
,ure enough appearance Of a ghost It |
vas all in white. II waved its CHASTITY /
arms and moaned. The group at the gate .
luddled together with chattering teeth. /
until one boy, holder than the rest, ran .
toward il. The spectre fed IL climbed /
/ fence, dropped on the other side with a
most unspeCtral thud and was gone.
Wednesday night Maggie went TO the |
'evival meeting "a usual. just after |
o'clock she left, whispering to the pastors
wife as she did 20 that she must be home
sarly.
A soon as the meeting was over, Fred
HAYDEN appeared and asked for Maggie
They told him that she had gone hone
IN ten minutes he burst into the little group
Eho were praying about the converts OF
he night.
'she amt at home!' he said, I'm afraid
hes lost"
Mr.. and Mrs Ellison formed a searchinR
laTty at once Beside the vacant lot where
Maggie used TO see the ghost there is a new
rame house in process Of building
What If some one had dragged her into
hat house!' cried Mrs. Ellison. Lets lookl'
They crept forward over the rough
loor joist, calling, -Maggiel MagRlel"
md suddenly they heard moan. They
olowed the sound.
In hole Of the foundation they found
he girl She was lying jammed between
wo joists over her lay two light boards.
Her eyes we're closed, and she was moan
ng feebly.
They carried her home and called a
loctor. She had revived by that time
md all that the man OF medicine could
ind the matter with her was a small brlise,
bout the size Of quarter. over her left
we No other violence Of any kind had
zen offered her. The tale she told was
nipple. She had reached a point opposite
he vacant house, when she heard foot
tops behind her. A moment later she
Cst consciousness, and when she reoov-
red IL was in her own bed.
And there you are. But Capt O'Beary
las made these significant notes on the
ase.
The handwriting Of the anonymous letters