The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-09
DIR. MASONSDAUGHTER NEEDY
FOUND WANDERING WITH HER
CHHLDREN IN THE STREETS.

SAD Case or Mrs. .HPesnan, once . Prominent
Rescue worker. VINO Spent Her Msney
for Charity and Married q hsiekiayeF
Now Cared For by Hattie Ross.
Mrs. LILLIAN Brosnan, the daughter Of
Or. Sumner Appleton Mason. who nj the
time OF his death In 1896 was vioe-president
Of the Harlem Republican Club, was found
wandering In ths streets on Saturday night
by Hattie Ross, the negro missionary Of the
Tenderloin. Miss Ross took Mrs. Brosnan
home with ber to 674 Seventh avenue. Mrs.
Brosnan had beon sleeping on tho streets
and piers for several days with her two
children, Edmund, 4 years, and Cornelius,
~ months old. Both Mrs. Brosnan and The
children were suffering from exposure
and lack OF food.
Mrs. Broenan was ono prominent In the
rescue work Of the city and put most Of her
money in tho founding Of the 81. Francis
Mccormick Home. Her mother, Mrs. Emma
Josephine Mason, was associated with Miss
Clara Barton In the Armenian relief move
ment In 1893. She helped Miss Barton raise
money for the Red Gross and went TO Con-
ssantinople as secretary Of tho relief COM
mission.
On her departure for the East Mrs. Mason
placed ~her-daughter in the charge OF Car.
dinal satolll Of Warrington. who vas o
closs friend OF the family. Mrs. Mason
died In Constantinople In 1895 while work.
ing with the relief commission, and the
news OF her death 10 affected her husband
that he died eleven days later. Much
spaos IL given to an account Of Mrs. Mason's
work with the Red Cross In Miss Barton's
book.
On the death Of her parents Miss Mason
came TO New York to search for her brother
and settle up the estate. After ono time
she discovered that her brother was q
soldier In the English army in South Africa.
He came to New York and returned after
securing his share Of the fortune left by
Dr.. and Mrs. mason.
Most OF Miss Mason's money won't into
the st. Francis Mccormick Homo and she
was left without funds when that institu-
ton failed. While doing rescue work
Miss Mason met Cornelius B~rosnan, a
bricklayer given to drink. She married
Brosnan and they lived until recently at
So7 West Twentieth street.
Broenan had hard luck which he helped
out with frequent appeals to the bottle.
About a month g he lost his job and
sought the usual means Of forgetting his
troubles. A week ago Wednesday q
city marshal came to dispossess the Bros
mans, but gave them until last Friday
after hearing Mrs. Brosnan's story. On
Friday the family was turned out into the
street.
Saturday night Brosnan got drunk and
into come trouble which landed him in the
Tombs to await examination next Thurs
day. Mrs. Broenan, with the children,
haunted missions and slept in hallways
when her welcome at the missions wal worn
out. Thursday and Friday nights she
spent on the pier at the foot Of West Nine
teenth street and she was on her way there
on Saturday night when she attracted the
attention Of the negro missionary. 2.
Mrs. Brosnan was educated abroad and
speaks several languages. Hattie Ross
said that she had nearly recovered from the
exposure and starvation, but the children,
especially the younger, are slow to regain
thor strength. Mrs. Brosnan is still in
tho care OF Miss Ross,