The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-14
GERRY SOCIErY'S Big BLUNDER
1T CARTS OFF FOUR WE'LL CARED
. FOR CHILDREN

And TAX 20 Them 70 Court without Noufytng
tho Fsther-Agent swears He Found
Them I'm 'rndescribaDie'' Filth Truth
Found 70 ne quite Inc other way.
just after Thomas Murphy. a plumbers
helper living at 1877 Third avenue. had
started for work last Thursday morning a
patrol wagon drove up to the door and a
policeman and a Gerry society agent got
out n went up the stairs. Soon they came
down with four Of the plumbers helpers
children. These we're Agnes. aged IS;
Julia. IS; Thomas, II, and Francis. =. There
are three more. two boys and a girl. but they
are older and all work out. One Of the
older boys ran out after the father and when
he found him told OF the taking away Of the
children.
They've taken them TO the Children's
Court. they said" the boy told Murphy.
The father had on his old working clothes
and overalls, but there was no time to go
home and change and he hurried to the
Children's Court just as he was. :
Twas no way 10 be dressed to 60 to
court he said yesterday. but twas me
childer they vas after taking away
At the court the father found that his four
children were to be arraigned on q charge
OF being without proper guardianship.
Agent n. Joseph Slicklen. who made the
complaint. swore that he had found them
in filthy condition, in rooms Of indesorib-
able filth" II was also asserted that Muir
ply drank hard. that his wife was dead and
that there was nc one to take care OF the
youngsters. 1t was true, the plumbers
helper said, about his wife being dead. She
died twelve months ago after a years "ail-
ing" Ii was hard sometimes to do all he
wanted TO for the children since then. but
they were always dressed and fed and
seemed happy. Murphy has been I'm
ployed by the same man now for twenty
two years, he says. 30 the part about being
a drunkard he thought must be a joke.
h whole family were in court. The
older girl. who works In a department
store and sees to things when she gets
home OF nights, was there. Agnes, aged
Is. a roundfaced. jolly girl with red hair. -.
who looks after the Homework and takes
care Of her little brothers and sisters in
the day. was one OF the prisoners. She
didn't see why they should call the rooms
"indescribably filthy" when she worked
hard and willingly TO keep them as clean
as she could with the blasting going on
near by and dust coming in all the time.
All the children looked clean and neat to
those in the court. The statement in Slick
lens affidavit and the appearance Of the
children we're hard to reconcile. So a pro-
baton officer was sent up TO the fiat. and
meanwhile the children were paroled in
care Of the father until July 81. Usually
the prisoners in such cases are turned over
to the Children's Society while an investi-
CATION is made. The woman sent to the
tenement reported that the rooms were
cleaner than the average in teneinents Of
the class. A different standard in such
things reigns In Third avenue from that
which obtains. say. in Madison avenue.
The plumbers helper sat in his kitchen
last night smoking his pipe, while Julia
Agnes get supper. I've lived In
New York ever since I came from the old
thirty-seven years ago. he said,
n never knew had an enemy in the |
Why did they back up the wagon
my house and disgrace the family, |
l get my SIS every week and il
goes for the children. / don't need much
or myself. l guess they will tell you l
lbuse them-do !, girls?" The girls laughed
It their fathers joke.
Il don't know why somebody did this
me. My girls tell me two men cane
the fiat Wednesday. I was at work.
Thursday the wagon came. Car they do
hat like that, nowf It's too bad, the dis
Mr.. Murphy continued smoking vigor-
,usly at his pipe, with one eye on the stove,
where the supper was cooking under the
Of Agnes. He is a typical son Of the
sod, with a brogue that cheers the
ieart and honest blue eyes.
DO they think the girls don't keep the
louse clean enough" he asked, looking
bout the five rooms which constitute the
amily home. We'll, they do the best
hey can, and we're all well and happy,
side from this. praise bel And don't they
to look into things a little before they
on with your childer like that-investi-
ate, l guess they call it2 'Twould be easier
or a poor man. He don't like to have his
hilder carted OF in a wa when he don't
now about it."
Mr.. Murphy ook n long pull at the pipe
nd laid il dow a. Agnes On lied, almost
father" We'll. III not complain
IL said. do ] know who did this TO me?.
repeated the question. Now, maybe
do, / dunno. II l knew for certain I'd tell
but maybe I'm wrong. IN accuse no
But why, now, do you think they
itH'