The Widow, the Pallbearer, and the Seduction Charge That Set Fourth Avenue Fighting

Mrs. Burk Whalen, a middle-aged woman who lives in a cottage at the rear of 1,516 Fourth street, appeared in Justice Caldwell's court yesterday afternoon accompanied by E. F. Cleary, president of the American Railway Union, and swore out a warrant for the arrest of James Deedy, who is several years her junior, on the charge of seduction. Mrs. Whalen has been married once and has a child about a year old.

The old adage that there are always two sides to a story applies in this case. Mrs. Whalen claims that Deedy promised to marry her and that the whole trouble is due to his parents, who opposed the alliance. On the other hand, it is said that Mrs. Whalen has made a dupe of the young man, who now languishes in the county jail for want of $750 bonds.

This is a romance where beauty and wealth are at a discount. The Whalens, speaking of the time when Mr. Whalen was alive, were poor and Mrs. Katherine Kelly allowed them to live in a little cottage at the rear of 1,516 Fourth street. Mr. Whalen was not apparently all absorbed with the beauties of his home, for he 'skipped out' and left his spouse, who then received assistance from the county and one of the Catholic churches. In time, however, Mr. Whalen was taken ill with typhoid fever, so he returned to his wife, and was subsequently taken to Providence hospital, where he died fifteen months ago. Then there was a funeral, and it appears from what Mrs. Whalen says that young Deedy was called in to act as pallbearer. Mr. Cleary, who accompanied Mrs. Whalen to the justice court, was also one of the bearers.

It so happened that the Whalen house and the house occupied by the Deedys are separated by only a small piece of land, and, according to Mrs. Whalen, last July 2 James Deedy made a casual call. He was very formal, but before departing silently pressed the widow's hand. She says he came next day and this time his bashfulness had departed, for he wanted her to sit down on his knee while he whispered consoling words in her ear. She would not think of such a thing, but on the following day, the Fourth of July, when everyone celebrates, she went out to the lake with him. After they returned home it proved a very eventful date for her. She says that since then Deedy has been at her house frequently and promised to marry her. He earned money while working in a sewer, and she claims he placed a part of it in her hands to be used in connection with the preparations for the nuptials. Deedy's parents, who are honest, hard-working people, objected to their son's course towards Mrs. Whalen.

The climax came about a week ago, and for a short time the people who live in the neighborhood of the Whalen house thought several murders and a dozen tom-cat fights were going on. It appeared that Mrs. Deedy had reason to believe her son had gone over to call on Mrs. Whalen, and she went after him. Mrs. Deedy rapped on the door of Mrs. Whalen's house and Mrs. Whalen asked what was wanted.

'Is James there?' said Mrs. Deedy.

Mrs. Whalen, so it is claimed, replied that James was not there. Then Mrs. Deedy, through stratagem, got Mrs. Whalen to open the door a few inches and forced her way into the house. Alas for poor James! He was found hiding behind a door. His mother yelled and the remainder of the Deedy family came pouring into the house. Pandemonium reigned for the time being, and people who were in the neighborhood think the Columbus house free-for-all fight was no circumstance. Then, it is said, E. F. Cleary appeared on the scene and tried to make peace. Mrs. Whalen, from all reports, got angry herself and told young Deedy to go to bed in her house.

How long the jangle would have kept up no one knows, only that Mr. and Mrs. Deedy finally persuaded their son James to go home with them.

Since then the relations between Mrs. Whalen and her young lover have been seriously interrupted, with the final result of a warrant for seduction. Constable Fitzgerald found young Deedy at his brother's restaurant on the waterfront.

A friend of Mr. and Mrs. Deedy said that it was ridiculous for a woman as old as Mrs. Whalen to claim that a mere boy seduced her. Instead, he said, Mrs. Whalen had been continually after the boy.

It is probable that Deedy will be released on bail. There seems to be the usual trouble about ages. Mrs. Whalen told Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Morris that she was but 30, but others who saw her say she will never see 40 again. At the prosecuting attorney's office Deedy is thought to be 25 years old, but his friends say he is only 21.