CPS PODCAST Season 1, Episode 1: The story of Little Mary Ellen

Our first Child Protective Services podcast takes us all the way back to where laws and practice to prevent child abuse began. This is because of the long and interesting life of a little girl named Mary Ellen Wilson. Much of the controversy begins in 1874, the year Mary Ellen’s caregiver was taken to court for abuse.

One shocking takeaway from Mary Ellen’s case is the role the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) plays in Mary Ellen finding freedom from her abuser.

Wait! Wait! There are many in the child welfare field that think Mary Ellen’s story has been purposely twisted to be a more shocking tale and they challenge some of the information that has been broadcast by very trusted sources. In our digging, we find that there are a lot of differing accounts of the story and a lot of history that many Americans would most likely wish was forgotten.

SOURCES FOR THIS PODCAST:

“CHILD CARE AGENCIES TO BE CONSOLIDATED.” New York Times, 12 June 1944, p. 22.

Children’s Aid. “The Orphan Train Movement.” Children’s Aid, https://www.childrensaidnyc.org/about/orphan-train-movement.

“THE CUSTODY OF MARY ELLEN WILSON. .” New York Times, 1 May 1874, p. 2.

History.com Editors. “Tenements.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 22 Apr. 2010, https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/tenements.

“LITTLE MARY ELLEN FINALLY DISPOSED OF.” New York Times, 27 Dec. 1874, p. 12.

Markel, Howard. “Case Shined First Light on Abuse of Children.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 14 Dec. 2009, https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/health/15abus.html.

“MARY ELLEN WILSON. FURTHER TESTIMONY AS TO THE CHILD’S ILL TREATMENT BY HER GUARDIANS.” New York Times, 12 Apr. 1874, p. 12.

“MARY ELLEN WILSON. FURTHER TESTIMONY IN THE CASE TWO INDICTMETS FOUND AGAINST MRS. CONNOLLY BY THE GRAND JURY.” New York Times, 14 Apr. 1874, p. 2.

“MARY ELLEN WILSON. MRS. CONNOLLY, THE GUARDIAN, FOUND GUILTY, AND SENTENCED TO ONE YEAR’S IMPRISONMENT AT HARD LABOR. WORKING MEN’S FREE READING-ROOM.” New York Times, 28 Apr. 1874, p. 8.

“THE MISSION OF HUMANITY.; CONTINUATION OF THE PROCEEDINGS INSTITUTED BY MR. BERGH ON BEHALF OF THE CHILD, MARY ELLEN WILSON.” New York Times, 11 Apr. 1874, p. 2.

“MARY ELLEN WILSON.” New York Times, 14 June 1874, p. 10.

“MARY ELLEN WILSON.” New York Times, 2 June 1874, p. 8.

“MARY ELLEN WILSON.” New York Times, 22 Apr. 1874, p. 8.

Montanari, Giulia. “Mary Ellen Wilson: When Abused Children Had Fewer Rights than Pets.” Medium, History of Yesterday, 21 Nov. 2021, https://historyofyesterday.com/mary-ellen-wilson-the-abused-child-rescued-by-animal-rights-activists-9dfb5b1f100a.

“MR. BERGH ENLARGING HIS SPHERE OF USEFULNESS.” New York Times, 10 Apr. 1874, p. 8.

“MRS. E.A. WHEELER, CHILD RESCUER, DIES.” New York Times, 12 Dec. 1921, p. 15.

National Coalition for Child Protection Reform. Another Reporter Suckered by the Myths of Mary Ellen (and an Amazing Number of Other Myths as Well), 1 Jan. 1970, https://www.nccprblog.org/2009/06/another-reporter-suckered-by-myths-of.html.

“The Orphan Train Movement in the Mid-1800s to Early 1900s.” PBS LearningMedia, Iowa PBS, 16 Jan. 2021, https://whyy.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/iptv_wbot_20151115_westbyorphantrain_01/wbot_20151115_westbyorphantrain_01/.

“OUR CITY CHARITIES VERSUS THE CASE OF MARY ELLEN.” New York Times, 16 Apr. 1874, p. 4.

“Our History.” Sheltering Arms, Sheltering Arms, https://shelteringarmsny.org/history/.

Shelman, Eric A., and Stephen Lazoritz. Out of the Darkness: The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson. Dolphin Moon Pub., 1998.

“The Sheltering Arms.” New York Times, 25 Dec. 1864, p. 8.

Watkins, Sallie. “The Mary Ellen Myth: Correcting Child Welfare History – Jstor Home.” JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/23715954.

CPS PODCAST

For episodes two and three at CPS podcast, we cover the first of two cases in New Jersey that changed the landscape of the state’s child protective services agency which ultimately changed it’s name from the Division of Youth & Family Services (DYFS) to the Division of Child Protection & Permanency (DCPP). The state agency only just got out from outside oversight in 2022 with the harrowing case of Faheem Williams and his brothers originated in 2003.

Faheem Williams was an adorable little boy whose life was taken too soon. His siblings survived the ordeal but still have a lived experience that no one should have to face. The case of the Williams’ children led to a lawsuit against the state agency charged with oversight of the children’s safety and has resulted in systematic change. Many workers and families that interact with DCP&P today will call it DYFS out of habit or spit out the term like a bad word when sharing frustrations with a system that is still far from perfect and has not protected all children under its care since.

As of April 1, 2023, you can listen to episode 2, where Michele Rodriguez explores Faheem’s story in depth and tries to understand how a system intended to protect, did the opposite. We hope to have a follow-up commentary to cover some of the questions that come up when listening to the story.

Full References:

Associated Press. (2003, January 9). Americas | erotic dancer arrested after Child death. BBC News. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2635305.stm

Associated Press. (2015, March 25). Man charged with molesting brother of boy found dead in Bin. Fox News. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www.foxnews.com/story/man-charged-with-molesting-brother-of-boy-found-dead-in-bin

Associated Press. (2005, November 2). Woman who hid body of boy gets 25 Years. NBCNews.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna9898831

Associated Press. (2008, February 27). N.J. mom in abuse case will not get $1 million. NBCNews.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23359563

Associated Press. (2008, February 27). N.J. mom in abuse case will not get $1 million. NBCNews.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23359563

Associated Press. (2006, November 12). Newark NJ payout 7.5M Faheem Williams. NARKIVE: Newsgroup Archive. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from http://gatewaynet.netscape.compuserve.com/news/story.jsp?floc=ne-us-12-l13&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20061111%2F1832073598.htm&sc=1110

Coscarelli, K. (2007, August 10). Court: Faheem’s mom unfit to care for her other kids. nj. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www.nj.com/ledgerupdates/2007/08/court_faheems_mom_unfit_to_car.html

Jacobs, A., & Jones, R. L. (2003, January 9). Child abuse case in Newark grows as man is charged with molestation. The New York Times. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/09/nyregion/child-abuse-case-in-newark-grows-as-man-is-charged-with-molestation.html

Jones, R. L. (2005, September 28). 2 plead guilty in child’s death in New Jersey. The New York Times. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/28/nyregion/2-plead-guilty-in-childs-death-in-new-jersey.html

Shogren, E. (2003, January 10). Case of child abuse, Death tells tale of official neglect. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jan-10-na-abuse10-story.html

Staff. (2015, November 10). Town controversies: Melinda Williams. Dr. Phil. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www.drphil.com/slideshows/town-controversies-melinda-williams/ Strunsky, S. (2003, January 10). Police locate caretaker sought in child abuse case. LJWorld.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www2.ljworld.com/news/2003/jan/10/police_locate_caretaker/#:~:text=Go%2Dgo%20dancer%20arrested%20on%20endangerment%20charges&text=Newark%2C%20N.J.%20%3F%20A%20go%2D,a%20stranger%20turned%20her%20in.