Out of the Darkness: The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson

by Eric A. Shelman, Stephen Lazoritz

In 1874, an amazing event took place. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) initiated the rescue of a severely abused child named Mary Ellen Wilson. Little Mary Ellen as she became known, was beaten, burned, and slashed with scissors, her brutal adoptive mother, Mary Connolly locking her indoors for over 7 years. Her rescue initiated the beginning of true child protection in this country, and eventually, the first child protection agency in America was formed, The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC) Still in existence today, it is a testement to what caring individuals can do to change the world. Written in a dramatic format, it tells the story of Mary Ellen from her birth to her eventual rescue. This remains the only book on this fascinating case.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, History, Biography, Audiobook, Crime, Historical

348 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1998

About the author

The Scabs Trilogy in my rearview mirror, and Dead Hunger long finished, I introduce Emma's Rose: The Cave! It's my new ZOMBIE series.

It has been a while since I delved into the zombie world. I really enjoyed writing the Scabs Series, but something was pulling me . Perhaps they were dead arms, peeling and gray, reaching for flesh. My flesh.

As usual my stories are character driven. Emma's Rose is no exception. I hope you enjoy the whole new cast of characters, and the new adventure, along with the new zombies.

A HUGE thanks to all of you who have read any of my work.

Now ... about me.

Eric A. Shelman was born in 1960 in Fort Worth, Texas. He now lives in Cape Coral, Florida with his wife of thirty years, Linda.

Life is good. But it takes hard work.

Reviews

[Batgrl (Book Data Kept Elsewhere)]

This is one of those books that are hard to read - or they are for me anyway - because of the child abuse. In recent years tales of such abuse, specifically autobiographies, have become very popular (or at least they sell well), and I never can quite see what draws people to such graphic abuse stories - because in all of the stories I'm thinking the abuse is very graphic, and horrible. Even if it were less detailed and less terrible, I'd still find it very, very difficult to read. But the stories that really go in-depth with the detail, well, those feel somewhat tabloidy - almost glorying in the horror of it - and in these sorts of stories you can't pull back and say "ah but none of that's real, this is just a horror story." Because it's all supposedly true. I don't blame people for rating them highly - which they usually do under "it's a story of survival" - but all I take away are the detailed, horrible descriptions about defenseless children who didn't get any help. After I read something like that I'm depressed, and I don't have a great feeling for humanity as a whole. (Note, I myself have not been abused, but I have had many close friends who have been. It's not a subject I can take lightly because of that.)

I've tried to think of an analogy that could better explain my problem with the genre (not sure what to call it - the abuse genre? children in peril?), and I can't seem to. I did suddenly realize that there aren't a lot of true crime or murder stories where you see everything from the victim's point of view - you more often see the horror in third person, or from the detective's perspective or even through the murderer's eyes. There just aren't as many readers that want to read stories from the perspective of the person about to be hurt or killed. And frankly, that's not really supposed to be attractive. (Not to mention once the victim dies, their story is mostly over, in reality anyway.)

ANYWAY. That much is why I'm not going to rate this book - my feelings on the issue make any liking for the book itself problematic. It's probably not as graphic as some of the other abuse-autobiographies, but still, it wasn't a good read for me. It doesn't help that the book is history written in a style as if it were a novel. It always makes history problematic when the author is deciding what people are saying and what their tone is - things you can't exactly dig up via documentation.

At the same time, it is a story worth telling, and a story that's to some extent fallen out of history and public memory. I bought it because I read about the book and its subject, and felt that this was history I needed to learn. After reading it I still feel that way, but I'm definitely not hanging onto the book. It's not something I'd want to keep and reread.

From the back cover (wikipedia links for those who want more of the history):

It began with one abused child.

"...I was where the first chapter of children's rights was written, under warrant of that madfe for the dog..."
- Jacob Riis, 1874

Before the world became aware of Mary Ellen Wilson in 1874, it was a hopeless place for abused and forgotten children. Child protection agencies existed, but were reluctant to the point of inaction when it came to "saving" children from the abuses of their parents and guardians. Children were considered property, and to become involved was to invade the family, a sacred and private institution. But to Etta Wheeler, a Methodist social worker, and Henry Bergh, founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a child's safety and welfare were more important.

But what of Mary Ellen's beginnings? What became of her birth parents? What events occurred to place the toddler in an almshouse on Blackwell's Island (now), a narrow strip of land in the East River, home to criminals, the sick, and the insane? How did Mary Connolly, her foster mother and abuser, come to adopt her in the first place?

The historical drama unfolds on these pages for the first time since it appeared in the pages of the New York Times, the Brooklyn Eagle, and the New York Herald of 1874.

"A riveting book. It is not just Mary Ellen who comes out of the darkness, but all of society. The most accurate re-telling of Mary Ellen's story I have read."
--Anne Reiniger, MSW, JD, Executive Director, The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC)

[Phillis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. I appreciated the historicalness of it and the author's way of presenting Mary Ellen's story. I couldn't wait to finish it. What kept me reading was that I couldn't imagine how a child from a very loving family wound up in dire straits. First the child, Mary Ellen, as a baby with a very loving mother and whose father was in the Civil War. Later the child winds up in the situation she had to endure for 7 years. I had to keep reading to see how she gets rescued. There was abuse to Mary Ellen, but it was described enough so you knew what happened to her but not in great depth to make you want to not read anymore. By the time you got to her rescue you were so relieved as were the people who sought to help her. I liked the way the author paralleled the people who were in Mary Ellen's life as she was growing up. It helped to understand how this all came about. One of those people was a woman named Etta Wheeler who went to Henry Bergh, who by this time had founded the NYC ASPCA and asked if anything could be done for an innocent child who is as abused as an animal.
It is funny to find out that the ASPCA was founded and in business for a few years before any child welfare agency. But if you think about it animal cruelty was out in the open, child abuse wasn't. Henry saw pack animals being abused in the streets by making them pull loads beyond their capability, whipped, left out in the cold and heat. Children were the "property" of adults and were hit, whipped, burned, etc behind closed doors. Others didn't want to get involved by telling on their neighbors. Its a good thing Etta Wheeler didn't feel that way. Its a good thing Henry Bergh listened to her.
A bit of trivia about Henry Bergh. As much as he was aghast about and did something to stop the abuse of animals he never owned a pet. He never thought of having one. He rescued many but never kept any for himself.
This book was published in 1999 but its message is as timeless as child and animal abuse. I think this book's popularity should be renewed every decade so no one forgets that the abuse of children and animals is unacceptable.

[Maureen Grigsby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a depressing true story of the young girl in New York City who suffered for seven years under the the abusive hands of an adopted mother before being rescued by the founder of the America Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. At the time, (1865), there was no process for abused children to be removed from parents. Through the enormous efforts of a number of people who became aware of this badly beaten girl, Mary Ellen Wilson was finally rescued. Her well publicized case brought much attention to the plight of children and quickly led to the founding of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

The story itself was fascinating, but it was rounded out with a lot of fiction to make it more readable. There are photos of Mary Ellen throughout her life (she lived to age 92), and photos of her clothes, and transcripts from the trial. A horrifying look at the way children can be treated, but gratifying in that she was rescued from that life.

[Daniela Lupsanu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating this book is difficult, but I choose to focus on the positive. There's too many things to factor in. It's a difficult read, partially because of the writing style that could be a whole lot better, but mainly because of the heart wrenching story of Mary Ellen. I found it particularly fascinating to see how her story lead to immense changes in how both society and the law views child abuse and especially children's rights.

[Jackie Bouvier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical facts written as a novel

I highly recommend.

It gave the reader an in site into what may have happened to deliver this poor child in the hands of a cruel and abusive women, creativity using the written facts on record.

A story that conveys when the beginning of humanity for a child is introduced to law. Just Unbelievable who finally stood up for this child in the court of law.

Not written as gruesome as could have been, thank goodness, but got the meaning cross well enough.

[Emily Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing of this book was just “ehhh”, but the historic intervention of child abuse was eye-opening.

[Alicia Seebode · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very educational! Definitely a story of survival!

This is an amazing story of the strength of a little girl surviving the abuse, torture and hatered given by two people, who should have been tortured themselves as punishment.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the heartbreaking yet triumphant story of Mary Ellen Wilson, a child subject to horrifying physical and emotional abuse for over seven years in the late 1800s in New York.

As a songwriter would later write, “See within that dismal chamber, clothed in rags and chilled with fear, no kind father to protect her, with no watchful mother near, weeps an infant, pale and feeble, victim of her keeper’s rage, tender flower crushed and broken, blighted in her budding age.”

As I read this book, it was difficult to watch the promising life of this baby girl, that began with so much love and affection, turn into a childhood full of misery and pain. I found myself saying, “If only her father hadn’t died in the war, if only her mother had been able to save her…” But then along came her guardian angels, Etta Wheeler and Henry Bergh, and took this child from a life of despair to a life of unending promise and hope. The work of a few passionate souls ended up saving the lives of so many abused and neglected children, and so that work continues today.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was explaining the book to my daughter and almost said that Mary Ellen was abused in ways that wouldn't have been able to happen in America 150-ish years later, but then stopped myself when I thought of 'The Trials of Gabrielle Hernandez' and that even being in public school and being checked on by child protection agencies didn't save him from extreme abuse and death at the hands of his abusers. We've made progress since Mary Ellen, but, sadly, we still have a way to go to protect our/society's most vulnerable children.

The book is an easy read, but being historical fiction I wish I would have know which parts were added to make the story more read-able. I assume the details about her birth parents are unlikely to be known and are based on composites of poor young immigrants of the time, but the rest is likely based on interviews and court proceedings with little needed to be added.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book isn't quite what I expected. I expected more of a direct history, perhaps a more academic text, that what this book is. Instead, it's a dramatized sequence of events, with details that may or may not have happened. I did find that frustrating while reading this. I can't be sure what really happened and what the authors just think might have happened, largely regarding dialogue, the situation of the birth mother, and how Mary Ellen ended up in the care of others. It may make it better reading, but it makes the history fuzzy and I don't appreciate that. I wish there was an introduction mentioning how much of it was dramatized and explaining the author's reasoning.

[Susanne Alethea Larssen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is always problematic when historical events are written as fiction. Without a doubt, I should have checked better before I bought this book. However, I can see the need to flesh out the story. But giving the people thoughts, actions and feelings leave you to suspect there have been some liberties taken with the facts as well. If I had read it as a novel, fair enough. But I was genuinely interested in the case and therefore the Novel narrative became tiresome and felt like an unnecessary waste of time.

[Jeff Herman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dark and disturbing look into the life of a girl who was abused and neglected in the late 1800's. Mary Ellen's case is one of the first recorded accounts of child abuse.

[Trysh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing story very well written. A real heartbreaking telling.

[Chris Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

These types of books are very difficult for me to rate. On one hand, the writing is good, and it is a very gripping account of the establishment in America of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. The Society came about after the ASPCA was founded, because children were considered property of their parents. Meddling in a family’s affairs was not done, even if a child was at risk.

On the other hand, reading about the psychological, physical, and sexual abuse that Mary Ellen endured from a very young age is harrowing. The authors do not flinch from describing how she was tortured, although the sexual abuse is not as graphic as it could be.

Mary Ellen was kept so isolated from normal society that she had few defenders. A few neighbors who heard the screams day after day tried to help, but her foster parents would verbally attack her would-be defenders. Then they would pack up and move.

When Mary Ellen was 8, a community church worker discovered her plight and determined to get the girl away from her abusers. She enlisted the help the man responsible for the ASPCA and lawyers. Mary Ellen’s case was one of the first in the country to address the problem of child abuse. Nowadays, of course, there are governmental safeguards in place to help abused children. They are not perfect, but are better than what Mary Ellen went through.

I found it surprising and marvelous that, after she had been rescued and adopted by loving adults, Mary Ellen grew up to be what seemed to be a reasonably normal woman. She married and raised two daughters, both of whom became renowned teachers. Her daughters recall her as a loving wife and mother, although she did not care to spank her children.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Presented in historical narrative style, this work was a well-researched and referenced creative expository of a story that changed american children’s rights legislation forever. Expertly crafted like a novel, the work captures the lives and intentions of multiple players in what would eventually be the founding members of anti-cruelty commissions such as the ASPCA and the SPCC- organizations that would serve to protect the hitherto under-regulated treatment of animals and children in the United States. It also explores the depravity of abuse, the difficulty of nineteenth century regulation of victims and abusers, the creative ways in which laws were utilized to accommodate victims’ needs, the unique difficulties associated with a society of poverty and the neglected and abandoned human detritus that was its inevitable byproduct, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Mary Ellen Wilson’s legacy may have begun as the darling child rescued from atrocities we cannot imagine, but this work reminds the reader that her life amounted to so much more. Though difficult to read for the graphic depictions of the hell through which she survived, the book also celebrates the salvation her case established for generations to come. A must read.

[Lynda Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ENJOYED THIS BOOK SO MUCH THAT I COULD NOT STOP READING IT. I'M SO GLAD MARY WAS ABLE TO LIVE A NORMAL LIFE. IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE HOW A LITTLE GIRL CAN REMAIN SO STRONG AND GET PAST HER AWFUL PAST. SHE WAS A VERY SPECIAL LITTLE GIRL. I AM SO CONCERNED ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF OUR LITTLE CREATURES ON EARTH. I AM AN ANIMAL LOVER AND CARE A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THEM BEING ABUSED. ALSO THE SAME FOR CHILDREN. I
DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE CAN BE SO UNFEELING AND CRUEL. THANK GOD FOR PEOPLE THAT CARE. AGAIN, THE BOOK WAS SO WELL WRITTEN THAT I COULD FEEL THE PAIN THAT MARY HAD TO ENDURE.

[Vicky D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent historical look at actual events filled in with some fictional details. It was hard to read at times because of the subject matter, but I enjoyed getting a peek into what life was like in generations past. It is a harsh reality to think about laws, situations and victimization even back then. The author raises a good point in how we should view Mary Ellen as person, but I will not spoil it for you!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story everyone should read. Tells of the plight of a small girl in a time when children were thought of as property. Sad, thought provoking, and eye opening. This book will make you look at child protection laws in a whole new light. Sad that animal protection laws were around before the laws for child protection, but a fact none the less. Truly and well written account of the life of Mary Ellen and the people who played roles in her life. Should be required reading for everyone.

[Denise Kinyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story

A great book' ... It's extremely sad,I'm not going to.lie,at the beginning of the book I thought I would not read it , its hard to accept how much some people in the mid to late 1800s suffered so much hardship and poverty ...but as I kept reading I found out that I didn't know about an organization which I love.. I don't want to spoil it so, buy it and read it... You'll love it

[Laura Eckert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a history lesson! I never knew anything about how child protective services were created. I cannot believe that Mary Ellen went on to live a happy life after the awful and heartbreaking abuse she suffered as a child. Thank God for those who helped bring justice to her abuser and free her from a life that was destined to end in tragedy.

[Teresa A. Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Amazing Story...

One could not be helped by being touched by the true story of the beginnings of The ASPCA and the Society for the Protection of Cruelty for Children...sadly evil still lives concerning children the two cases here in California of Daniel and Gabriel are a testimate to that...

[Beth Super · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring read

While this book is a fine example of good historical research and reporting, it is also a heart-warming story. The two ends of the storytelling spectrum balance each other out, never becoming overly academic or cloyingly emotional. It is an emotional telling of grim and sad events; but is uplifting as the various challenges are met, surpassed and survived.

[Shalon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I expected from Eric but still awesome details and storytelling.

I didn't know what to expect when I stayed this book but it opened my eyes. I cried for the pain of this poor little girl then I cried in happiness at the ending. Very well written. Another great one in my opinion.

[Bobbie McCosby McGuire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most difficult book I have ever read

I gave this book a rating of five. I knew I had to read it in stages because it was just so difficult. The cruelty to the animals was very disturbing, of course but then when the story of Mary Ellen evolved, it was unbelievable. Beautifully written and definitely worth high rating. Very amazing people who have done so much good for so many.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for Everyone! There were parts of this book that made me feel downright sick. However, it was well written and a very interesting read and I would recommend to anyone who is not *too* bothered reading scenes of child abuse.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartbreaking novel about the abuse heaped on a little girl for 7 or so years and the social worker, neighbors, police and attorney who saved her. A emotionally gripping real life story that brings you to your knees, and then lifts you back up.

[Ann Crowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written

This book is about survival. It is written for all the Mary Ellen’s out there. I am a victim of emotional abuse as a child.
The story helped me realize I’m not alone and if she survived so can I.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a hard read in the sense that A Child Called It was a hard read. The subject matter was pretty intense, but it was a fascinating tale of the evolution of the SPCA and child protective services.

[Christina Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!

This book is HEARTBREAKING!!!
It is a GREAT book based on how the ASPCA came about as well as Child protective services.
This book will break your heart and have you crying and sobbing but also rejoicing.
Have the tissues ready!!!
Based on a true story

[Langer · Rating 5 out of 5]

So easy to read

This story is told in such a way that the reader just has to keep turning pages. As a teacher I see many "Mary Ellens." I see neglect, rape and physical abuse. I never see years filled with terrors. Thank you ASPCC!