The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-11-03
A Terrible Case Of Starvation

| A terrible case Ot Starvation
The London Daily Telegraph, of June
29th, says:
Like gsunt and CHASTITY shadow from
another world startling bridal feast by its
unannounced intrusion-lke the terrible
writing on the wal--every now and then
the report ola Coroner's inquest drives the
blood back to the heart, and turns laughter
into sighs The mornings paper, opened
in the pleasant breakfast parlor, reports the
great doings of England, and its mighty
commerce-of its ceaseless enterprisc-nf
the thousand evidences of its almost unim-
aginable wealth--af its splenlor and it's
power; but we tnrn to another page, and.
side by side with the records Of pomp and
state, the eve is arrested by the haadiaau uafu-
afone, now 4 strong man prostrate by SICK.
ness and stricken in his prime, anon the
parent of group of helpless children who
are flung on the tender mercies Of the world:
for hunger knows neither ass nor seq. feed
ing alike on all. The latest case before Us
illustrates the condition of a too numerous
class. a poor womin named Ellen Smiles
aged ffty-seven, lived with her three chill
dren in Osborn street, White Chapel; her
husband died some weeks ags, and the wo-
man and her family occupied one miserable
apartment, destitute Of furniture, unless
that name can be given to a bed on the
floor.
The family consisted of two girls, eight
cen and nine years, and q boy of fourteen,
but the whole means of support for the four
persons was derived from the labor ofthe
eldest daughter. She was maker Of match
boxes. and early and late the poor girl toiled,
with aching and weary fingers, to win a
mouthful of bread for those around her
The pay-if that word may be used-was
two pence per gross, twenty-four dozen,
boxes and lids, out of which the paste used
| in the work had to be found, and string
provided for binding the bundles as they
were finished. All her endeavors brought
but five shillings q week. two shillings and
sixpenee of which went for rent, and on the
other moiety four persons had to iye--to
sustain vitality on sevenpence-- half penny
each for seven days!
j The end is sa.ready known. The mother
fell i'll on Saturday week, and, by the advice
Of fellow iodger, the daughter went to the
workhouse for relief. Then comes the old,
old story; through ignorance she went to
the wrong place; she applied to the relieving
officer for Spitaaeids instead of the one for
Whitechapel parish, and she got nothing,
. bat was to'a a come again on Tuesday
: morning. On Mondsy nssht the lodger
heard the girl walking all the dark nour--
: in the room where her Only parent lay dy-
9 ing, and where death and famine regne1
y supreme. A doctor was sent for. and food
i begged from two neighbors but the light
was past, and ere the medical man arrived
the poor mothers troubles on earth we're
over.
At the inquest on Friday. evidence was
70 given that the organs ofthe deceased were
healthy, but that th~, stomach aud intestine:
C were perfectly empty proving that
% she could pst have taken any food for a
N long t;ae previous to her decease. Many
y. 50 tales have been told in our pages OF
1death from privation and want, but none
5 have exceeded this in its intense agony and
Be- tragical accessories. Nothing that has ev
/. er been written or painted Of human woe
surpasses the night scene in this Whit
!, Chapel lodging house. The imas ingtion o
Shakespeare himself has conceived no picture
more awful and heart-rending than that o
I the poor daughter--yes girl in years
{. without food, without money. without
4 friends. without stool to sit on to rest he,
tottering limbs, alone with dying mothe,
and starving brother and sister. walking
5. around the pallet in homeless despair, Wit
q none bot the All-seeing Eye to look dow,
e and pity her. Ellen Smiles will soon bt
forgotten; those who are bone Of hsr bone
4 and flesh Of her flesh will kneel at her low
O ly grave, shed bitter tears, and tnrn ava,
Is forever; but the main features of this huma,
~ tragedy are daily played, and are too com
l. mon to be kept constantly in mind by th,
busy public.