Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1866-11-24
FERSON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA. SATURDAY, NOV. a. 1866
Three Children Starved in Chattanoo-

Three Children Starved in Chattanoo-
ga, Tenn.
The Mother and Fire Other Children
in q &arMng COndiiion.-lt otIen ialls
TO the lo, OF Tie journalist and the news
paper reporter TO become acquainted win
scenes of misery and deslitulIon while III
.he performance Of his duties, but never.
we think, in civilized community, and
among people calling themselves Chris'
tians, in commonly so generally pros
porous as that of Chattanooga, has II been
Iour province 10 note sech narrowing
scene of poverty, disease, 0es,ilulion and
death as we were called upon 10 witness
| on last Sunday evening.
At lha, time, while the church bells
were ringing. calling woTshiPPers to
prayer, friend called on US TO 90 with
,Lim short distance from the Cfu,chheld
House 10 see family who. il his i2n'
guage, "were dying OF Starvation. On
Nin,Ifsreei, below Chesnut, within "a
stones throw Of two Chrslisn churches,
We found The family.
1t originally consisted Of mother ana
eight children, bul two Of The latter al
ready were dead, while third was liant
ly catching the few last gasps before pass
ing away. The scene as II presented IT.
self to us was aorrble. The hovel in
which they were was open on all sldea 10
tie keen chlly night air. On board al
one side Of the room lay the coFpses o!
l,ule baby, which had died on Saturday
evening. and eiTl five years old, which
had expired on Sunday morning. The
pnched and ghastIy features OF the poor
uule ones told 100 plainly Of their painful
IIinperiug death. On a blanket on the
floor lay The mother herself, sick UNTO
death, holding in her arms The third girl,
seven years old, who was near her last.
A, the feet Of The mother lay The eldest
daughter. gil of seventeen.
The appearance Of all of them showed
:, the want Of food Of any kind. In one
corner another daughter Of eleven years
lay. suffering with cramps. Some ol 'he
children had not eaten mouthfnl OF food
from Saturday morning 10 the time we
saw them. The bsdy, the first TO die eX'
, pired in lis mothers arms in convuISions
, on Saturday night. The poor woman
herself unable to stand from weakness,
was forced 10 sill on the floor and hold the
Ihulle lbing ill its eyes closed on the
troubles OF lhis world. When Ihe second
one died in the morning she was unable
to do anything for it, and now lay hold
q
oobIe hearted lady, wife Of one OF our
, citizens, who had heard Of lhe family,
, came in, accompanied by servant bear
ing food and clothing for The children.
Some Of ,he We, living ones were so weak
, Ilha, II cir slomaChs refused all food, ex-
cept little bolled milk. The dying
child asked for llltIe piece oI bread, but
was unable to swallow 1t alter It was
!, placed in it's mouth. When asked if she
was hungry, she replied mot now
was iule while ago" and in few mo-
menls after it expired and was out OF lis
( misery.
Tie lady alluded to had The body de-
, Gently laid out, and procuring bedsiead,
3 had The mother and one Of the daughters
removed TO it. A woman was found to
: stay with the family through the nighI
and care for them. IL the morning cot.
fins were procured for three corpses, q
gentleman doing business on Marker
street gave enough of clothing and mate
, rial for shrcuds to clolhe them. During
the morning the bodies ere inferred. AZ
dinner time The mother and she rest Of the
children were removed TO more com
Portable place, short distonce below
!, where they were FIRST found.
The unfortunate family are named
, Simmons, and are from ST. Clair county,
Alabama. where they had lin!e farm.
! The father tyiDg the mother had left her
home and came this far in search for q
brother, who she understood was living
here. They arrived in ,hs city about
three weeks ago, and during The very
cold weather which prevailed in the last
week OF October they lay in the Union
passenger depot without any other shelter
than ths, afforded By a few blankets. On
Tuesdsy las, they were removed into ihe
hovel where we found ChaHa.
nooga (Tenn.l Union. NOv. 6.
TIE WOMEN Mov1No.-The Equal
Rights Assoc,alion, which is the new
name of the Wonan's Rights Associa-
ilion, will hold Convention at Albany,