Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-01-02
Starvation in Kontucky.

cdbt, 10
from the Louisville Courier Journal:
Yesterday morning, Coroner Dick
Moore was called upon to hold an inc quest
upon the body of woman named Cath
crime Samples, and was directed to go to
a house on the Cane Run road, some
eight miles from the city, where the 0ody
of the deceased was reported to be.
Promptly answering the summons, the
Coroner at once left town by the Cane
Run road, and following the instructions
given him, at length arrived at his des-
tination. The house proved to be little
log cabin, perhaps sixteen feet square,
and stood back some distance from tke
road
The sight that met the eyes of Mr..
Moore as he stepped into the cabin was
one such as few men ever looked upon.
Such scene of squalid wretehedness, of
filth, famine, of woe unutterable, he at
least had never before been called upon
to witness.
Crouching over few moldering sticks
of wood sat helpless old man, striving
to draw little warmth from the half
burned pieces, while about him were
number of ragged, dirty, and neglected
children. This old man was William
Samples. On filthy, tattered mattress,
the shucks from which were scattered
about the floor, lay the corpse of his wife,
Catherine Samples, while at her side,
unable to move, lay the eldest daughter,
a girl of fifteen, apparently in the last
stages of some fatal disease. Two of the
smaller children we're also i'll, making
three ont of the six children who were
helpless.
The Coroner ascertsined that the
mother had died of pneumonia on Sun
day evening, and that she had lain where
she had died nearly forty-eight hours.
All this time the eldest daughter, who
had also been seized with pneumonia,
had been lying helpless at the side Of her
mothers corpse. There were no white
neighbors nearer than mile away, and
noue knew of the terrible suffering and
distress in the little cheerless cabin.
fifty years of age, was an invalid, and
had long been suffering from disease of
the heart, so that he was unable 10 make
any effort toward the relief of his dying
wife and starving children. Gaunt and
spectral, with not an inch of clothing
that was not torn to shreds, the half
naked children huddled about him. AS
filthy as they were ragged, the poor little
creatures were indeed pitiable objects.
They were all too young to realize fully
their condition, the youngest of FIVE of
them being almost an infant, and neither
of the four others being over ten years
of age.
The cabin was itself wretched place,
the floor being laid upon the ground, and
the roof letting in the cold rain, which
trickled down upon the mattress where
lay the dead and dying. Little pools of
rainwater and filth were formed about
the floor, and everything seemed to con-
duce to the squalid wretchedness of the
surroundings.
1t was stated to Mr. Moore that Mrs.
Samples, the dead mother, had been a
hard working, deserving woman, who bad
with her own hands supported her large
family, aud up to the time of her being
seized with pneumonia, some ten days
ago, had toiled necessarily to keep them
from starvation. When the recent cold
weather set in the poor woman found the
struggle to be too much for her over
taxed powers, and both she and her eld-
est daughter were struck down by dis
ease brought on by cold and exposure.
She was about thirty.fv years of age.
Mr.. Samples had lived in the neighbor-
hood some twenty years.
Coroner Moore did not hold an inquest,
but with the assistance of some negroes
placed the body of Mrs. Samples in a
coffin which he had procured. ! he hus-
band, when he saw what was going on,
was nearly frantic with grief, and the
little ragged children we're oil permitted
to gather round and take last look ct
the face of the dead mother. Then they
bade her last farewell, and the coffin
was closed and conveyed away to the
city.
In the old Western cemetery the re-
mains of the unfortunate woman were
laid away, and the Coroner promised to
mark her grave, that it might be known
when her children should come to seek
it.
As soon as possible Mr.. Moore made
known the discovery he had made, and
sent some provisions to the suffering
family. To-day he will visit the place
again to provide for the sick children,
and will carry provisions and bedding
and see that the little cabin is cleaned up
and made as comfortable as may be.