Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-01-01
STARVATION NEAR ZcuEs-
VEGLE.
Ga ssny PanOranaa CT Human
Wee.
FansIly OF Lisins skesetons.

From tha Lostsynls ceoiier.Tourual q
u NeSnesdzy.l
yessesaay morning, Coroner Dick
Moore wac called upon ID hold &c in-
guest upon the body VI igoman named
Catherine Samples, aud lFss directed 70
70 to & hose on the Cane Run rosd,
some eight miles from the city, where
lhs body OF the deceased was reported
to be. Promptly answsiiug tbs suW-
mons, the Coroner ~ oncs left town by
the Cane Run road, and following The
10 sirrcsious given him, Fl length arrived
at MS destination. The house proved 20
be n little log cabin, perhsps sixteen fees
square, and stood back some distsnoa
from the read.
Toe sight that met tEe eyes ot Msl
Moore as ne stepped into the cabin was
oae such as feE men eve. looked UpoG.
E5aea q seens of saualia Eretc5edness, o.
9Th and famine, OF woe lnutteFabie, Re
at least had never been called upon tn
witness. CroUching oyef few moider-
inR sticks OF wool sst q helpless old
,nsu, striving 10 draw 1, little warmth
from the half burned pietes, Tbils about
pin were e number Of rsl,ged, dirty, and
neglected children. This old man waa
William Samples. On 3 filthy tettered
mattress the shucks frDIn which we're
scattered about the tioorr lay the corpse
Of his wife, Catherine s. mfles, while at
her side, unsbie to m0vis, 'ay the eldest
daue hter, girl OF fiitee ,, apparently Ia
the last stages OF sUEre fatal discs se.
I've OF the smaller chi ldren were aisj
III, making three out OF the six children
who were helpless.
The Coroner aseertsiued that the
\ La. -
day evening, and that she had lain
where she had died nearly f0rty-eight
hours. All this tipae the eldest daugh-
ter, who had also been seized with pneu-
nonis, had been lying helpless R5 the
side OF her nlotheris corpse. There were
no white neighbors nesreT than mile
away, and none knew OF the terrible SUI
fering and distress in this lttle cherries
cabin. The old man, WAC seemed 70 De
about fifty years OF sge, was an invalid,
and had ioug been su feTIDg from d.
sease Of the heart, so that he was unable
10 make any effort toWaFd the relief Of
his DYING wife and starving children.
fIgunt and spectral, with not 81 inch OF
clothing that was not ttFn 60 shrees, the
children huddled about him. As hlthy
a. they were ragged, ths posi- little eEea-
Gnres were indeed pitialAe objects. They
were all 100 youag to rSaliZe fully their
condition, the youngest OF five CT them
being almost an infant, and neither OF
the four others being over ten years or
sge.
The cabin was itself 5 Eretehed place,
the fi1or being laid upon the ground,
and ghe Eoof letting IL the cold rain,
which trickled down upon the mattress
where lay the dead cad dying. Little
pools Of rain water and filth we're foFmei
about the floor, Snd eFerything seemed
to condace to the sqUslid wreteheduess
Of the surrouneiDgs.
It was stated to BIr. Moore that Mrs.
Samples, the dead mother; had besa a
hard- working, deserving womsn- who
had with her own hards supported her
large family, and up to the time Of her
beingesized with pne 1mOnia, some ten
days age, had t0iled iscessantly to keep
lhsn from starvation. When the recent
cold weather set in the poor w0mss
ound the struggle to be too much for her
avertaxed powers, and both she and her
eldest daughter were stracz down By dis
ease brought On 0y coil and exposure.
She was about thlTty-d % years Of sgs.
Mr.. Samples had Hved in the neigh6or-
hoOd some twenty years.
Coroner Moore did not bold an inquest,
but with the assistance Of some negroes
pisee the body of Mrs. Samples ia 8
cofiin which he had procured. The hus-
0and, when be saw what was going OF,
was nearly frantic with grief and the
Little ragged children were all permitted
to gather round and take last lock al
the face OF the dead mother. Then they
bBde her last farewell, aud the coliia
Ess closed and conveyed away to the
city.
Ia the old Western cemetery the re-
maius Of the unfortunate woman we're
laid away, and the Coroner promised to
mark her grave, that it might De known
when her children should come 70 seek 1t.