The Portland daily press., 1870-03-17
The f.nte Sad Case OfMrs. ABBY Musr0e'

TO The Editor Of the Press:
/ leel it my duty in the midst OF my grief to
correct the statements that have been pub.
lished in the daily papers of this city in regard
to the circumstances and death of my sister,
Mrs.sAbbie Munroe.
NV sister was not the subject of such abject
poverty as has been represented. Her best
clothing was removed by Mrs. Campbell (the
woman in whose house she resided) who gave
as a reason that she did not wish the inspec-
TORS when they came to see them, ana IN OF
der that she might keep them for her trends
My sister had plenty of good underciothing,
beautiful black silk dress, bed stead, 1eath-
er bed, straw bed and enough bedding to make
her comfortable. Her stock OF household
furniture was not large but far better than
represented in the papers, there being q large
light-stand as good as new. and mot a rickety
table," good stove with slight break in the
top but not enough to do injury, other fnrni-
ture besides half set of good knives and forks
and, as for fuel, she had only been out few
days and preferred borrowing few sticks of
Mrs: Cambell to going for wood although
she mad the means to obtain it-as she was
much hurried in her sewing.
In regard to the story of the bag of straw on
which she died it is false. She removed part
OF her bedding to the room where the
stove was, on the first evening OF her Illness
and decent bed it was too She never sur
fered for want of food for when her husband
left for the country, five weeks since, on &C
count of his health, and at her request, ne
purchased bag of flour containing 80 pounds,
and she had in the house tea, butter and sugar
besides. with credit at Mr.. Soule's for what
she desired to purchase as his bill will testify.
The statement that she had nothing to eat
in her cupboard is false, for it contained bread,
fish, meat, vegetables and spices. 1 think her
sickness was caused by eating something that
disagreed with her and from exposure, for her
shoes were not as good as they ought to have
been. Her husband, before he went to the
country, made her pair of shoes. They
didn't fit and she sold them. Her husband
wanted her to get pair OF rubbers from man
for whom he had been at work. She neglected
to do so. Mrs. Munroe was kind-hearted,
truthful woman end wouldn't not say she was
getting on comfortably it she didn't think so.
The writer here enumerates quantity OF
nice outside clothing owned by her sister,
Ed
1 think the sole cause of my sisters death
was owing to the neglect OF Mrs. Campbell,
the woman from whom she hired her rent.
When Mr.. Monroe was at my house he receiv-
ed an insulting letter from Mrs. c., saying
that my sister owed her rent and could get the
money if she would at the shop, for it was due
her from her employers, and wanted him to
come and take the thing out of the house, for
she would not have her there. When my sis
ter was sick Mrs. G. left her alone at night,
gave her poor attendance by day, never noti-
fed any of her relatives or friends of her ILL
ness though she had their address, and would
MT admit any one into my sisters room till
just before her death, saying my sister didn't
want to see them. This statement of Mrs.
C.'s must be untrue, as I can testify from a
letter left by my sister and found in book
she had been reading Mrs. G. was offended
with Mr.. Munroe for mot needing her request,
and for sending the letters she wrote him to
his wife; and also learning from a letter he
wrote Mrs. Munroe that be would be at homo
the last of the week, regardless of the feelings
of absent friends, she had the remains taken
in charge by the Overseers of the Poor before
his arrival. Not till Thursday night did
hear she was ILL., and then communicated the
news to her husband. We fastened to her to
find we were too late, and to suffer unutterable
pain at the false statements published. When
my sister was asked if she thought she was
dying it is said, she, in reply, asked for medi-
cine. It is untrue. She had her senses to the
last and replied "Yes" She was member of
the Congregational church, and evinced firm
belief Ia God.
*Overseers of the Poor?
1.-The above communication was handed TO
US by very well-appearing woman who rep
resented herself as the sister of the deceased
and who was accompanied by a man whom we
were informed was the husband Of the de-
ceased. The statement as printed by us was
on the authority of the Overseers of the Poor,
the physician who attended the woman in her
last sickness, and the neighbors who visited
the house as soon as they were Informed of the
case. We took pains to investigate the matter
as thoroughly as was possible. The public
must draw their own conclusions from the
statements of these parties and the statement
we publish above Ed