The Portland daily press., 1870-03-15

A SAD CASE OF DEsr1ruTIoN AND DEATH
iniormati "a was given to the city authorities
on Friday that woman named Abby Mon
roe, aged about IS, had died at the house of a
Mrs. Campbell, on Mayo street, on Wednesday
last, under painful circumstances, and city
burial was given her by the keeper of the Aims
House. The deceased was married woman
named Monroe, (nee Couch, a native of Var
mouth) and for some time past a tailoress in
the employ of Messrs. Rollins g. Bond. Her
husband appears to be an idle, aimess fellow,
who has been travelling through the country
lecturing on temperance and pretending to
seek work. drawing upon her for means to sus
tain him in his shiftless course; aud these de-
mands the poor woman seems to have answer
ed. working hard with her needle to clothe
him like a person far above his station. Some
time ago she hired room at the house of Mrs.
Campbell, where she lived IN most abject pow
erty, depriving herself of everything but what
was just necessary to keep soul and body to-
gether. Early last week she was taken i'll, but
did not make her situation known until the
next day, when an inmate of the house discov-
cred her condition, and sent for DR.. Fl. p. Mer-
rill, who pronounced her very low with con-
gestive fever and that she was in dying con-
dition. Mrs. Campbell states that she at once
took such means to render her comfortable as
lay in her power, but on going to her room on
Wednesday afternoon the woman was found
dead. Some of the neighbors were called, and
they found a most pitiable sight. The woman
had laid on bag of straw in one corner of the
room, with a blanket to cover her, but there
was not scrap of food in the house; no fuel
nor fire in the broken stove, nor any signs of
any having been there for weeks The furni-
ture consisted Of a rickety table, two dilapidat-
ed chairs, trunk filled with rags. No cloth
ing, not even a change in which to robe the
corpse for burial was found. A small box of
salt was by the side of the bed, with the marks
of the woman's fingers in it, showing that she
had partaken of it in the early stage of illness
in the hope that it might in some way relieve
her of her terrible pain.
1t is judged that the woman had been strug-
Cling with disease for several days, induced by
cold. scanty clothing, want of food, and had kept
up as long as she was able, but when she sue
cumbed, nature was not strong enough to raj.
ly. She had robbed herself of everything but
her pride, and was accustomed to 60 out early
in the morning and return after dark so as to
conceal her poverty. The last fathing Of her
money went to her landlady for rent, and she
had not the means to provide herself with the
simplest cheapest article of comfort, and
was too proud to let her condition be known,
even in neghborhood where open hands and
generous hearts would have ministered to her.
Her brother and husband were sen: for but
as they did not respond at the time expected,
the services of the Overseers were invoked.
Rev. Mr.. Southworth of the Bethel Church,
gave the woman Christian burial and soon after
the husband, brother and sister arrived in town,
The former treated the matter with considera-
BILE unconcern, alleging that his wife had been
badly abused, but by whom we could not learn.
He started off saying he was going to solicit
funds, and has not been heard of since, that
we know of. The neighbors contributed some
money to eefray the expenses of removing the
body to Yarmouth for final burial.
SCHOOL COMMERCIAL adjourned meet
ing of the School Committee was held last
evening, Rev. DR.. Smaller. chairman, presid-
ing. The following orders were passed addi-
ooA"A w S0S~ A41 OuoP' w., ASCSuidtiOuS VI
School Committee:
Ordered-L. Principals shall make to the
Executive Committee quarterly returns of the
public property in the possession of the
schools within five days after the quarter to
which they relate. The returns shall be made
in duplicate, one copy to be retained by the
teacher rendering the return, and shall include
books, stationery, instruments, maps, globes,
furniture, &c.
- Ordered-II. At the close of each year end
ing Dec 31st, the Executive Committee shall
prepare consolidated return of school proper
ty, which shall set forth separately the amount
held by each school, for the convenient refer
ence of the School Committee.
Ordered-lII. In addition to the foregoing
returns, each principal shall make to the chair
man of the School Committee a monthly re-
port of the attendance at the school,
The chairman read his Annual Report, from
which we learn that the amount of school
property in the city is about $500 900, with a
yearly appropriation from the City Govern
ment of about 100000 The High School grad
uated larger number of pupils last year than
ever before, and the graduating class of the
present year will be as large. In regard to
the finance administration. the Committee
think thera is great deal of misunderstood
ing on the part OF the public. The Board is
composed of men who include in their num-
Der some of the shrewdest business men and
tinanciers in the city. The Board are also tax
payers, and it is for their interest to therefore
see that money is not wasted. We have given
a pretty full account of what has taken place
in school committee during the year, and the
annual report is mostly generalization and
suggestions. We were not permitted to make
any extracts from the report, as we expected,
therefore perhaps we may have omitted some
thing Of Importance, but we think not.
The report was accepted, and it was ordered
that 1000 copies be printed under the superin-
tendence of the chairman.
On motion of Rev. Mr.. Root, it was voted
that 100 copies of the annual report should be
printed in as good style as possible, and sent
to the school committees of other cities.
Adjourned.