Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-10-20
prlranto crime.
A PooR MAN DRIVEN TO DESPERATION sfEALs
MEAT ron HIS HUNGRY CHII.DREN-THEH
EAGERLY DEvoUR IN RAW.

II is well aown that at present, much suffer
ing Ell lists among the poor people Of this city,
many Of whom are out Of employment and
consequently without the mesus wherewilh TO
procure the actual necessarieS Of life. However
most Of these manage by some means or other,
TO procure enough tostay the paUgs Of hungaT,
but on Saturday morning an Instance occurred
which showed that one family at least had de-
cended to the lowest depths Of want until al last
it reached that point at which must be chosen
one Of the three terrible alternatives, beg, steal,
or slarve. Too proud for the fist, too human
for the lat. the second alternative WIS accep-
ted.
While brsiy engaged 10 serving his numer-
ous customers 3 on Saturday morning, lu.chtr
in one Of our maraet houses Observed poorly
dressed sp<'ors looking ma1 Siding cautiously
up to his stall, End cssting longing, hungry
eyes upon the joints end steaks - temptingly
displayed. Carel, sly keeping an eye upon the
man and pretending not to ot serve him the
butchor soon saw him hastily snatch up a piece
of steak, slip it Under his coat and dart out Of
the market house. Without making any fuss,
the owner of The meat b ckoned 10 a Jliceman
who happened to lie standing near, told him
what had occurred, and directed him to follow
and arrest the man with the meat.
The officer s0on came up with the culprit,
but being curious to know what motives induced
the act he followed the maa TO his home, in the
western 0rtion of the city. lie arrived ct the
house a minute or two after the man entered
and looking in at The window, saw a sight, which
euiirely unnamed him, and caused him 10 re-
linquIsh whatever thoughts he had previously
entertained Of making an arrest. There, seated
around the room, were several wretched looking
children devouring with famishing eagerness,
the raw meat which their father had just brought
in. So great was their hunger that they could
not wait for the meat 10 be cooked, but deyoured
it in its raw state.
told what he had seen. The tender sensibilities
Of the latter were touched by the recital, and
seizing a basket, he placed theirin some fine
pieces OF meat A call uron his sfellOw butchers
and statement Of the case soon filled the basket
after which a small sum of money and the mea
were then taken, aud in as delicate a manner si
possible, presented 10 the Toor man. He ac-
copied them thankfully with teas Of joy, and
gratitude, and related the motives which i'm
PEELED him 10 act as he did Out Of money anC
out Of work, he wss driven to desperation at thu
sufferings Of his wife and hungry little ones anC
left the house, that morning, with the determi
nation to obtain ofod or be sent to prison fol
the attempt.
The abave racital is strictly true, but we for
bear TO mention any Names out of respect l.
E the unfortunate man who hss hitherto born al
c honest, irFeproachable character Such suffer
ing, however, il is painful TO record, and VI,
hope that all similar cases will be discovere
and relieved, before the suffere :, IN their des
peration ere driven 10 violate the laws OF th
!. land.