The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-12-21

RICHMOND. December ia story OF
disease. destitution. and the abandonment
n five human beings TO a terrible fate,
slmost within the corporate limits Of the
,fg Of Richmond was related 10 Your cor
rSpondcnt to-day. Ii is that OF a Door
eo6rcd woman and her four children,
most Of whom were stricken with the small
pox. and then deserted and stunned by
rerybody who should or could have sent
tbem q helping hand. About two hum
dred wards from the corporate limits OF the
etg u Richmond, on Brook avenue, and
over which the jurisdiction OF the
cy authorities extends, i'm the county
a. Henrico. lives colOred widow
named Mary Pollard and her four
children. The mother is about thirty
I've years Of age, the Oldest child, girl,
thirteen. and the others respectively five
and three. and the youngest one year old.
The house or cabin in which they reside is
4 miserable, dilapidated frame tenement.
greatly exposed TO the inclemcncy OF the
weather by reason Of loose boarding and
holes, through which winter winds and
min Gain access. To add TO the misery Of
fbs unioriunates within. about one month
ago the girl, the oldest of the children, W1ls
taken violently III, and a physician was
called in. He examined the case, and at
once pronounced il one Of smallpox. This
gentleman. who il is understood stands
high in the medical profession Of this city,
called the remaining members Of the fam
lis out on the street and there yaccinated
them.
MANS INHUMANITY TO MAN.
rrr.;s ,,-,e ,-or,. ..cod ord l,,,,,o,,o 90 tIo
doctor: but after advising that the girl
should be sent to the smallpox hospital,
he announced to the suffering family that
he would not call again. The news that
there was smallpox in the family soon
spread over the neighborhoOd, aud the
fril tenement was shunped as pest-hOuScS
are. No one went near it. Soon after this
ysi; Of the physician the baby was also
taken with the disease. The mother
nur,ed both her stricken children
with all-untiring love and the devO-
ton OF mother, but she was utterly
destitute, without food, without fuel, with
ont medicine, and without friend, almost
within hailing distance OF a city number
ing 6j, 900 Notwithstanding over with
bcneyolence and charitable and religious
institutions. In the terrible straits TO
which she was reduced the poor woman
tore the weatherboards from the house to
make fire 10 keep her children from famSh-
ing, and in this way making the exposure
greater than before. Then this struggling,
heroic mother was taken sick.
NEAR WHOLE CITY FULL, FRIENDS SHE HAD
NONE.
The malady had laid its fearful hands on
her. but still she struggled on and nursed
her children. In few days, however, and
before the mothers strength had failed her,
the baby died. For two entire DAYS the
corpse Of the dead infant lay in that house
Of misery and want. Not Il human being
came near enough To cross the threshold.
The next Youngest child, three years old,
was taken sick and there was none left to
hand even water TO the sufferers excepting
the bOv. aged five years, who had now TO
nurse the whole family. BY this time the
horrors OF the situation in the desOlate
cabin began 10 dawn upon the neighbors,
and charity, cold and distant, at last put III
an appearance. The fiye-year-Old boy from
the door cried out to passers-by and told
their pitcous story. 1t had its effect.
CHARITY IN HOHELY GUIsE.
A humane colored man came with a
spade, and two yards from the rear OF the
cabin he dug a little grave. Another
neighbor kindly furnished tiny pine
board box. II was laid near the door OF
the house. The mother, with the disease
raging upon her, dragged herself from the
bed. She shrouded her dead child. placed
Il i'm a charity coffin, and il was buried. y
dav or two after the burial the poor mother
grew worse until she had the disease in It's
most malignant form; but she still happily
survives il. With the death and burial o1
ihc child the ncighbOrs opened their hearts.
Food was brought and placed near the
door. The boy nurse took il in and led the
sick.
BRAVE LITTLE BOY.
Night and day this five-year-old child has
uursed the whole family alone and unaided,
and. thanks 10 his efforts, they still live.
no doctor nor any official ever came near
that house since the day fhc physician above
alluded 10 called TO Yaccinatc the children
and announced that he would not go there
again. Who is responsible for this suller-
ing, this inhumanity--the doctor, the City
Board of Health, OF the superintendent OF
the Poor in Honrico county!
An investigation should be made NJ once,
and whoever is culpabe for this gross ne
glect should be held TO a strict accounta-
bility. The ease Of the widow Pollard is
certainly, as a doctor remarked to me to-
day, disgrace to the medical profession
and an outrage upon our common human
ity.-Aeo York Herald.
Suicide of Judge j. n. Weich.
ATLANTA, GA, December ia special