Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-12-20
A Terrible HaeifSI,

RICHMOND, Dac. pa story Of disease,
des;iiuicn srd tho abandonment Of five human
beings to a terrible fate, almost wilhia the cor
parste Limits f the oily Of Richmond. has jus.
come to light. 1t IS that of poor o,lo,ed VIC
m,n and her four cbiidteD. mos. of whom we're
risksn with the smallpox, and then deserted
and shuonsd by everybody who should OF csuld
have seot them EeIpirg haLd. Just about
Two hundred yards from tho corporate limits
the cry Of r cAnund on Brock svenue, sod
over which the iutisdc ion of the City extends,
10 the county Of HenrioJ. lives c,cred widow
named May Pollard AID her teur children.
The house vr oatio 10 which thty reside is
miserable, dispiiated franc tenement, greatly
exposed TO .hs incl!mctoy OF tho weather by
rtss,u OF loose boarding sad holes, through
Wh:cl Winter Glods snd rain gaia stc,ss. TO
add 20 tho mlsTy OF the unfGrluastes within,
about month ago the girl. the Oldest OF The
children Wss skao vicleD:ly i'll, aGd pi yscan
Was called 10. Tie examined tie case, and al
once pronounced 1t one Of smallpox. He called
the remailiog m.nbars OF tho family Cut on
the sr,et ind theirs vac,ina,ed them. Soon
after this visit OF the physician the bAby was
as, taken with the disease. Tbs mother cursed
both her stricken children With tho ualiriog
1--we and the devotion Of mother. but she was
utterly destitute. Without food. without iusl,
without nedc;no and Nihou. frerd, almost
within hallirg distance OF city tumbcricg
IS 600 MISUNDERSTANDING over With BIZ
p,voerc'snd chali!s6!e and religious usl:C-
tlons. In the Il rtlble srsi!s 10 which she Was
REDUCED, the poor wouan tore lhs weather
boards from the htu5, to make fire TO keep her
children from fr,, ziog. aod 10 this way max
log the exposure greater than il wss before.
al hrSn
sick. The nsis6y had laid its fearful hands Oh
her, bu! still she snugg',d CO ard 5urs,d her
Children. 10 a t+W days. howsscr. and before
.be mothers s'recgth had failed her tie baby
died. For two ebtro days The rpse of tho
dead itt.nt ley 10 lha: hcusy OF misery ard
want. Not human being oEms Gear enough
to cross ito threshold The rtxt youDgss 81.
otilj, ttrss years oil. was ttken sick snd there
| Hss uone lttt 10 hsrd even water 10 the su.-
fertis excepting tho boy n2ed 6Vo years. who
bad DOW to nurse the whole family. BY this
TINS the horrors OF tho aituation 10 q dssol.te
cib's began 10 dtWo UPON thtic neis hbors, and
charity, c,id aud distant. OF l:st pu. 10 an al
peo!arc,. Tho 6Vi-5ea.- Id boy from the door
cried ous to pssssrsby ard tod their ri,eous
| Sttrg. L. had lie ,ff=cs. A human, o1lofed
man csIe with q spade. and Two yards from
Iha rear O.! the cabin he Gus little grave
Another neiehbor kid y furtisled tiny pine
board bcx. IL was laid Gear Ire door OF The
house. Tho m2tre r, viii The disease rs,cs
upoo her, dragged herself ircm he btd She
shrOuded hsr dead child, placed i. 10 charity
cofho. and it wss buried. A day or two after
be burial the p,cr mother grew wlrso unil she
had tie disease in is most malignant lorm :;
bat she still b,ppy su.vlves il. With the
death ani but. Ut tie child lie ueish
ooIs opened their hearts. Focd was
brought and plsc,d near the door. The hoy
rurse took it 10 aud fed tho SICK. Night aid
day his 6Vt-Veu- I'D child hss cursed tho whole
family stone ED uosded and, thsuks 10 his
fJrls, th.y i'll live.