The Brookhaven leader., 1884-08-21
A HEARTLEss FATHER.
The Rev. b. M. Bankston, M. d.
Robs his Zen Little Children
and Deserts Them.

ana Deserts Them.
. A PIrIrUL ARRAY OF STARVING Or
| One of the most heart -rendine
stories ever related to a c. H. re
porter was that of a young lady or
Little j. Railroad tram on last
Sunday. She and nine little broth
ers and sisters were in charge %
their uncle MIR yJ. w. Smith, far
mer who resides in Smith. county
Miss, about six miles south OF
Raleigh, who was conveying them
from Natchez to his farm where he
is to give them home and put them
to school. They are the children 0f
B. NJ. Bankston and Miss n. K.
Smith, his wife, whom he married
near Raleigh in 1862, when he was
overseeing ON farm in that
vicinity. After he had been marri-
ed two years his brother, James
Bankston, who moved to place
four miles south of Raleigh, inform
ed the Smith boys that B. NJ. Bank
ston, their brother-in-law, had de-
serted wife aud five children in
| Alabama about the time, of the
breaking out of the war. This re
port soon, became current ard
Bankston. left Smith county ahd
went to the, southern sea coast
where he spent several years be-
tween Biloxi and Pass Christian, at
which places he was engaged in
some capacity in the saw mills and
the lum bering trade; he then farm
ed one year near Columbian Marion
county, and successfully moved to
] Lincoln, Franklin, Copiah, Clai-
borne and Jefferson counties, where
he developed into Baptist minister,
but having some trouble with his
brother laborers in the religious
! field he commenced the practice of
medicine, which he followed several
years, when he again began to
pre- 4ch as a Methodist minister; but
some knowledge of, his, former his
tory having tho reached the blsil"p
Eof the diocese, lie WAS sit down ON
by. the Methotlists within n few
months and he returned to, The pill
buxes. Ia December last he moved
TO the city of Natcht z, hung, cut his
NJ. ID. shingle ald placed seven o;
his children in one of the cotton
factories to work. In Ma, Gin his
wife died and five weeks afterwards
he was married 10 widow. Boy kin,
who formerly kept an eating stand
at Brandon depot, she having tw"
children of her own. The step
! mother soon began TO assert her au-
thorily, and made things warm for
the ten responsibliti,s which she
had gained as a marriage dover in
her consummation OF a contract
with. Dr., Bankston. The result
was that the oldest girl, eighteen
years ofage, had to leave home and
go live with some of the neighbOrs.
As soon as his, daughter = lett home
the doctor began to dispose of their
household chattels, taking for them
whatever he could get. He sold the
former Mrs. Bahkston'sr sewing
machine for six dollars.to q grocer
agreeing to take provisions, for it,
and his order called for one dollar 9
worth of groceries and five dollar 8
worth OF brandy cherries. He sold
bedding, furniture and everything
saleable until there was little or
nothing lett. He then informed the
children that he was going TO hunt
a place to move to, and left with his
wife on the Little j. train for parts
unknown. Just before leaving he
took ashalf bushel Of corn meal, the
last vestige Of food in the house,
and sold it. He had gone to the
factory where his children worked
and notified Mr.. Clapp, superintend-
ent OF the mill, that he. was going
to take his children away in two
weeks, it being custom of the mill
for operatives to work in back time
4 and requiring two weeks notice be-
fore Quitting in order to enable
them to draw their back or worked
in wages. This amount, about $25,
he drew and put. in his pocket, the
children knowing nothing Of Git.
The consequence was nine little
chiidfen, almost naked for. r.-want OF
clothing, With nothing but rags to
sleep upon, and nothing to eat, were
left in tenement house in o city
among, strangers. The oldest girl
hearing that her father had left went
| to the assistance of The childreB.
She informed Mr.. Clapp of their
condition, and learned for the first
thine that her father had drawn her
money, back time and all, and that
by the regulations Of the mill, she
and hersisters we're no longer in en-
ploymrpt and would have 10 work
il back time again before they
4 could get,pay for the work in the
mill. Hoquestioned her as to her
! history and condition, and was 50
astophdsd upon an Investigation
Il that he took steps ! 70 relieve them
-lI1e Maid their GROCERY bills. himself