National Republican., 1884-01-17
OUT OF THE DEPTHS
OF Suffering and Misery Still Rises the Cry
for Help. -.
Appalling Destitution in the Southeast
Portion Of the City,
Tho Energies Of the Police Strained 10 the Utmost 10
Assist the Needy.
Tho Meeting OF the RELIEF Committee Lust
Night-Charlty Notes,

'"There is great deal Of destitution in this
section of the city," said Lieut.. Boteler of
the first precinct, to REPUBLICAN reporter
last night. Destitute people come pouring
into the station house every day, and we are
kept very busy. There seems to be no
dimlnution in point of numbers. The de.
mands come almost equally from the whites
and colored classes, aud many sad cases are
presented"
DO you have many appeals from persons
who were once in better conditons?"
Yes" was the reply. Last night very
respectable man, coach trimmer by trade,
with wife and several children, came to mo
in tears-and l could soc that he felt humil-
iated-and told me that his employer had
run away and failed to pay him the months
wages, and that he was really starving. That
man told the truth and learned that ho did
not have 5.cent piece with which to buy a
loaf Of bread. There arc other similar in
stances. have only $50 bushels of coke on
hand out of the 700 bushels allotted to me by
headquarters. l could find use for as much
more"
What amounts do you give ca ch caseP"
1.-TWO dollars worth OF groceries, SIZE
worth Of fuel, beside twenty five bushels of
COKE"
Are the demands on the increase ~
They are" replied the lieutenant. "There
were twenty-six appeals or orders answered
to-day. great many moro asked for relief,
but the number stated were proven to be
worthy objects"
81 have heard,' said the reporter, "that
many Of the officers of this precinct have
banded together and contributed in a quiet
way quite sum of money, provisions, &c"
well, we won't talk about that" and the
lieutenants face showed that the question
could have been answered with yes.
Sergeant Hughes. of the same precinct,
stated that he could speak of many cases Of
suffering known to himself. He knew of one
woman who was paralyzed and in helpless
condition, worthy object Of sympathy. He
spoke of colored woman whose husband was
in the insane asylum. There were depend
ent on her daily toll six or seven persons.
She was hard-working woman, and he be-
liev9d her to be in real want. ~ can tell
you," he said, "a sad story of q man whom
looked on as being in need. My
suspicious were aroused about him,
If he was not suffering for the necessares
of life. l happened to bo near his bed while
talking, and / was thunderstruck with the
covering on the same. IL was simply few
pieces of old dirty carpet that you and 1
would only use to wipe our feet on. The
room was cold and cheerless. There is one
other case of worthy white man living
with his wife and several children in an old
one-story frame shanty. / know also of a
hard working man with wife and five chill
dren. The husband did all in his power to
get work here, and at length had to go to
Newport News to find something to do, and
that at starvation wages. 1t is true he sonds
his family his money, but / know that it
is not enough, and that they are passing
through prlvations known only, as thoy
think, to themselves.
another case is that of man very sick
with large family to look after. Another is
woman with two or three children and
drunken husband. Some one must help the
poor creature, and we can't let her and her
children suffer for the sake of Furnishing the
husband. Below where we are standing is n
very sad case of q man who used to be in
good circumstances"
The disbursements for the relief of the
poor at the first precinct station house since
Monday. Is as follows: Paid out for groceries,
$71.25; for coal, $1,000, and the distribution
of $50 bushels of coke. The number of fam
lilies relieved was sixty, representing 300 per-
sons
THE sights 1 saw to-day were terrible"
said Lieut.. Greer, of the eighth precinct, to a
REPUBLICAN reporter last night. 81 would
almost rather be led out and shot than to be
compelled to witness SO much human misery
and woe again"
what portion of the city did you visit 2"
asked the reporter.
" "Pipetown is the name Of the locality, /
believe" replied the lieutenant. ut is in the
extreme southeastern section, beyond tho
navy yard. The suffering there cannot be
described. 1t is confined almost entirely to
white families"
The lieutenant also stated that sxty-one
cases Of destitution had been relieved in the
past forty-eight hours, and that fully ono
hundred families had applied for sue
cor in the meantime. The plan of relief
adopted by Lieut. Greer is to issue So and So
orders on o certain grocery establishment
where tho applicants present them and re-
ceive groceries and provisions to the values
mentioned. The Rroceryman in question
told the reporter that the supplies issued
consisted of equal portions of -four, meal
meat or fish, coffee, sugar, and hominy or
beans.
Among the terrible cases in Southeast
Washington is that Of female cripple, with
several children, at No. 800 South Carolina
avenue. BY reason Of her physical condition
she is compelled to creep about on her hands
and knees This has resulted in the frequent
bursting of her veins, at which times she
loses largo quantities of blood. The police say
the case is very worthy one and will extend
relief. Even in her sad condition the poor
creature can nearly always be found trying to
work about her humble home.
Another family is supported by little
9.year-old boy, who sells newspapers and
another by an invalid daughter, who makes
fancy articles in her sick bed.
A thinly clad colored girl, about 0 years of
age was found wandering about in the OK
treme cold by the East Washington police
last night. She was taken to the station
house. and gave thc name of Mary Elizabeth
Grass, although she could not tell where she
came from. She was about half frozen when
found.
The relief committee met last night at 1924
+ street. There wero present Maj. Morgan,
chairman; Messrs. Fendall, Glover, Green,
Whitney, Clark, McCiuire, Perry, and Mai
Dye. Mr.. John A. Baker was elected :secre.
tary in place of Mr.. +. H. Moore, who was
unable to serve on account Of sickness. Tho
following committees were appointed to
solicit subscriptions in the several portions of
the district hereinafter named: For Central
Washington, Mai. Morgan and Mcssrs. Fen
dali and Perry; for West Washington,
Messrs. w. A. Gordon aud f. H.
Moore; for East Washington, Messrs, A.
p. Clark, and Il. b. Ferguson for Uniontown
Mr.. Ii. A. Griswod for Tcnnallytown, DR.,
Gilpn and Mr.. o. G. Green. Wrights Dime
museum, Ninth and ID streets. submitted an
offer to give an entertainment TO rtho benefit
of the fund.- which offer was accepted, and in
reference to this and other proposed enter
tainments the committee passed the following
order:
This committee accepts with thanks the various
offers which have been made by certain persons
and organizations 10 give entertainments for the
benefit Of the poor fund This committee docs
not consider Itself authorized to incur any OK
pense for the procuring of halls or other purposes,
but will thankfully accept tho proceeds OF such