Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-03-12
BENEATH MAMMON'S CAR
PFTlFUl TALES OF STARVATION IN
THE MIDST OF PLENTY.

Victim of a Beautiful TheOry-Born in \
Cellar, and ''Of Such Is the Kingdom
of Heaven''-"On the Street, On the
Street''-A Sad Home Coming.
More men, women and children starve
to death or are driven to suicide by
want each week in New York city and
its suburbs than were lost in the awful
Conemaugh food, yet the gay world
wags on, the Patriarchs dance, the COM
mercial leagues dine and the church
people sing psalms. Scores of cases are
passed over with bare mention in the
daily press, but occasionally one is
brought to light that is so pitiful as to
arouse even the newspaper man, who is
accustomed to seeing the dark side of a
big clty's life. The following sad sto-
RES are taken from one weeks issue of
the New York dailies. The cases cited
are those of women:
POOR MARY CARLTON.
Tragedies! You needn't go TO the theatre
and pay couple of dollars for a good seat
from which to view the heroine as She grows
desperate and takes poison. You can find
within stones throw of your home misery
enough for all your spare tears.
It's queer world, and its good fortune and
Dad seem to be very unevenly distributed
There are many with too much. and many
more with not enough. There are dollars by
the bushel in one house, and in another not
coppers enough to buy loaf of stale bread
rake the case OF Mary Carlton, for example
ohe trled 10 commit suicide, and now lies on a
hospital cot She is young, but the struggle
was too much for her and she swallowed a dose
of laudanum.
Mary Is product of the tenement district
and perhaps never in her life had quite enough
TO eat. Long before her teens she went to
work; has been working ever since; always
thought she was in rare good luck when she
could put in twelve hours a day and get sixty
cents for it. Now she is 80 years old is tired of
the grind, has breakfasted, dined and supped
on despair, and concluded that even in a city
full OF churches and charities it is easier for a
poor girl to die than to live.
Il am very hungry" she said to her landlady
Then she moved out of her little cherries room
at the top of the house, for which she paid $50
per week, into an i'll ventilated closet with a
rental of half that sum. 1t was to no purpose,
though. She kept hoping. but hope can't last
forever. She trudged over the city seeking
employment and got none.
At last she pawned her dress, paid her land
lady what she could, all except fifty cents with
which she bought the drug. She drained the
bottle and waited for death to come.
The doctors may save her life, but what is
there to live for? Who cares either for her or
for the thousand other Mary CARTONS who are
vainly trying to keep the wolf from the door?
We are allof one family-are al brothers and
sisters. It's a beautiful theory, but only a the
DRY. 1t sounds like great truth on Sunday
morning when we listen to the sermon, but OF
Monday morning it is prodigious falsehood.-
Editorial in NoT York Herald
HER BABY IN HER ARMS.
In the Jefferson Market police court yester-
day there appeared before Justice Mcmahon a
forlorn, sad eyed woman who had been ac-
cused of abandoning her child, a bright little
fellow years of age. The mothers name is
Margaret Schmitz and the boys is Nicholas
The child was found in the hallway of No.
149 West Thirtieth street on Wednesday night
and Is now in charge OF the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Children. The mother
Is undoubtedly a little out of her mind
When she appeared in court yesterday in
the custody of Policeman Warner she held in
her arms baby only four days old The in
FAINT appeared strong and well, while its mother
looked Ill and weak. The woman was asked
why she had abandoned her boy
Il didn't mean to abandon him." she an
swered, with a far away look in her eyes, but
what could do? This child" pointing to the
little bunch of humanity in her arms. was
about to be born. Sunday was homeless and
was walking the streets with no place to lie
down. remember creeping into basement
as 1t grew late. No one saw me. had a piece
of candle in my pocket. struck light, and
the bit of a candle burned for little time
i was all alone; there was no one TO help
me. This child" she said, pointing to the bun
die at her breast was born there had some
clothing ready for it, and l remember putting
1t on the babe. Then don't remember much
more. didn't want to give the people in the
house any trouble, 1 kept very quiet re-
member that, Judge"
The mother went on to say that she leaned
against the wall of the hallway waiting for the
mnkman. He n in bo rIv
ing, and she gave the new born child some
milk. Then she recollected afterward that she
walked the streets again. On Wednesday sho
said she became crazy.
After that she didn't know what she did
Regarding the events before that time when
questioned by the judge, her mind seemed to
wander as she had wandered Sunday about
the streets.
''Oh! l don't know; l don't know" she
mOaned IN answer Il didn't want to lose my
boy. | only wanted some one to take care Of
him till could get well again and look out for
him myself. | have had no home for quite n
time, you know. l was all alone, with no one
to help me."-Ncw York World
OFF THE STREET TO DIE.
A woman tottered down the stone steps into
an eating house in the basement of % Park
street on Thursday night tattered black
serge dress covered her wasted body, and a thin
shawl was thrown over her head Shiyerino
she sunk into the nearest seat, and feebly
called for cup OF coffee as she placed in front
OF her the last two cents in her possession
When a boy brought her the coffee she drew
from her pocket dry crust and tried to cat
it, but found it too hard and cold The bow
offered to soften the crust over the stove, and
the woman handed it to him with a sad smile
In n few moments it was returned, warm ard
soft She tasted it and swallowed a sip of the
coffee, then put the rest of the crust back in
her pocket. Her hand stretched toward the
coffee again, but fell short upon the bench IN
front of her. Her eyes closed and a CONFUSION
shook her frame. Her head fell forward upon
her breast, and her earthly troubles were over
The inmates of the miserable place lowered
about the dead woman for a minute and then
went on with their eating, drinking and card
playing. One old waif of the street lifted the
apron which some one threw over the dead
woman's face, and said as she gazed upon the
features:
"Oh. that's Annie MulIer!" and then she
turned away with u shrug of the shoulders and
hurried to her home-the street.
The dead woman was found by Deputy Coro-
ner Donlin yesterday seated just as she died and
watched by big policeman. The business of
the place was in full blast. a glance showed
the deputy that death was due to Bright's dis
ease.
l.