Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-20
STARVING in A CITY.
humane Agent Adams Unearths a
Sad Case in Allegheny.
A LARGE FAMILY OF BEGGARS.
Dependent Upon Chance Charity and
Eeighborly Kindness.
TIE FATHER PLACED UNDER ARREST

Last Saturday evening Agent George
Adams, of the Humane Society, was stroll
Ing about the streets of Allegheny when he
was accosted on Federal street by pale
little boy, clad in dirty and ragged gar
ments, who begged for few pennies to buy
bread. Mr.. Adams asked the child why he
was begging in the street. 81 haf to,
Mister" he said, eve aint got nothin' to
eat to home"
"Show me your home and we will see, 4"
said the agent, and the little starveling led
the way toward Main street, where many of
the poor of the Fourth ward have their
quarters. They came to an old, almost
black, frame house, three stories high,
where the boy entered a harrow and dark
doorway leading to rickety stairs. "You
go ahead, said the agent, ''and show me
the way" The boy led him up q dark,
dirty passage, with several turnings, until he
reached an open door, and entered room bare
of carpet, with only a few pieces of cheap
furniture, where woman in a dirty gown
sat in an old rocking chair holding baby
l6 months old There were four other
children standing or sitting about, the eld-
est being boy of 13 years Agent Nc
Donald sat down carefully and began to
question the woman about herself and her
family. Yes, she had a husband, but he did
not work. She was not able to work, for
she expected that the seventh would be
added soon to her family She did not
quote Wadsworth's tender poem, "We are
Seven," but a few tears trickled down her
cheeks which recited many poems of human
misery.
The Husbands Story of Poverty
Just then the husband and father burst
into the room. He was not sober, his face
was red and his clothes were miserable He
was angry when he saw the visitor and
raved about taking care of his own house,
but Agent Adams told of his authority and
ordered the man to sit down and keep quiet
The order was obeyed, and the story was
then drawn from the husband and wife.
His -.,me was Charles Fette. He used to
work when he was young, but he had not
done Anything for many years He con-
fessed that he did not like to work; he was
too tired. He had acquired love for
drink and he could do nothing else He
had sent his children out to beg, and thus
enough OF money was secured to save the
family from actual starvation. Most of the
coin, however, went TO a speak-easy near at
hand, and neighbors helped out little on
the food. As the agent looked on the puny
children, with their gaunt eyes, hollow
cheeks and dirty faces and rags, his heart
went out to them Poor little things,
flowers of innocence, suffering without any
fault of their own, from the curse of rum.
The eldest boy had work in shop last
spring which brought in a few dollars, but
that aid was now lost, and he, too, had been
added to the list of child beggars
Criminal Proceedings Instituted.
On Monday the agent visited the neigh
borhood and made inquiries He learned
that on the preceding day the only food the
family had was bucket of soup given by |
one of the neighbors. The little boy of Z |
had, however, contributed to the familv's |
sustenance by getting 10 cents worth of |
beer from the adjacent speak-easy The
father feared that he would be refused and
he had sent his innocent child.
Yesterday afternoon Agent Adams went
before Mayor Kennedy and made an infor-
nation against Charles Fette, charging him
with neglecting his children The man
was arrested and taken to the lookup, where
he spent the night, thirsty. He will be ar
raigned before Mayor Kennedy at 10 o'clock
this forenoon, at which hour his wife was
notified to appear as a witness. The chill
dren will be placed in some comfortable
home.
When Mr.. Adams had related his story
to Mayor Kennedy, the Mayor expressed
surprise that there were such cases of poy-
erty in Allegheny. "Why," said the agent,
'1ast week 1 found six people living in one
room. They slept on straw on the floor.
and all were in such tawdry rags that they
were half naked. They were, in fact, SO
destitute of clothing that 1 was almost
ashamed to take them through the streets
In the patrol wagon. 1 put nv rubber
overceat around the girl to cover her
form until we reached the station house.
These are scenes which we see weekly,
sometimes daily, in these rich cities.''