The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-28
A Baby, Deserted by Its Natural
Protectors, Lives Alone
Two Weeks.
~lothinR and Shelter It Had
# None and OF Food but
Little.
Hardships of Yenr-Oid fodder
Born Among the Poor of
Great City.

Schmidt of the Society for the Prevention
OF Cruelty TO Children, were walking
through Christie street when Saloon-keeper
Stinzel, Of 113 Chryatie street. hailed them
and told them that if they would walk
through the alley in the rear of his saloon
they would see fitting object for their
charity. They did not have to walk very
far before they saw that which would rouse
p ty in the heart Of the sternest and most
grim of the society's officials.
Rolled up like & little hedgshoga a baby girl
two years old. in perfectly nude condition.
was sleeping as sound on the dirty paving
stones as if il rested on the softest of down
bods and In the care of the most loving
mother.
The child slept 80 Houndly that when
Agent Dietz took it up into his arms. and,
wrapping it in blanket he obtained from
Mr.. GuntZel, carried it to his Office In Twen-
ty-third street, it did not wake up. There
the child was bathed and dressed, and when
it reappeared in the office it was as sweet Il
looking little girl as any mother was ever
proud of.
The child was perfectly we'll and healthy
but it had pinched look. caused by lack of
nourishment. The flesh was worn off in the
first joints of the fingers of both hands and
| off both knee caps. This was caused by its
| crawling around on the hard paving stones.
In their report the agents told story of
inhumanity and negligence which made Su-
perintendent jenkins. who is used to pitiful
| tales. look up with wonder.
The tender little baby for two weeks had
| slept in the alley or the yard where it was
found, in the rain and wind, without roof
| over its head, and without cover for its
| nakedness. 1t had nothing to eat but the
| thrown to it out Of window by some semi
kind hearted neighbor.
The agents said that two weeks ago last
Wednesday the mother of the child. an un-
fortunate woman, brought the baby to the
| house. The poor creature was sick and was
on her way TO the Mount Sinai hospital,
where shelter had been promised her. But
she could not take her baby along. To have
the child cared for in her absence she called
on her aunt, Mrs. Straw, who lives in tho
basement .sa the rear of lib Chiystit
street. to take charge OF the little
girl. Mrs. Straw 10 an extremely pool
woman and supports herself by peddling
She is ont all day, having nothing of value
to be robbed OF, or probably being too pool
to have key made for her door, always
leaves her room open. The sick mother,
whose namo is straw, too, entered hel
aunt's room, and leaving her baby there
went to the hospital. The course of terri
BILE suffering the child is said to have passed
through since then is 80 horrible that. tol
| the sake of it's grand aunt, is not to be be-
| lieved until It's truth is proven.
| Ono OF the nalghbors told the agent that
when Mrs. Straw returned home that night
she sald: Wei, / won't bother with the
brat" and put the baby, which was at that
time only dressed In remnant of shirt
into the yard, whore the neighbors heard il
cry for more than an hour. 1t is supposed
that the little one fell asleep then. bu
when the people III the house arose mex
morning the baby was crawling around in
the yard on its kneea and hands.
I he inhabitants of the house are very
poor people and have very little to spare
/ When they saw Mrs. Straw take her baske
and go out on her usual tour without caring
for the baby and the little one searching
for food in garbage pile. window afte
window opened and piece after piece o
bread was thrown into the yard. 1 he chile
devoured it all ravenously.
| Mrs. Straw returned in the evening bu
the baby renamed i'll the yard. All day i
had not had bite of proper nourshment
or drink of ANYTHING to warm it, Tn,
evening was chilly, but the baby remained
out all night IN the yard. Next morning i
was as lively As q cricket, coolng, growing
aud smiling at the people as they passed by
1t was covered with the filth of the yard
Again Aunt Straw went to work withou
notising her own suffering flesh and blood
and again the neiGhbors fed it with the
leavings of their breakfast table, thrown
down into the yard, as bones are tossed te
n starving dog.
How Tint baby stood the ordeal is a mys
terry. Other children, well cared for, die o
cold feet, but this baby, which had beer
neglected for all of its short life, stood the
exposure. hunger and thirst for fourteen
days and nights remained perfectly
| healthy.
| by crawling around on its knees and
hands on the sharp paving stones it wore
the flesh of it's fingers and knees until tho
bones were bare, but although the wounds
were not bandaged and the sores were COW
cred with dirt modification did not set in
During the terrible rainstorm last Tues
day night, at 1880 O'Clock. Saloonkeepel
Guntzel passed tn ough the yard and heard
n haby's cry He found the child in a soar
box, which it had selected for it's nights
| lodging, but it could not Sleep as the box
was fast filling up with water, and it wept
in despair.
Mr.. auntzel took the little one to his
rooms, where his wife washed and fed i,
and allowed it to sleep till morning, wher
she returned it to ii; grandaunt. Or
| Wednesday night and yesterday Mr.. Cunt
gel again found the child in the yard
| Then he notified the agents of the society
small Land holdings.