Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-12
DESERTED BY FRIENDS
The Families of Henry Helmstetter's
Slayers in Want.
NEIGHBORS REFUSE THEM AID.
Piece by Piece Their Furniture Went to
Satisfy Hunger.
NOW A ONCE HAPPY HOMEIS CHEERLESS

Starving and scorned by all their former
friends is the condition of a family in
Bloomfield. These lll-treated ones are the
wives and children of Joseph Kappa, Joseph
Mollinar and William Reardon, the men
who, with Angelo Zappa, are charged with
the murder of Henry Helmstetter last
Fourth of July. Never in all my ex-
perience have found family more de-
spised. more disheartened nor in more
pitiable circumstances than these women
ap' children" Those were the words of
Agent O'Brien yesterday after he returned
from visit to the destitute home
Many can recall the Helmstetter mur-
der, he continued. sit came about through
family quarrel. Joseph Zappa and Jo-
seph Mollinar are married to daughters of
Reardon The wives of the two Italians
got into trouble with Helmstetter and their
husbands took it up. In a short time the
whole family was mixed up in the scrim-
mage. The result was knife through
Helmstetter's heart.
A Whole Family Sent to Jail.
'The four men, three women and six or
seven children were all sent to Jail The
women and children were kept there for
about month. Several weeks ago Joseph
Kappa and his brother Angelo were tried
and both found guilty of murder. Angelo
confessed that it was he who did the stab
bing. Reardon and Mollinar are still in
Jail.
"When the women got out of Jail they
went back to their home in Bloomfield to
find that former friends were friends no
more. No one would speak to them and
not soul gave them word of comfort.
The wives of the two Italians are young and
pretty, neither of them being over q. Each
was mother. Mrs. Reardon had six little
ones who looked to her for aid. When the
women were sent to Jail several of the
children were placed in charitable homes.
After their release the family of each was
united and the struggle commenced. Their
home was once fairly comfortable. 1t was
small, but little ornaments scattered here
and there made it cosy. When they left
the Jail their treasury was low and as time
rolled on it grew still lower. In many ways
they sought to earn a livelihood, but sick
ness came on them and death took two of
the children.
Former Friends Despised Them.
Liz loWest hlHuS Oh WOIk were sought IN
the neighborhood, but former friends
turned a cold shoulder The secondhand
dealer was sought. and one by one the
household goods went into his possession
that the children might be fed. Beds
chairs, tables, pictures, dishes went, but
still the wolf Of hunger knocked at their
door. Even in the face of winter the cook
ing stove had to be turned over to
the pawnshop. Yesterday I found them
crouching in their miserable home. The
raw November winds were blowing cold
upon that hill, but there was not spark of
fire to drive away the chills. The poorly
clad babies were crying for food but there
was not even a crumb to appease their hum
ger In the midst of all their suffering of
body and mind, there came another trouble
yesterday. A letter was received from
Angelo Zappa's wife in far away Italy. She,
like the untortunates of Bloomfield, had
met with misfortune, and now the babies
and she were starving.
81 did what L could for them. but do
not see what can do in the future Rear
don and Mollinar should be tried and, if
not guilty, allowed to return to the support
of these unfortunates. This is truly case
worthy the consideration of some of Pitts
burg's good Christian people,