The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-02-03
CORRESPONDENCE.
From the s.Garden city"

readers OF the BANNER the annual report
of the coroners of this city for the
year 1892. The report shows that the
total number of cases investigated, dur
ing the year past, was 1901, but only 575
death certificates were issued. The
greatest number of inquests in any one
month was in July, when the total num-
Der reached 1T. June came next with a
total of 1866, August next with 1866, Octo-
Der next with 1872, and September next
with 100 The fewest inquests were held
in February, when the deputies attended
to l03 cases. OF the victims 10 were over
eighty, those under years numbered
113, male victims numbered 1,454 and
females 275. The causes of death were
as follows: Railroad accidents, 397; sui
eide, 1894; drowning, 1855; homicide, 50;
fell from buildings, so; fell from wagons,
so: fell from scaffolds, 30; accidental
poisoning, %; elevator accidents, 80;
street car accidents, 10; grip car accI-
dents, 81; burns and scalds, 80; acct
deRtal shooting, % Il am glad | never
was the owner of a pistol; asphyxiation,
As; machinery accidents, 81; run over by
wagon, So; boiler explosion, 5; electric
car accidents, 2. Three hundred and
sixty-two were laborers, l4S mechanics,
90 housewives, 45 switchmeu and brake
men, So school boys, 10 miscellaneous.
Mort of these accidents of boys were
caused by Jumping on and off moving
trains. Sailors So, transfers AZ, clerks
u, carpenters 40, merchants %, tailors
%, printers %. paupers 2. OF the vic
Tins of railroad accidents ID were pas
sengers on the trains, 50 were employees,
and PCS were other persons; 93 were
killed at crossings, IN collisions, 8 by
falling off trains, II by walking on the
tracks, Is while jumping on or off trains,
4 were killed on the IL" road. OF the
suicides, 22S were married and IS were
single; 291 were white and were color
ed. The greatest number were Germans.
April led all the months of the year in
number of suicides, the fewest In the
month being for November. The favor
tie method was shooting. One hundred
and fifteen persons were held to the
grand jury by coroner's juries. Street
cars crossing railroad tracks are causing
a wonderful loss of life, as they are quite
numerous, forming wonderful net work
la aud arnunh this Western metropolis,
Everything seems "a 5e on the iAsrease
in this city. think if the Government
would stop our pauper immigration it
would be one of the best acts of our Ma
TONS Legislature. AS the cold increases
starvation and hunger are sounding in
the ears of the county agent Let me
tell you of some of the suffering ones in
the city. Almost incredible suffering
noted. "Oh, sir, can't you give me some
coal?" was the plea addressed to the
agent by woman of thirty years, pale
and emaUiated, clasping to her breast a
baby of ten months, upon whose piDched
face the hand of death was visible. Coal,
coal, coal! nothing but coal seems to be
the cry from morning till night. The
bitter cold weather brings these suffer
ing ones from out of miserable huts that
are not At for any human being to live in,
and still they keep coming to our shores.
This bitter cold weather has been preva-
lent for about one month. People are
found in novels by the agents who are
notified, some of whom are not able to
move their limbs. Look here" he said
as he threw open the door leading into
the delivery room. Crowded together in
the chilly room were about tive hundred
or more ef all ages and descriptions
boys, girls, whose faces pictured far1, isl.,
and starvation asking for even a pound
of coal. Old and infirm men and women
stood huddled together their lips blue
with the cold, asking bread and meat to
prolong their miserable existence. I'VE
give 100 tons of coal away every day."
SAID the secretary. l have had women
come here and ask for one lump of coal
and piece of bread. The cold snap
that has lately come upon us is bringing
them out of their miserable haunts and
those begging for food and fuel are
women mostly. Says the agent the
widows and fOrsaken women come here
by the hundreds every morning Only
yesterday he says woman was found in
a hovel. She had been deserted by her
husband and was lying in box in a cor
ner of the room. Seven children were
shivering in the room-one of them sick
with fever. Upon little investigation
it was found she had burned her bed for
fuel and also burned her shoes and bed
clothes trying to keep warm. She was
taken to a hosdital and her children
taken care Of Here is the cry of a young
and good looking wife: my husband
has left me, and | can't get work. have
room on Canal street where sleep, and
l want some coal to keep me warm. and
a little bread to keep me from starving.
Please don't send me away for am
woI thy OF assistance" where is
your father and mOtherP" asked the
agent "Oh?' cried the girl, don't ask
me. l married against my fathers
wishes and now l am alone. | am
ashamed to go back home. will get
work soon but must have coal to keep
me from freezing" Many curious tricks
are played by people who wish to enter
the hos 1ital. at this season of the year.
Strong and able bodied men call. claim
ing to be sick, and when it is proven that
they are not they beg to be sent some.
where as they have no home. LAS
week. said the agent, "a man called in
here. He was poorly dressed, and to all
appearance was deathly sick. gave him
an order to go to the hospital, after ex-
aiming him, and after he had been
two days he confded to a nurse that he
had swallowed about a plug of strong
tobacco to insure sickness enough to get
into the hospital" Who would not live
in a city where you can get free lunch
and plug of tobacco to make sure of a
warm place during the cold weather!
Send over to the Old Countryl You can
get good quarters if you only play the
camel
We are having little snug winter
about these days. Eight inches of snow
and thermometer last Saturday night
fourteen degrees below. Coal is selling
at S7.25 per ton; good soft coal, S475;
other kinds less. Meats are advancing
what the reason is | don't know, only
the dealers can keep meats now better,
with the thermometer fourteen below
than when it was 100 above. Articles of