The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-03-15
Mrs. Riley Loses Her Life in Chicago
While Struggling for Bread.
POVERTY AND DISTRESS
Weak with Hunger and Burdened with
Age She Is Pushed Against an Iron
Post by Starving People.

Riley was sounu IN Douy, tnouBn weak
and hungry yesterday morning. Last
night her feeble body was bruised and
battered and lacerated. In fight for
bread-in this case no figure of speech
but simple statement of a truth-she
was wreuched and crushed until only
thread of life remained
Mrs. Riley lives at 2sS2 Deering
street, in a district where noisesome
orders poison the air. The descent of
of dozen steps below the street level;
trip of 100 feet back from the street
through narrow alley h9ored with
loose, rotten and broken boards; then
the ascent of a long, steep, irregular,
rlckety stiirway brings one to Mrs
Rley's door. There she lives with her
husband and two sons in two small
rooms. The first is kitchen, dining
room and sitting-room, and in the other
these four sleep.
Rotting wood and nncleanable corners
inside; and outside the fostering filth of
and alley cleaning bureau throw off ex-
haltations which no ventilation be-
low the power of hurricane could
carry away. On one stove Is cooked
the food when there is food TO cook, and
1t heats the house when fuel is TO be
had. Both fuel and food have been too
~ int n IA
by custome home,
John Riley, the head of of the family,
could not work much In the winter If he
would. He Is too old, being past 70.
John and James, the two sons, stuuted
in growth and looking older than their
30 wears, would work II they could.
They are teamsters and said to be
sober, honest boys, but teamsters have
found little to do this winter. When
the hard times came on in the fall they
found themselves with nothing to do.
Day after day they looked for work, but
everywhere met the same answer-no
men needed. They had few dollars
put by and their Celtic natures clung
to hope But the dollars we're too few
to hold out against long reaches of cold
days and colder nights. Soon they
we're all gone in spite of scrlmping.
Then the narrow margin of credit, com.
mon to the very poor, always narrowed
in hard times, disappeared entirely.
No work, no money, no credit, no food,
no fuel was the prospect stretched be-
fore the Rileys. Rather a common
place story, this of the Rileys so far
but none the less hard in the living.
Mrs. Riley was in the wrangling
iostling crowd In Clinton street around
the county agenre ONCE all day Satur
day, but too many were there before
her. They went there again yester
day morning, walking all the way from
1892 Deerlng street, before daylight hat
fairly come, TO get place near the
outer door. They were successful, anf
were among the first admitted to tho
big room where the long lines are
formed before the supply windows. AL
though almost as old as her husband
Mrs. Riley was stronger than he. She
took her place in the line, while hs
stood apart from the crowd.
Every day this winter the count,
agents, assistants and police on dut,
there have found these crowds Il
manage. The impatlence of hunger,
almost in sight of the food, often send
those In the rear to the front with
rush, and the. policemen are able tt
hold the crowd in line only by tae exer
else of main strength.
In such a line Mrs. Riley took he
place. 1t was jostling and squeezing
all the time. Age and insufficient foo
for days past made her weak, and NOR
than once she thought she weuld fall
, Her will held her up. One by one tn
applicants for aid before her reache
the windows, then moved on out OF III
way. Mrs. Riley moved on with tn
line until half dozen or so men wer
between her and the coveted window
An iron pillar stood near, and sn
leaned against it for a moment
rest.
1t may have only been a momentar
!. relaxation OF viligance by the polic'
or one of the usual rushes from ID
rear; anyhow, the crowd broke loos
from control just at the instant Mr.
Riley leaned against that Iron pilla
The weight of a half hundred bodi,
) was hurled against her from the rea
and the iron pillar held her In from
The line broke and the crowd rushe
against and around Mrs. Riley III
ocean surf against a reef, She cou
not fall, could not escape from Il
:. human swine.
!. Her body was bent and twist'
.r around the pillar and crushed again
,e the unyielding iron. Every joint W
,e wrenched, every muscle strained; b
ye bones crushed. The woman struggl
II an instant, sbrieked, then tainted. B
~ she did not fall. The iron pillar he
her fast while her flesh was lacerats
Po.icemen's clubs and the fists of /
ed clerks beat back the crowd. When t
more forward had receded Mrs. Ri