Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-25


little girls rejoicing, looking forward to
Christmas, you hear these little Italian
girls talk about attaining the marrying
age. Last week l had a child five years
old in here, just SO heart-brokcn with dls-
couragement to think how long 1t would be
before she could escape being beaten and
starved to become the property or some
man, that she couldn't sew or play, and
insisted that she would cut the life out OF
her throat the first chance she got. Hall
was not told in court of the horrors OF the
life of Theodore Rosetti Besides all that
cannot be decently described. She was
made, night and morning, to pick up coal
along the railroad or sift cinders from the
Capitol fires, and drag home on her small
back load for a horse to carry. There
was another man in the alley whom be-
sought the Humane Society to prosecute.
He had two girls-one eleven, the other
thirteen-and lived In idleness off the
earnings of these children. But all the HUI
name Society could do was to stipulate the
size of the loads the girls should carry on
their backs. The burden of immortality on
their pitiful young souls no law could les
sen.
Bad Treatment of Girls.
1.-THE oldest brother in the family beat
| these poor girls shamefully. This older
brother cruelty is common amcng the Ital-
| ians. A boy in Schotts alley being en-
ragged with his little sister for not going to
the school he wanted her to attend, kicked
| her In the ribs, leaving black and blue
marks; then, to prevent her crying, put his
| thumbs in each corner of her mouth and
| tore the fesh that it was over two
| weeks healing. When l threatened the
| boy with the law he cursed Iue, saying he
| vas next man to his father in the family
| and had right to treat the girls as he
| wanted to.
Last week the little girl who cane in
ed m n
| old sister that Swears when she gets drunk,
| was struck on the head by her father with
| & soap box, and for three days could not
see to sew for pain. And what do you
| think was her offense? She objected to
having the monkey sleep with her. Her
| father Is an organ grinder, and the mon
| key at night was tied to the foot OF AnEe-
| liDa's bed, and, oh, teacher, she SAID, he
would come and scratch my head for bugs,
| and there wasn't no bugs there
| THE Italians will not, as do other for
eigners, take the oath OF allegiance to the
| United States They give as their reason
that their church forbids them. Yet
| among themselves they denounce the au-
| thorty of their church. saying this is a
free country, and they VIII 90 as they
| please.
But they do not do as they please.
They do to please the next one above them
| who has more money. There are two liquor
| dealers on Pennsylvania avenue who ex-
| ercise supreme authority over them. These
| padrones rent houses to them; they supply
| them with the whisky which they illicltly
| vend Sundays and week days. and dictate
| to them in everything. Not long ago some
| of the women L had taught to sew deter
| mined to buy machine among them, and
| they dare not get one only through one OF
| these padrones, who charged them S30 for
| a worn-out thing worth scarcely so many
| cents.
| An Italian Curse.
| "In Schott's alley a thrifty woman has
a store, which by paying for protection and
| support from the padrones, she compels
the people to patfonize. There was a child
| starving to death in that alley one time, and
l went to The Star begging the paper to
| publish the need the mother and baby were
in When the first supplies that came in
| response to the appeal in The Star arrived
| this alley storekeeper diverted all else that
followed and prevented the needy woman
| from touching the provisions, telling her
| they were poison, ana threatening hef
| with the padrone. The child starved to
death, and after the funeral the mother,
| still under threats of this storekeeper, was
obliged to curse me ana my chiid with
| what they count an awful curse. She took
| two pigeons, tore them apart alive; in one
| inclosed a paper on which was written my
| name: in the other paper bearing Ruthies S
name; hung both BIRDS on the wall, Where,
after chanting incantations to bring down
| vengeance upon me, they were left to rot
| and drop to pieces.
II don't know how many times my life
| has been threatened. One scissor grinder,
for no other reason than the natural hatred
| his race have for Americans, swOre he
| would kill me. The poor creature was half
| starved and half frozen. So l went to a
woman who could well afford 1t, and got
| him two suits of warm wooden underwear.
Then 1 went to his door the samo night
it was almost midnight. 1 shall never for
get the terrible look that was on that
mans face, he opened the door and
recognized me. 1t was the look of a wild
beast that finds Its prey within reach of
its teeth But before he could catch his
breath, thrust the clothing into .iis hand
and told him had seen how wrctched and
unhappy he was, ard that / wanted him
TO know I was his friend, however he might
feel toward me. He shrunk into the
shadow of the door, muttering to himself
then in a moment, grasped my hand, and
! CRYING like baby, said, oh, IL you know
how / have wanted to kill you He is
my enduring friend now.
A Visit to the Allcyc.
Another, because Of the same hatred OF
Italians for Americans while the small
pox was imminent, vowed he would throw
me down and stamp my life out, because
he said. was vaccinating the children ir
the alleys 10 put American blood in them
1 suggested to Mrs. Saffold carrying
Christmas among these people, and sh'
said, Come with me, and see for yoursel
whether it is possible"
We started in at Schott's alley. Here
by the way, is a neat violation of the ordi
nance forbidding the erection Of dwelling
houses in alleys. After the enactment o
: this regulation SchOtt'S aiiey rcchriSt