The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-08-02
Why Mr.. and Hrs. Christensen
Left Their Children.
STATEMENTS DON'T AGREE
THE PARENTS AND CHILDREN
GIVE DIFFERENT VERSIONS.
All of Which Shows That There Are
Two Sides to This as to Every
story-Created quite a Stir Among
the Neighbors.

The community near Fourth and F
streets was very much ruff1ed yester-
day over what neighbors pleased to
credited with inhuman feelings had
deserted his own children, it was
said, and that, without leaving them
money, food and bed upon which to
rest their young bodies. A reporter
of The Herald undertook an investi-
cation to ascertain the truth of the
story.
A. T. Christensen, collector for the
past few years has resided with his
family at 22S F street. The family
consisted of two girls and five boys.
The girls, Louie and Mile, and one
of the boys, Theodore, are Mr.. Chris
tensen's own children. The other boy,
! Albert is a son of his former wife,
while a small lad Of or years be-
longad to the present Mrs. Christen-
sen before she was married the last
| time Thus the household consisted
of three different families, with but
one head That seems to have been
the cause of all the trouble which the
gossips are rehearsing with great ami
nation just now. Mr.. and Mrs. Chris
| Jensen could not get along with the
older children. Last Friday afternoon
they took everything in the house with
the exception of the furnishings in a
bedroom, few dishes, a cook stove
and a large picture of the children S
mother, and moved to Eighth South
street.
The reporter called at the old home
of the Christensens last evening and
had a talk with the children left be-
hind. Albert can hardly be classified
as a child, being "a years old. Louie,
an extremely handsome young lady,
said she was Is. and Millie, the young
est, said she had just turned the 14th
milestone.
The children thought they were very
much abused. They recited a story of
ill-trea tmant, by the stepmother in par
| ticular, Louie saying she had often
been compelled to seek refuge at the
neighbors' during the night. The
| father was unwilling to support them,
or rather was prevented from doing
so by the stepmother The situation
when the parents left the house, leav-
| ing the children to take care of them
selves as best they could.
The girls invited the newspaper man
to look through the house, which pre-
scented deserted appearance, except
for one room, which was neatly fur
nished. A few dishes had been left
and there was an old stove. There
was not a bite left to eat, they said,
and none of them knew where to turn
TO satisfy their hunger.
1t seemed a pretty bad case, but call
was made upon the parents to learn
what possible excuse they had to advance
for such action. The Christiensens were
! found at their new home, 1913 East
Eighth South and the visitor was greet
ed courteously by kindly gentleman of
probably forty-five.
well l am glad you came to get the
| other side of. the story he began. But
| it is not necessary to repeat Mr.. Chris
tensen's words. Briefly stated he claims
the children were so incorrigible that it
| was Impossible to get along. He married
his present wife about year ago. The
union was not in accordance with the
| wishes of the older children and the
! Step-fnother was not well received. While
the two elder boys and girls are well able
/ to work. they have according to him,
evinced a disposition to loaf around home
making things uncomfortable for their
new mother and, according to the father,
/ took a great delight in torturing her dur
i ing her recent Illness.
Mr.. Christensen says he earns $75 per
month His home is mortgaged for 81, 500
and he has a hard time making both
ends meet. He lays the cause of all the
trouble to Albert, who he says is contin-
ually inspiring the girls with the idea that
they are not obliged to work. Louie had
position at restaurant. but gave it up
at the solicitation of her elder brother.
Mile worked at another business for a
small salary. To encourage the girl, the
| father added 50 cents per week out of his
own pocket but in spite of this she gave
up her place and is now idle. The father
also contradicts their stories as to the
girls respective ages. Louie he says is
eighteen years of age and Mile sixteen
Both ar strong and healthy and well able
to work. AS to the charge that the par
ents left nothing for the children to eat,
they brand it as mistake. Mr.. Chris
Jensen said he gave Louie the last dollar
he had when he left and while it almost
broke his heart to leave the old home, he
relations were such that he would either
have to abandon the woman he loved and
whom he but year ago had sworn to
protect or to remain with the children
| who were decided upon having their own
way in everything.
Mr. Christensen is highly spoken of by
his employer, Mr.. Jenkins, with whom
he has been for the past five years: He
is a sober. Industrious man and while he
regrets very much that his family affairs
should be given publicity, he has ne
hesitation in letting the whole facts II
the matter become known.
ENJOY SUNDAY ar GARFIELD.
Members of .'Mikado' Opera com
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