The Topeka state journal., 1897-11-23
STARVING
CHILDREN.
Three Little Boys Rescued from
a Shiftless Parent
And Taken to the Poor House
by Commissioner Hale.
WITHOUT FOOD, FIRE
They We're Huddled in a HOVel
North of Soldier Creek,
And SubSisted on What They
Could Pick Up
In the Alleys and Back Yards
About the City.

Three half starved and miserable
children were taken to the poor farm
yesterday by Poor Commissioner Hale.
Their names are Clyde, Clarence and
Wilmer Garron. Wilmer is IL years old
and Clyde and Clarence are twins, of
years. Poor Commissioner Hale says
that their case was the worst he has
ever seen and that is saying a great
deal.
The children have lived with their
father on the banks of Soldier creek
just across the Central avenue in a
hovel which resembled a pig pen more
than a human habitation. There had
| been two rooms in the house but the
children had torn away the partition to
make fire to warm their shivering and
| half-naked bodies. The father and
! three children slept on an old bedstead
upon which there was a pile of rags
| which bore little resemblance to bed
clothing An old stove which might
| have been rescued from a scrap pile
and rickety homemade table COM
| pleted the furniture. There was no
| cupboard and what was worse nothing
| to put in one. Not scrap of anything
| to eat was found in the house.
! Few people can realize to what depths
/ of poverty this family had sunk. The
| father seldom works, though he was
| once fairly well to do but when misfor-
tunes came they sapped his energy and
| ture with wife and three children on
| his hands. More than a year ago the
| wife left the place which served for a
home one morning. She kissed the
| children goodbye and when evening
| came she had not returned. AnxiOusly
| day after day the children awaited their
mothers return but they waited in
| vain. Heart sick and tired of battling
! with adversity she left her husband
| and children to battle with the world.
| Where she went no one knows and no
| one except the children cared.
| From that moment the life of the
! boys became harder. They left the
| house in the morning because they had
! nothing to eat and for hours walked up
! and down alleys in Topeka picking up
! a crust of bread now and then or a po-
| tatO and they always tried to find
| something to take home to the father.
! Late at night they would go home to
| spend a few hours in the company of
| their parent.
! When fall came the elder son was
! given pair of trousers a 4-year-old
| boy had OutgrOwn- They left nearly all
! his lower limbs exposed but he wore
| them. He found an old slipper on one
! of his fora ging expeditions and a shoe
! He had no stockings. The upper part
! of his body was covered with a. thin
| cotton waist but he had no hat. The
! two younger boys Jared a trif1e better
! Their clothes fitted them better but they
| were ragged and i'll adapted to keep out
| the frost.
Poor Commissioner Hale called at
| the house at 10 O'Clock in the evening.
/ a man rose up as ne DuSned open the
! door and stepped forward.
What do yoU want?" he said with
| some show of sternness.
| I have come for your boys" said
/ Mr.. Hale.
You cannot have them" said Car
| ron. I would fight until I was dead
| for my boys. You cannot take them"
| But you are not giving much of your
| life for them. You are allowing them
! to starve."
They are my boys. and you shall
| not take them"
| Where are they?" inquired the poor
/ commissioner, peering into the dark
/ corners of the room.
They are not here, and do not
| know where they are replied the man
| with a growl
Mr. Hale made a search of the prem
| ises. but did not find the objects he
| sought
! He left the house determined to re-
| turn the following day, and when he
| returned to the south side he saw
! lodging up an alley looking over the
| heaps of refuse the three Garron chill
| dren. He did not interrupt them, but
/ the following day, which was yester-
| day, he went back to the house The
| boys were there and he took charge of
| them at once. GarrOn was picking up
| few cObS which had been left near
/ the house by horses belonging to some
/ campers and he intended to build a
4 fire. The children had eaten no break
! fast and they huddled together in a
| corner. each trying to profit by the
| warmth of his brothers bodies.
| There was no scene. GarrOn sub
| mitted. The children were put in a
| buggy and wrapped in heavy blankets
and taken to the poor farm, where they
| We're turned over to Superintendent
| Taylor.
As they greediIy devoured the food
that was placed before them, the old
| est child said:
"Oh, Mister, we haven't had enough
! to eat for so long You won't send US
| away, will yOu?''
| The poor commissioner bought new
| clothing and the waits will be kept at
| the poor farm until the cold weather is
| over.