The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-06-19
DESPERATE FROM HUNGER
Former Prosperous Richmond Mer-
chant Seeks tie WOrkhOuse.
Charles I. Cole, Bereft of Home and
Family, Penniiess WaDderer
ON the Face OF the Ear n.

Driven to desperation by the pangs of
hunger, Charles F. Cole, formerly pros
porous Richmond merchant and captain
in the Confederate army gave himself up
last night 80 Policeman Hester and asked
that he nc sent To the workhouse and saved
from starvation.
Cole, whose clothes, though poor, were
neat, and whose pale, emaciated features
showed refinement, was accordingly
brought intoo the police court this morn
ing. where he told story OF SORROW and
privaUion, which broughG tears into many
eyes.
Your HONOR he began, except for
for the breakfast which received IN this
court this morning, have not eaten a
thing in two days. 1t ia this that drives
me to ask for "a sentence in the workhoise,
as a last resort
The maa then went on 10 say that less
than four uonths ago he had lived happily
with his wife ana child in Richnond, Va, 4,
and was the owner OF u prospecting BUSH
ness on Main street. One night, however,
fire had broken out in the building n which
were both his store and his home. ana he
returned to tfse place o5Iy to find 1t a heap
OF smoking ruins, and his child burned to
death.
Sickened by exposure and worry, his
wife then became i'll aud died within
few days.
And so," he continued. from being
a man worth $I0, 900 and the head OF IA
happy family / became, almost in an in-
slant it seems, a Ienniless wanderer,
widowed of wife and child. Ny friends
in Richmond were most kind to me, but
l couldn't live on their charity, and So.
after vainly seeking work for two months
III Richmond, | came TO this city, where
| formerly knew many prominent people,
TO see IL I could not find some way of
supporting myself. Here, however, found
that ryy friends had either left the city
OF died, and seeking employment was as
futile here as in Richmond.
During the first few days Of my stay
in Washington ! was supplied with IaCals
at various charitable places and slept
wherever l was allowed to IN out-of-the-
way places. But this means Of IviBg has
now failed me, and for the rast two days
I have scarcely slept a wink OF eaten a
bite"
Judge KimbaIl questioned the man closely
as 10 the people he knew and the places
in which he had stopped, and becoming
convinced OF the truth OF his story, said:
Yours is, indeed, a sad case, and
think the best thing we can do is to send
you to the workhouse until your friends
can be notified They, If what You say is
true, and l think it is, viii provide for you,
l am sure. Do you think ten days viii be
long enough
"Y"s. hour honor" said the prisoner, his
hunger-pinched face Frightening at the
thought of being provided with home
even in the workttouse My grief has so
distracted me that I hardly know what
I have been doing. and am unable to plan
for myself, butt think that what you say
VIII be the hest thing for me to do
IAN right, then" said the Judge, kindly;
II VIII commit you for ten days and instruct
the clerk Of The court to comm unicate with
whomever you direct him TO in the mean
while"
Mr. Cole was then led hack to the dock.
hut not before several Of those in the
courtroom, touched by his story, had
slipped money into his hand which, al
though he seemed reIuCt ant to take he was
finally prevailed upon to accept.