The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-17
A TENEMENT TRAGEDY.
Polish WOman's Grief Over the
Death of Her Child.
New York Commercial Advertiser.

New York Commercial Advertiser.
Mrs. Fanny Shapiro's little kitchen at 1856
this morning, some bewigged, others with
their hair concealed under kerchiefS. The
housewives were wringing their hands,
They formed a half circle around chair
upon which. with dropping head and tears
streaming down her cheeks, reclined the
a diSheveled, tattered, pretty woman of
thirty, abandoned to the paroxysms OF real
grief.
The rooms depend for their light exclu-
sively upon the narrow air-shaft, and as
the morning was murky it was necessary
to keep the gas burning l,I u
entering.
Trouble! What's the trouble?" echoed
Mrs. Shapiro alone did not join the chorus
She remained quietly sobbing and nodding
her head mournfully as before.
Mister look NJ Here ,, is trouble enough
the prettiest of the menachem ovols (com-
forters of the mourneD took the stranger
TO the side of the bed in the next ROOM In
the feeble light of the kitchen lamp was the
dead face of a two-months-old boy.
What a pretty child" the stranger ex-
The mother burst out crying at the top of
IA yoh shein kind Ga pretty child did
my eye, the crown of my head, my SOUL
my treasure, my palace, my milions-that's
what the boy was to me! oh, what muir
deress / am. l ought to be sent to prison,
to the lectck tzair! 1 killed my own child.
/ murdered my own consolation. l ought to
be sent to Sing Singi"
weeping, wailins, moaning. Those who had
70 tears had to content themselves with
rodding their heads in melancholy approval
where is your fault?' presently one of
the neighbors dried her tears to say. You
are the hardest-worked woman in the
little, and when you fall asleep you are
more dead than alive with fatigue, Small
wonder you did not feel the child under
you, and smothered him."
ut was not you who smothered the boy"
put in a more emphatic voice. 1T was
tai fools to ask questions"
''Of course" assented third, eff he had
not been smothered by his own mother he
would have died of something else. He must
have had the soul of righteousness, and the
earth was not worthy of him, so the Up
permOst took him to the chair of honor"
oh al, OIL" went on the mother. Would
that it had at least been sick deformed
child, so that it would not break my heart
50 dor't know bow 7 stall stara II
Didn't take care of him? Didn't guard
him against The slightest evil eye? Nu a
fly, rot a grain of dust did suffer on hts
angelic little. face. 1 have four other chill
dren, and | love them ALL thank God, bat
never did ] feel for child what 1 felt for
this poor birdie that l killed"
Again the menachem ovols fell to consol-
ing her Tears even gave way to a hint of
pleasantly. A housewife. with a strong
sense of humor, announced that now the
landlord ought to come down on the rent
in view of the reduction in the number of
Mrs. Shapiros boarders. The effect was
Irresistible, and even the hostess was evil
IDENTIFY struggling to suppress a smile.
At this juncture the stranger opened the
door TO withdraw.
Mister. Mister" the bereaved mother
called to him earnestly.
Can do anything for your"
mo, ! only wanted to ask you--you said
ne was a handsome boy-oh, tell me, is he
really?"