The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-14
CALLED HIM A "SPAN"
Mrs. Rosa DiIIman'S Broken
But Eloquent
PLEA OF MELANCHOLY
Says Adam DiIIman, Her HuS-
band, Was No Soldier.

Rosa Dillnan walked into the office Of
the probate judge yesterday morning for
the first time in her life. She is probably
% years old. She had grievance. 1t
was grievance against the United States
government and the probate court OF Sedg-
wick county.
Mrs. DiIiman is of German extraction
and has a pronounced German brogue,
though she was born iTI Kentucky, reared
IN Kentucky and married in Kentucky.
Married in Kentucky 10 Adam DiIlman,
who has apparently much less claim TO
, German ancestry than has his wife. That
IS the beginning of Rosa's trouble. Mr..
Dillman gets a pension and has been ad-
miUted 10 the Soldiers home at Dodge
City. He comes home occasionally, and on
his last trip got his two boys, L and IA,
sent to the Soldiers Orphans home in
Leavenworth. Mrs. DilIman had never
complained, but when she saw George and
Wi.lie officially doomed to the orphans
home she could stand it no longer, so she
called a the office Of the probate judge and
told her troubles. She walked into the Of
fee without ceremony and broke out:
"Well, now, want to go to Kentucky"
Judge McCaniess looked around in sur
prise, trying TO get hold of the situation.
Il want TO go to Kentucky now. II you
send my boys TO Leavenworth and my old
man 70 the Soldiers home, why can't you
send me to Kentucky"
Judge McCanless could not quite remem-
Der the circumstances, though the records
Of only few days previous showed that
h.
and Adam Dillman had signed the request.
So he stared at the low. heavy-set wom-
an, with a little brown shawl wrapped
about her rough and rudy cheeks. and two
fiery black eyes peering from under the
heavy ibrows. She walked up TO the desk
and with the forefnger of her right hand
waved and circled and punched it at Judge
McCanless' face.
Il tell you she said. with her racy
German brogue, that Adam Dillman is
no good. He is no good! He get pen
sion-a little old pension-and he think he
own the government. He don't work only
his face. and he don't never work. He get
into Soldiers home and ne don't do moth
ing so he goes back. And now he gets
my Willie and my George sent 70 orphans
home. I don't got nobody now al all 70
live with me, and ! want TO go back to
Kentucky. I was a big fool Diet I ever
leave Kentucky, and ! was big fool Diet
didn't go hack ten years ago"
Judge McCanless had caught on by this
time and said:
our husband was a soldier7"
SOLDIER" Oh he told you he soldier?
Nav, He don't been a soldier. He fish a
'span!' Span" See? He ish a span -
You mean he is a Spaniard?'
Yes! OATS right! He has been no SOL
der. Just span
oh" said Judge NcCanless.
Yes; he don't work. He don't never
work. And now he get my boys away and
I don't got anybody 10 live with me. No
body to live with me. Nobody; not any
body at all and I want TO go back to
Kentucky. just as well he in de ground
rs here and my boys gone. I don't care
for Adam. but my boys, Ny boys
Judge McCanless told her she would have
70 see the county commissioners. So she
tucked the corners of her shawl under her
arm. stroked the stray rolls of her hair
back from her face and went to see il
she could ges back to Kentucky.