Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-09-09
BILLY THE GOOD BOY"

received at the office containing a re-
quest for call to be made on family
IN want OF immediate assistance. In re-
Spouse to this notification l went to the
address given and found woman with
four children without fire or food and
scantily clothed. The poor creature
who gave the name of Freund had fallen
and broken her hip sometime previous
and 1t was only partly healed so she
was incapacitated for going out herself
to try and better their condition. She
was prepossessing and well educated, of
German parentage; the family had
evidently seen better days. She told
me her husband was IA bOok-agent and
solicited orders for book binder anu
earned eight dollars per week. After
careful questioning on my part, for we
district-visitOrs are instructed to be
cautious, l won her confidence and she
Informed me that her husband had been
arrested on the proceeding Friday for
embezzling his employer funds to the
amount OF 1928. Saying as she ad-
mitted the fact, land it is too bad for
Billy is such good boy" The family
had moved TO their present quarters,
havingtno funds on hand and depending
on BILLY TO come home, help with the
settings and pay the driver Of the van
containing their furniture for moving it
The van stood at the door for several
hours and finally no Billy came and no
funds were on hand to pay the charges,
the driver departed taking the furniture
and leaving them i'll the bare rooms.
They were all day Saturday and until
Sunday afternoon without fire or food,
with nothing except mattress anu
quilt loaned by poor neighbOr.
The neighbOr carried the tale OF woe
TO mission Sunday -schC oil teacher, who
| then sent foOd and coal for the CRATE
TO the suffering family and reported by
card to the Bureau, leaving the case TO
be disposed of there. The poor woman
thus recited her troubles To me with
tears running down her cheeks amid
! lamentations over their condition, &C.
casionally reiterating her cry But,
Madam, Billy is good boy, Billy is an
awful good boy He got in with some
fellows who spent more OF the money
than he and got him into trouble and
there is no one to help him out" | was
! touched by the devotion To such hus-
band who seemed 10 have SO little con-
sideration for her, leaving her with the
care of the chi tren, his, not hers, in
such destitutluH,.
w ltIl Sllc ! y sllut lHOTt COlupOScu Il
found that - ly' had brother with
whom he was not friendly, financially
able TO bail him out of jail My first act
after learning these facts was 60 order
coal, matches and provisions The next
was an interview with the EXPIRE SIS firm
who held the furniture; guaranteeing
! the payment for moving it. | had it
delivered. Then came q call on the
manager of the firm for which BILLY"
worked, he corroborated the wife's story
that Freund had been in Jail for the
same otfense, five years previous. He
also said that he was 10th TO have the
man arrested but the firm in Phila-
/ delphia had demanded it. Upon the
assurance of the manager that he would
| give Freund work again If he were re-
! leased, that his earnings might be APP
/ piled on the payment of the amount
! taken, | went 10 work to secure bail for
! him.
Assured that the cause of humanity
! justified my undertaking, and not hear
ing of anyone so we'll adapted to schedule
property as the unfriendly brother,
set out to find him. lie was teamster
! for IA confectionery house in the whole
sale district on the west side. The
search implied a tramp over railroad
tracks, among warehouses, factories
trucks and noisy traffic of all kinds.
The wrong name of the firm was given,
this caused delay, sending me two miles
out of my way. | was the only woman
in sight among those rough coarse
workmen, but not an ungracious word
was SAID to me and any question asked
was answered civily. After all this
struggle through the crowd of factories
! | a no haH 70
for another firm So undaunted, though
fourteen miles from home by this time,
/ started out again and found the right
number but had 10 wait an hour until
twelve o'clock, for him TO come in.
told him my story. He said "Oh! Billy!
| have not seen him in twelve years.
Billy is such softly, he gets in with
fellows who lead him into bad ways and
get him into trouble" 1t required much
persuasion to soften his heart toward
his brother, but finally he consented TO
meet me at the jail at two o'clock, so
went to his employer and secured his
release from duty for the afternoon
without loss of pay. He came at the
appointed time, the jailer, q kind. hearted
man, would not allow me TO go into the
Jail, but sent for the prisoner TO be
brought to his private office. The scene
between the brothers was pathetic
one we, the brother and l, went to the
justice court and arrangements were
made TO secure the release of Billy"
Afterward saw the manager and he
promised to be present and ask for a
continuance.
All went well. AS all of Freund's
wages went to pay his indebtedness, he
could not support the family, so work
/ Co. III
and with the aid brought by friendly
visitor they had enough to eat. The
county supplied the coal and benevo.
lent society paid the rent. The release
came Thanksgiving week. Mrs. Freund
with fearful ordinations and still in
sitting on the goodness of Billy, told me
the story of his coming home to tell her
that the case was closed, for the money
was all reimbursed, but he had no
money for her nor the children and
they would have no Thanksgiving din