The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-07-15

upon herself she was questioned as to her
sanity by Health Officer DR.. GallWey she
was without shoes or stockings ana the
black CRIME of years chung to her feet.
Her hair had been allowed to grow and
hung over her back like black matted
bag. At first sight it looked as though
she was wearing a wig, but closer inspec-
ton disclosed the fact that it was all her
own, foul and ill-smelling as it was.
She was in keeping with her surround
ings. The once white plastered Walls
were black and greasy; Inc noors rs; car
in places with candle grease an men
thick. All the beds were black with dirt,
and the bedclothing was indescribabie. II
had not been washed for years. All the
inside blinds were tightly closed. and the
air was stuffy with an odor so vile that IL
was almost torture to breathe IT, IL Is
an astonishing thing that any one couio
have lived for even twenty-four hours IN
such an atmosphere. A ten-year-oid hog
pen. in fytime, would be as the de1cate
fragrance of violets compared with IT.
There could be no doubt that the Scherrs
were immune. In this vile den, which was
all alike, upstairs and down, lived fam
lily of six persons. Albert said that MS
two brothers, Emil and Ferdinand, nved
there also, and that Emil was a clerk In
the employ of the George II. Tay COM
pany.
In one of the upstairs rooms were sew
eral bushels of brown paper bags hlled
with newspaper clippings yellow with age.
They are newspaper articles on bust
ness matters said Carrie in reply to the
doctor. Il read them at night before L
go to bed, for | stay up till II O'Clock or
after and l sleep late the next day"
Outside of the dirt these bags of clip
pings were the only evidence of insanity.
The head of the family was a we'll
known and respectable dealer and specu-
lator In malt, and he amassed considera-
BILE real estate, upon the proceeds of the
rental of which the family seem to be
living. During his lifetime his daughter
Carrie assisted him in his business and
accompanied him everywhere. She was a
fine looking woman, always richly and
stylishly dressed. He died a few years
ago, and Carrie, perhaps unhinged by sor-
row, remained at home with her clippings
till the rags and filth grew upon her and
made her shocking thing to look upon.
She told the doctor that she had not
years. Why? Because 1 got some splin-
fers in my hands three years ago, and my
hands were so sore that | couldn't dress
myself to go out" AS she spoke she held
that she called her hands. She wanted
to know why the police and the doctor
had come. 1t was a respectable house
and everybody in it was respectable, she
said, with some Indignation at the same
time opening to their fullest extent pair
of large, light blue eyes, whose luster and
clearness not even the dirt of the family
abode could hide.
Sister Helen had not been outside for
three years. She did not want to go
had no business there, and she was con-
tent TO remain where she was.
Albert, the able-bodied brother, ex-
pressed his regret that the officers had
matter he would clean up the place, but
he required time. He was not crazy
neither were his sisters He seemed to
be oblivious of the fact that there was