The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-04
Organized Charities Said to
Have Refused Aid.
NOTHING BUT RED TAPE
A Scene of Bleak Deso1ntion-An
Aged Mother barefoot on Icy
FIoor-Furniture Used for Fuel
Repeated Efforts to secure Relief
a Tale of CalIous Cruelty.

There are those that say with conf
dence, 1t is impossible TO starve TO death
in a great city,, but while it Is hard u
die from lack of food during the space
Of two weeks, yet the above process has
been in operation in this city for several
months.
So close 10 the grandeur of the city as
to be within sound of the church bells |
yet so far from this grandeur as TO be be-
yond the hearing of charity, an aged
woman and her son have been starving
TO death by the slow process, the bitter,
painful process, for the past month
They were not merely destitute, nor SIM
ply in want, they were starving, they are
now starving, and from all that can be
learned the great, benevolent charitable
organizations of this city, in full posses
sion of these facts, allowed them TO starve
and have not so much as inquired OF the
victims whether they would prefer burial
or cremation in the event of death.
In Bleak Destitutiop.
Last night when a Times reporter
knocked on the door of the little house at
3l6 Mechanic Place southeast, an aged
gray haired woman appeared and SILVER
ingly invited the reporter TO enter. There
were two bare, bleak rooms, and the tenn
perature OF these seemed even colder than
thai Of the air outside. The aged woman
was Mrs. Jane Evans and this was her
home.
Her condition was pitiful, so much SO
that those who have hearts might shudder
in the fear that their mothers might some
day be compelled to suffer as does this
woman. She was thinly clad and, though
the damp floor was icy, her bare feet trod
on the boards. This woman is in her NIFTY
fourth year and the comforts of poor
house are not hers.
In the rear room lay the remains of the
only rocking chair in the house. A por-
ton Of the chair was smoking in ram
shackle stove. The rest OF the chair was
fuel for the coming week.
Furniture for Fuel
Il hated 10 break up my rocker" said
the aged woman, but the cramps came on
so badly that had TO do something to get
fire. Yesterday was terribly cold and
/ managed 10 beg a soap box, which burned
for awhile. and when my rocker goes l
don't know what I'll do
i never would have asked for help.
she continued, had / not been forced 10
do So / don't like the idea of begging,
but when my son is starving TO death l
can't bear it. / had to do something !
have not eaten anything for over two days
and then enc Of the neighbors, who is
nearly as destitute as l. gave me cup of
coffee. The cramps bother me terribly,
but / could stand it if my son could get
something He is a good boy, and he is
strong when he has something TO eat
We have been starving for month,
now, and haven't had one meal in that
time. Now and then We got an apple
:. liz, ,.sada
more hungry. Oh. l wish something
would happen
The old woman had tears streaming
down her face and she rocked TO and fro
nursing the hunger cramps
Some Family History.
My husband has been bedridden since
1895. He is sixty years old and is living
with his people in Virginia, who are also
very peer. Ny son was then fifteen years
old and he managed to get work at Ma
Ioney's paving brick factory, in South
Capitol Street. He got 50 per week and
we managed to live somehow until he got
sick. We were destitute and without
feed CT fuel and applied TO the Associat
ed Charities for aid and after q week /
got enc dollars worth Of provisions.
Then my boy went TO work again, but
everything was dull, and for several
months he only averaged two days in each
week During the fourth week in Novem-
Der last the factory shut down and he has
been out Of work ever since. This was six
weeks ago and we have starved; oh, it is
terrible, and we are without fire. Early in
December ] went TO the Associated Chart
ties in G Street, and was referred to 225
Tenth Street. ] had to wait whole day,
but went there early the next morning and
stated my case 10 Miss Roehefort. the lazy
in charge. She treated me rather con-
temptuously and told me that as / was a
Catholic ! should go TO the St. Vincent de
Paul Society.
Not Enough for Their Own.
Il then went TO the st. Vincent de Paul
Society and was told that they had not
enough to care for their own parishioners.
went back to the Associated Charities
and WAS told by Miss Rochefort that they
could do nothing for me- She also stated
that the Associated Charities was private
organization and that the funds were pri-
vate. Finding that could get nothing
there. ] returned home and starved for
another week Then | wrote letter. beg
ging the paper and stamp. to the Asso-
ciated Charities, appealing for aid and theI
still another letter. but no attention has
been paid TO me. / had no shoes TO go out
and have had TO remain here barefooted
and suffer
Il went TO Lieutenant Gessford at the
Fifth precinct police station and asked
him for Gods sake 10 prevent my starving
10 death. He told me that the matter ha,
been taken out OF the hands of the police
department. and said that the Associated
Charities ought 10 respond now, judginl
from the appeals he had had personally.
Nothing hut Questions.
The Associated Charities did NOTHING
for me further than to get my name anC
ask me who my grandmother was an,
who my fathers people were. My son ha
been out early and late hunting for work
but il seems as though there is nothing
TO be had. He only got 81 per week wher
he did have work. but he can't get 80 cent!
a week now.
u went to the Central Union Mission
and was told that they had no funds W.
sold what we had in the house worth sell
ing when my boy was sick last Spring an,
see nothing now except lying down an,
giving up TO the pain Of being hungry"
The aged woman broke down seyera
times while answering questions and sui
fered intensely from cramps. The loon
Was icy and damp, and IL is wonder tina
she is even alive. She is very weak, an
the horror OF hunger is stamped upon he
face. The neighbors are all poverty
stricken, and are unable TO help. but the
are strong in their denunciation of III
uncharitable charitable organizations.
The people OF this city every year do
nate thousands of dollars to the Asso