The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-13
ONE TOUCH OF NATURE
WEST SIDE WOMEN NOBLY ASSIST
IN PROTECTION FROM
THE COLD
SAD INCIDENT OF THE SPELL

MoneyIess Mother of New Twins
Not Starvation, but Now IL Neigh
borhoOd Has Rallied to Her Aid
-Case That Ordinary Agencies
of Charity Might Hardly Mitigate.
If it had not been for the kindness of
the West side police and several West
st. Paul women there is no telling what
might have been the fate of desn-
tute mother and her six children. liv-
ing at 1SS Concord street, during the
severe cold of the last few days. AS 1t
was the poor woman, with four help
less children. spent nearly forty-eight
hours last week without food or
warmth, while last Thursday morning
two new lives made their advent into
the poverty-stricken home when the
mother gave birth to twins. With one
of the babes yet unborn, the mother
struggled from the coVerlesS bed, where
she had lain so long in suffering, and
tried to Scrape together enough chips
and particles of coal from the floor to
make a blaze in the small stove, in one
corner of the room, so that she and
her babies might not freeze to death.
The CRYING of her children. her own
weakened condition, and the fear that
her newborn infants might succumb
TO the extreme cold almost crazed Mrs.
John Norburne, and the pride that had
kept her suffering secret gave way.
The police learned of her case and rem
dered immediate assistance, While Mrs.
NJ. L. Mcintyre and Mrs Robert N.
Hare joined in the humane work so
that now the mother and her children
are being comfortably cared for.
The Norburne family occupies one
q vacant
above address. John Norburne, the
husband, is i'll at Duluth. where he
works as a day laborer and Is unable
to aid his family. Mrs. Norburne and
her little ones have been practically
destitute all winter, but so long as the
mother was able to be up and about she
managed to secure enough food to keep
herself and babies from starving, al
though they suffered greatly from the
cold, frequently being without fuel for
several days. Almost isolated in their
dreary little ROOM no one knew of the
family's extremities, particularly as
Mrs. Norburne cherished, perhaps, a
natural indispoSition to appeal for
charity. When she was taken i'll, sew
eral days before the birth of her twins,
however. the situation became desper-
ate For two days she lay on a thia
mattress, with her four children, shiv-
ering with cold, without fire or food,
waiting and hoping that some relief
might come At last the privation told
on the children. They cried for food,
and only became quiet during few
hours of the night, from the stupefy-
ing effects of the cold. The suffering
mother could do nothing to relieve
them She sometimes stretched a be-
numbed hand across the bed to her little
ones to see If they We're dead, wonder
ing if She too, might not die before the
ordeal which she knew was near at
Inr a.
torturing. At last another woman liv-
IN g in the block notified the authorities.
Jailer Jake Stadtfeld, of the Ducas
station, went at once to the dreary
room, and realizing the sad plight of
Mrs. Norburne and her children, at
once procured food for the starving
people, built a warm fire in the room
and then set about securing permanent
relief for the unfortunateS. He inform
ed Mrs. Mcintyre and Mrs. Hare that
clothing was needed for the new born
twins, also for the sick mother, and that
much could be done for the comfort of
the family. Capt. Getchell also took an
interest in the case, and While Mrs. Nc
Intyre, Mrs. Hare and Mrs. Getchell
collected articles of clothing and food
for the suffering family, he visited the
board of control and had fuel and more
food sent to the destitute room. There
was but one small bed in the room for
the mother and her six children. At
the Ducas station the police kept an
extra bed. Jailer Stadtfield and Capt.
Getchell took this bed down and re-
moved it, with comfortable mattress
and plenty cf warm coverings, to Mrs.
Norburne's room, and the relief society
furnished a mattress and coverings for
the other bed. By this time the wom-
en- had secured plenty of clothing for
the family, while food in abundance
had already reached the house, so that
within a few hours after the West side
people were aware that case of such
extreme destitution was in their midst,
Mrs. Norburne and her children We're
being comfortably cared for. After
ward those interested in the family
sent for Assistant City Physician