The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-11
Topeka Mother Who Gave Up
Her Two Boys
To Fight Spanish Oppression is
In Agony of Starvation.
SISTER is DYING.
Floyd and Walter Coleman
Winning Honor in Philippines.
Are Heroes But That Will Not
Bring Back Life.


Walter and Floyd Coleman are fighting
in the ranks of the Twentieth Kansas,
and al home in this city their 17year-
old sister is dying of want and expos
ure and their mother and younger sister
are on the verge of starvation.
1t is an instance of patriotism cost
ing a family dearly. The fever of war
which so quickly filed the first of the
Kansas regiments took from the mother
and sisters practically their only sup
port, and poverty and hunger have fol-
lowed as a result.
1t would be a reflection on the gov
ernment to compare the quarters of the
soldier brothers in the Pacific islands
to the squalid surroundings in the
midst of which their sister, hollow
checked from hunger and burning with
fever, is moaning out her life.
For several months past the Coleman
family has been existing on charity.
Besides the two boys who enlisted in the
Twentieth, there is another brother, but
he was taken i'll in Jackson county in
the fall and has been unable to contrib
ute to the support of his mother ana
sisters since that time. While the reg1-
ment was quartered in San Francisco.
Mrs. Coleman received money from
Walter and Floyd, but from the time
they sailed none of their earnings have
been forthcoming. over three months
ago she wrote to them stating her des-
titute circumstances, and a few days
ago received a. letter from the Philip
pines, supposedly in reply. But her
hopes of aid were quickly shattered on
opening the missiVe. as her two sons
simply combined in asking her why she
had not written to them. They had not
received her letter and it had evidently
gone aStray-
The family has been living in Topeka
for the past thirteen years, coming here
A
home is a small, One-StOry frame house
at 206 Hancock street. The furniture
consists of two beds, an old stove,
few rickety chairs, table equally as
rickety, and three or four small stands
built out of soap and cracker boxes.
The floor is bare and dirty. and for
want of change in bedding the beds are
i'll smelling affairs. In this squalor the
three occupants of the house have lived
during the winter, improVising the
small supply of bed clothes as covering
during the severe cold weather, and
budding about the fire, very often
built from scraps of wood and pieces OF
coal picked up on the streets and in the
railroad yards.
During the winter Mrs. Coleman was
sick a considerable portion of the time
and on the two girls, the younger but
II years of age, deVolved the work of
supplying fuel, except when coal was
furnished them by the poor commits
sioner. They were compelled to make
trips to and from the court house sew
from the commissioner and save them
selves from starving. Neither had
clothes enough to keep herself warm,
and the exposure of the winter months
is responsible for the present pitiful con-
dition of the oldest daughter.
For five weeks she has tossed and
moaned on one of the i'll smelling beds,
and fever and want of proper nOuriSh-
ment have left her a mere skeleton. She
was first taken with cerebro-spinal
meningitis and later pneumonia set in.
The city physician ~has called at the
house several times, but the medicine
provided has accomplished nothing, and
it is probably only a question of time
until the emaciated form ceases to toss
about in agony. For days she has been
in a Senli-uncOnSciOus state, lying with
her eyes rolled back and her claw-like
fingers constantly tearing at the bed
clothes or clutching wildly in the air.
At times her means became screams
of suffering audible to the neighbOrS.
Within the past few days the youngest
child has showed symptoms of menin-
gifts.
Provisions are sent to the family from
time to time by people living near the
home, and on the kindness of these
neighbors the mother and daughters
are now depending for support Mrs.
Coleman is unable to leave her sick
child to do any work, and when provis-
ions fail to come in regularly they go
hungry.
L know it's patriotic for the boys to
go and fight" said the mother today,
but it's worked a great hardship to
me. Both Walter and Floyd We're real
good about taking care of me and the
girls, but when war broke out they
got the fever and l didn't say anything
against their going into the army. They
said Johnny, my youngest boy, would
take care of me and Annie and Ida, and
so he did until the poor boy was taken
with infiammatOry rheumatism and
wasn't able to take care of himself let
alone take care of US. I don't know
what's the matter with the boys that
they haven't sent me any money, but
I haven't received a cent since they
went to the Philippines. When the reg
iment was in San Francisco 1 got money
every time they were paid, but the last
money sent from there is the last l re-
ceived.
Now look at poor little Annie there"
she continued, pointing to the thing
fern of the girl on the bed. when
war causes such conditions I don't
think it's right. If my boys had stayed
by me and not gone into the army, An
ME wouldn't be dying skeleton today.
The poor child tramped out in the wet
and cold all winter while 1 was sick at
home. going to the court house to get
us something to eat, and when there
wouldn't be any Coal from the commits
sioner, picking up little pieces and
scraps of wood over in the railroad
yards. That's what left her the way
she is now, poor thing. The doctor says
he can't do nothing for her and 1 sup
pose she'll just moan her life out on
that bed.
Il suppose when my boys get back
they'll be heroes along with the rest of
the Twentieth Kansas, but that won't
bring little Annie back nor make up
for the hunger we've had to put up