The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-15
TIE MOTHER Of A HERO.
SHE Is DESTITUTE AND RE Neg
LECTS To AID HER.
10 the Organized Charitie~-ln-
difference to Hunger and Hard
ships Not the Fault Of the Rich.

Strange as L may seem" said the Sec
reiary OK Organized Charities yesterday.
orr r,osr fragrant cases of restitution do
no1 come fron the ranks es the people who
cannot do, asis from the ranks OF these
who can bus VIII rot do.
TIE prove This lie. me rsscits the three tel
lowing eases that have been investigated by
Ene wss1l.a the week.
The first one Is iha. ~ an expresSnsan
who IS separated from his wife and has
three children 10 care for, The mother
wants the eal,dren. bat the father will not
give them up. and yet he fres,s them al
most as bTu;es. Yes. ne treats them Verse
than he does the horse that pulls his
wagon.
Il Investigated this case at the instance
OF ffe rnotaer. who is willing to take the
Children, the ol3es; a girl Of IA years, and
provide Tor them. but rte father refuses To
let them go. | found the children sleeping
on beds OF hay stuffed Into ganny sacks
and hard as board. The stable where
the expressman kept his horse was locked.
that no fresh hay for the beds could
lee procured, TIE beds were unfit for a
human being 10 lie on. and the surround
ings IN the house were disgrace TO any
man who claims IN earn an honest lv-
ing. We could do nothing The children are
under the care Of their father, who is able
10 support them deeently IL NJ will. He Is
case for the law. the law or prevention
OF cruelty 10 children.
The next case Is that of a woman who
is the mot her Of cne Of the two first priss-
onsrs captured during the ssantsh-Amer4
can war. She IS II years Of age and feen.e.
She has "a husband and seven children.
Fer husband is strong. robust man.
Two Of his ssonss. both under age. are here.
and they are following in their father
footsteps.
when appealed TO and asked 70 aid
sselF mo,her, these boys reply that the
oil man takes all they satn. The boy
who vas prisoner is in New York, and
has been hAae hero. but he has sent his
mother nothing. The mother. when desert
ed by her husband and her SONS. sick
ard old. came "a us. and with money sent
Ggr from a sister in Johnstown, Pa. she
was sent there 20 I've
ITO this organization II seems that
boy Nho poses as hero and Yet forgess
his Id mother. or a husband who Is m
electrician and mechanic and yet for
gets the wife who lived with him score
of years and bore him seven children.
should be given Just the credit due them.
The ,Foor wife wants 10 know abou. her
husband and her children She writes US
3 heart-hroken letter. asking help In that
way only It's a shame. an outrage. that
man and his sons should let the wife
ans. mother I've pauper while they spend
I've investigated this case and know what
] say to be true. How the hero OF the
Spantsh-Amerseau war can forget his
mother because she Is Old and III l cannot
| fataom. Nor can understand how two
sans, working steadily in this city will let
their cid mother live on charity while
| they support their father as Ebert!ne.
| and that vs. what he -
| "The third case is that OF a conductor
| on one OF the street car lines in this city.
| Eli admit that his wife should be In an
| insane asylum for she Is a religious
| maniac. But how that man can etand It
TO see his three little children starve and
run barefooted IN the mud that surrounds
| the miserable shack they call home l can
not understand.
| As I sad. 1 am willing 10 admit that
the mother In this case IL unworthy OF
help or aid. bat cannot see why the man
doesn't take his babies away from her and
treat them humans When | got to
the house ali the family had been able to
ges 70 cat for who's. month was mush.
aid s,uG little Of thai. The baby held out
its hands and cred for food. AZ I say.
the mother believes IN iiihes. faith cares
and all the rest. but that doesn't release
the father from his duty.
"Iaese are bat three CASES among many,
but they are cases that somebody beside
the Charitable should look after. Somebody
should be made to bear the responsibility,
ami thar scne body should not 10 the
babies