The Worcester spy., 1899-04-16
TOUCH The HEART.
But Their Fairy Tales
Do Not Always
Touch City.
PEOPLE WITH NEEDS
Some Of Those Who Visit
the Office of the Over
seers OF the Poor.
WITH NEEDS

The office of the board of overseers
of the poor is a place where one may
hear more heartrendering tales than in
any other place in the city.
A large majority of the applicants
for aid are needy people, but inter-
mingled with the deserving are others
who would rather solicit aid than ac-
quire the necessities of life by their
own endeavor, although in many cases
they are abundantly able.
Particularly noticeable among the
number are those who emigrate from
place to place, with no aim in life be-
yond a bare subsistence.
With this class, the application is
usually for transportation TO some
other city or town.
It has been pretty generally known,
however, that the city does not furnish
transportation to needy people further
than to send them to the state aims
house if necessary.
There are cases where discrimination
has been made, and in several in
stances these cases have served to
show the fallibility of mankind.
An illustration of the disposition of
some of this class was furnished last
Monday when woman who claimed
to be without home or friends, called
at the office Of the board and asked for
transportation to her old home in
Charleston, S. c.
1t was explained to her that the
board could not accommodate her, but
would give her an order for a ticket to
Tewksbury. where the state authOri-
ties would see that she was sent to her
destination.
The order was given but did not suit
the woman. When it was presented at
Union station "Tewksbury" had
been erased and New York" substi-
tuted. The forgery was so apparent
that the ticket agent refused to give
her the ticket, telling her to return at
O'clock the hour when the boat train
left. Meanwhile the order was sent to
the office from which it emanated.
The woman, who gave her name as
Ophelia Sutherland, failed to put in an
appearance at the hour named, al
though she would have been given a
ticket even then, for TeWksbury.
Nothing has been seen of her since.
Another interesting case of similar
nature came to the notice of the board
q few years ago. A man who pro-
fessed to be a tramp floated into town
one day and was subsequently sentenc-
ed to serve a short term in the house
of correction on the charge of vagran-
cy During the time he was confined
i'm the institution the wanderer was
constantly afflicted with rheumatism,
and. at the time of his discharge, was
apparently hardly able to move.
He said he had friends in Utica, n.
Y. would would care for him if he was
sent there. 1t was obvious that he
would become a city charge if he re-
mained. and it was finally decided to
send him to his friends.
The invalid was furnished a pair of
crutches and a ticket for Utica.
Tha next day a telephone message
from Springfield conveyed information
that the invalid was in that city and
requested transportation to Utica,
stating that the Worcester authorities
had helped him as far as Springfield.
While the message was being trans
mitted the wanderer quietly left the
office. It developed afterward that the
erutches and ticket had been pawned-
Not long ago a woman applied Tor
help one day to reach Providence,
where her husband was located. She