Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-10-14
GRAND jury and The SHARKS.
The September Grand Jury Makes a
Ringing Report on The Awful
Blood Suckers.
Not Content with Robbing the Living
and the Dead, Sharks
Indict Them.
A Poor Widow Who Sewed for Liv.
ing and Had Paid Her
Was Showed Out on the Street with No
Shelter for Herself or
Children.
No Wonder Tom Hoods "song Of the Shirt
Is Appreciated
Here,
For High City and County Officials Sell the
Blood of the Poor for
Gain.
For High City and County Officials Sell the
Blood Of the Poor for
Gain.

Even the grand jury of Cook County
has been invoked to aid the cold
blooded money shark to wiring the life
blood from his victim.
The September grand jury, COM
posed largely of honest men, paid Its
attention to these human blOod-suck-
,crs In no uncertain language.
Many cases were presented TO the
grand jury in which money lonners
asked the Indictment Of debtors. III
almost every instance the jury refused
to indlct, stating Its reason as follows:
"The numerous cases OF crime trace
able to the operations of 'clnttcl mort.
gage sharks and confidential credit
concerns for 'salaried people give re.
newed emphasis to the Importance or
the establishment Of chattel banks un'
der the supervision Of the state, rs con-
templated by the law recently enacted.
Their limitations, however, afford but
n partial remedy for the poverty, DIS
trcss, ana crime Of which the remorse.
less chattel mortgage ana 'coniidentini
credit usurers are the prolific cause,
md We therefore suggest that strict
legal regulation should govern all oc'
cupatlons in which such mortgages or
credits are n primary or incidental
part"
The confidential credit concerns
and chattel mortgage sharks have been
known this very week to take the bed
ding Off Of a dying man In Chicago.
In another instance they took oil the
furniture away from a poor widow
with six children, who had paid the
shark $50 interest on a $50 loan ana
who was left without even chair to
sit upon by the human devil who held
her note and who still demanded the
original $40 note and $40 interest.
The poor widow was shirt maker
by occupation. occasionally doing wash
ing to keep this inhuman wolf from
the door.
Oh, the curse that this state Of af-
fairs will bring upon the high city off,
Gals and high county officials! The
blood of the poor will not always be
shed in vain!
Tom Hoods "Song Of the Shirt IL
more applicable to Chicago to-day than
It ever was to London. Just read its
lines and then apply them to tho stun
tlOn in this city
THE SONG OF THE SHIRT.
"With fingers weary and worn,
With eyelids heavy and red,
A woman sat, in unwOmanly rags,
Plying her needle and thread.
Stitch! Stitch! Stitch!
In poverty, hunger and dirt,
And still with a voice Of dOlOrOus pit0l
She sang the Song Of the Shirt
"WOrk! Work! Work!
While the cock Is growing aloOf,
And work! work! work!
Till the stars shine through the roof
It's oh! to be slave,
Along with the barbarous Turk,
Where woman has never soul to save
II this Is Christian Work!
"Work! Work! Work!
Till the brain begins to swim;
Work! Work! Work!
LII tAc eyes uIC hSu'y oAA" "'sAs'
Seam and gusset and band,
Band and gusset and seam,
TIL over the buttons fall asleep,
And sew them on In a dream!
20, men, with sisters dear!
o, men, with mothers and wives!
1t IL not linen you're wearing out,
But human creatures liyes!
Stitch! Stitch! stitch!
In poverty, hunger and dirt;
Sewing ut once, with double thread
A shroud as well as shirt.
NWOrk! Work! Work!
My labor never flags;
And what are its wages? A bed Q
straw,
A crust of bread, and rags.
That shattered roof, and this make
floor,
A table, a broken chair;
And wall 80 blank, my shadow
thank
For sometimes falling there.
-'Oh, but to breathe the breath
OF the cowslips and primroses swee
. Ilh