The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-05-19
From the New York sun.

Thomas O'Byrne and his wife are still
locked up in the Jefferson Market prison IN
default of the $500 bail in which each was
held for the neglect and abuse of their two
children, aged 8 and 4 years respectively.
| The case is one Of the worst of its kind that
has come before the Gerry society for some
time and has features which suggest strong
| arguments against child insurance. O'Byrne
is an engineer Oh the elevated railroad, with
salary of $3.50 week. The two boys,
Fred and Walter, were the children of his
first wife, who died about two years ago.
o RyrRe married again about a year ago and
it is bis second wife who is accused of i'll
treating the children. 0'Byrue's plea is that
he was so henpeeked and overawed by his
wife that, although he knew his helpless little
I boys were being shamefully misused, he dared
not intervene in their behalf.
There WAS one detail with reference to the
two children which Mrs o Byrne did not
neglect. She was careful TO take out life III
Suranee policies on the lives of both of them.
To her husband she said nothing about this
proceeding and it is supposed that he was
ignorant OF the fact until after he and his wife
were arrested by the Gerry agents, Barkley
and Meier The neighbors ofthe o. Byrnes
were aware all through last winter that the
children were being shamefully abused. On
one occasion Fred, the older boy, was put ont
of doors barefossed and kept there ia bitter
cold weather tsEiil Mrs. o. Byrne was threat
ened with arrest if she did not take him in,
On another occasion self-eoRstituied com
mittee of aen of the neigbborhood oSsei
O. Byrne and told him that If he did not pUt
an end " the abuse Of his children they would
take iAs law into their own hands aJla give
him sound thrashing.
h Was not until April 9 when policeman
found Fred, filthy. halt iamishe3 and sab
both feet covered with ulcers from frost bite,
IN the street. that the case cane TO the Aiieu-
ton of the authorities The boy Vas turned
] over to the Gerry society. He gagents neiih,sr
! made inquiry for him nor reported him mass
ing hut Gerry agents made inquiries and
twelve days later they descended on The
o. Byrues aud found there the other boy, Wal
ter, ia Is wretched plight as his brother.
The children we're nearly furnished that
they had to be fed IN small quantities At
time aud as often as nine times day, Is any
thing like full meal probably would have
been fatal TO them. They have gained frnm
four TO SIX pounds ~ weight IN the few weeks
the society has had them and are nov proha-
bly, out of danger, although the elder boy may
have a life injury 10 one Of his feet from the
frest bite.
III. said SupL jenkins ofthe Gerry socirty
yesterday, I'VE could get direct evidence that
child had been killed for the sake Of the -
surance money placed upon is life, sc mehE
get some people besides those directly coz
cerned in the murder into positions theY worsi
mol like. These Industrial insurance easa-
pSnies are putting IN pAlaiial buildings Aad
paying their officials princrly salasie- and
money for It all comes from the pockets OF
people who have barely eaos.sA iacouae q,
provide themselves with food and shelter. |
have no doubt IN my esJi. Giud that childrea
are Insured and deliberately killed by neglect
or otherwise ir. os'leg thai thnse who insure
them may ppskeI the mansy. The case =
just this A parent OF guardian, or other
person-ioT i does not matter TO the insar.
auce company $40 lskes oct the poiiey-bets
/ tbs. insurance cogapAny that certain child
+ VIII die whkia certain time. Tor al these
/ policies are what are called term policies.
/ thai is yaey are made for a certain tne.
al the end Of which they NAV be re-
neHed. The company bets that she child wis
| Rat die within the specified time. The inssar.
| er puts up stated sum when he registers his
bet Ii the child fails To die this money Is Lost
10 the payer aud Is retained in its entirety b.
the company. II the child does die within
the given Time, the company pays, =, you see
II is 10 the interest Of the company that the
child shonld live, that ii may couhzua rreeiy-
ing premiums aHd may not be eslled upon 10
pay the sum mentioned in the BET, or ''insar.
Rnce contract We're the eA3d ia the Gus
iody ofthe insurance company foresight would
dictate that the little one should be treated
well but il is not Il IS ~ the interest Of the
party paying the premiums last the child
should die, IN order thai hs be relieved OF
further payments, and. that he get lump sum
quickly. And il ) precisely With that person
whose interest II 5 lhar the child should die
that il IS left in custody.
''ln a great Esalority Of the cases of abuse
OF children which come under our SOCIETY
notice We lnd that the child has been insured
IN these Industrial companies. This o. Byrne
case is SiFsply another instance The subject
is one WATCH has attracted a great deal OF At.
tentioR IN England of late years aud has been
touched upon in the verdicts of number Of
eoroners iaries- Attempts have been made
in New York, Illinois, Tennessee, Massaehu,-
sets and u number of other states TO regulars
child insurance by statute, but Colorado -
the only state IN the Union that has a law an
the subject II prohibits insuring the live
of children under ten years Of age Ia Tea
nessee similar law was passed. hns sffer
ward oyerruled as unconstitutional. In Mas
saehusetts there WAS hard fight laadse. but
the insurance companies Won Ia tAat state
alone there are something like 5000 indus
trial insurance agents. They indess every
nook and corner OF the state AID WELD in thsir
combined strength a tremenaDas political in
tuence. Here in New Yo.k va have "A bin
on the subject under consideration, which
possibly may be presented to the next les.isla-
ture.