New-York tribune., 1903-02-12
A MELODRAMA IN REAL LIFE.
Starving Woman and Child, Organ Peals
and Worthless Husband.

4 more pathetic melodrama never stirred an
East Side audience to tears than that which was
enacted in real life yesterday at Ninth-ave and
Twentv-eighth-st. All the dramatis PERSONA or
the modern melodrama were there, with the church
in the background. the rain pouring down on the
starving mother and her child. the kind hearted
policeman, the kind hearted woman who gives from
her purse and the drunken husband.
chilled and drenched by the cold rain scarcely
able TO walk from want of nourishment, deserted
by a husband long out OF work when she could
no longer supply him with food by her own Ell
forts and too proud to beg. Mrs. Mary DAILY, home
less walked slowly down Ninth-ave. yesterday. AS
her arms she carried her year-old son John AS
she crossed Twenty-eghth-st. the woman paused
fo- moment TO let pass her group or schooL
children warmly clad and protected by umbrellas
She looked at the infant, set her teeth firmly
and tr,Idged on. 1t an effort for her 10
make the step up to the sidewalk at the south
east corner When she did she stood sun Il
minute her body swaying from side to SIDE.
The strains of music fell her ears and she
sa,. before her the Church of the Holy Apostles
of which the Rev. Robert l. Paddock Is pastor.
Inside the organist practising his anthems
+or tho service on next Sunday. Mrs DAILY took
g, few steps forward. then she tottered and fell
from, exhaustion. She had tainted, and for sew
oral minutes she lay there on the cold wet flag
stones still holding the child with an uncon-
scous grip.
hurried on nuttering to themselves that if
woman WAS intoxicated it was no business of
Its 4-,aIly a crowd collected and this at
trac1oa Policeman Young of the West Thirty
soyenth-st station. Young pushed his way through
the crowd and knelt at the woman's side. He
sa W that she unconscious ..
THAT woman is starving. ne salo 10 ln4uirefis
Then taking off his long rubber 0Vercoat, ne
spread it over the woman and taking the child
rom her carried II into store. The policeman
sent hurry call for an ambulance ana Whl!e . II
was its way he carried the uh'oheclou9 HolneA
into the store also. , s,.. e A.,
rr,e woman is starving was the verdict of the
ar,bIlance surgeon from the Roosevelt Hospital,
- t,a crowd that collected about the woman
when she fell a man about forty years old-
He was poorly dressed. unshaVeh ana wore no
.sThai!s nv wife" he said the policeman
Il have been out of work and could earn no money
She started out this afternoon to look for work
| guess she a little hungry
The man said he Frederick DAILY, of No.
! 30 West Twenty -ninth-st- 49,, ,-.
Aida williams of No. la3 East Seventy sec
ond-st principal of the girls department in Public
Schoo! No. 81, a No. AIS West 1wenty-efgh th-st
Miss Williams touched by the story that
She onaned her purse ard, taking a dollar bill
from H. handed it DAILY.
Your wife will be all right for the present, my
good man she said Take this and get something
warm TO eat. And start from now and make up
oiJr mind to obtain work. Go TO the tunnel There
! is plenty of work there
DAILY profound III his thanks ana cIutcned
There was one man in the crowd who did not
believe in the sincerity of DAILY. and that was
pa troman Young When the woman and her child
mad been taken away and the people went their
u,avs Young kept his eye on Daily. He says that
Twentv-ninth-st. Young says that he watched the
door and hour later saw i)aly stagger out ana
down the avenue. At the corner. the man fell
in heap Young locked him zip in the West
Jhirty-seventh-st. station. When searched at the
station he a cent. Young says that he mad
spent the charity money for drink.