The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-21
Fifteen Children in One Room
Are Carefully Guarded.
Diphtheria Invades q LeaVen-
worth kindergarten.
REPRESENT z FAMILIES
Little Ones Range In Age from
6 Weeks to IL Years.
City Asked to Furnish Food for
the Hungry Family.

Leavenworth. Sept. 21.-At the house
of Mrs. Mabel Wheeler. 316 Seneca
street. there is a case of diphtheria;
that of a child named Ethel Buck, aged
9 years, and in the same room with
this child sleep and play just twelve
others. In the entire household there
are seventeen persons, thirteen children
ranging in age from from weeks to II
years, and four older persons. The
children are kept on the first basement
floor of the three story building on the
north side of the street midway of the
block The case of diphtheria develop
ed Friday and yesterday morning Off
Ger O'Connell placed up the sign warn
ing all persons to remain away from the
place.
What a hot bed of diphtheria there
will be in the house If all of the chill
dren are taken ill with it, can be i'm
agined and the chances are that there
will be more than the one case before
the disease has run its course
The children belong to many differ
ent families, but most of them were
placed in MES. Wheeler's care by their
mothers who have been divorced from
their husbands, got the custody of the
children and now are either unable to
Keep them owing 10 tnelr manner OF 1tN-
ing or because they do not care TO do
so, preferring to leave them in charge
of Mrs. Wheeler for safe keeping.
Three of the children are said to be-
long to Mrs. Ed Johnson whose hus-
band, Ed johnson, was divorced from
her some time ago. The eldest is Ed.
aged years; Lafe, aged years and
Hilda, aged years. Ed Johnson Is
said to be in Leavenworth now, but the
mother is somewhere in either New or
In hotel
Harry Schalipp, aged 3 years, is an
other little wai1 whose mother Is said
to be in either New or Old Mexico. his
mother was recently divorced ana got
the custody of the little fellow. The
mother is said to be sister Of Mrs.
Ed Johnson.
Then there are three of the Alexander
children; Minnie, aged years; Dimple,
aged years, and Sadie, agea years.
The mother of these children. Belle
Alexander, was recently divorced from
her husband and got the custody of the
three children which she placed in Mrs.
Wheeler's care. --sli
GLADYS and 'Bilr' Motion are two more
of the children. Gladys is years of age
and 'Bill'' years of age.
Ethel and Viola Buck are two more
of the boarders. Ethel is the one i'll
with diphtherias She is years of age
and Viola is II years old.
Pauline Mckee is the youngest one or
the thirteen. She is six weeks of age
and is said 10 pc taken care oA IN the
house by a woman named Mrs. T. b.
Lewis
Bessie Wheeler, aged three years, the
daughter of the proprietress of the
house, makes the thirteenth child in
the large family.
A strict quarantine has been estab-
lished at the place. The children are
all living on the first floor of the house
in one large room which runs from the
sidewalk to the rear of the building.
They looked like a happy family yes
terday evening. The door was open
and they sat around. each in a little
chair or playing about on the floor,
totally ignorant of the fact that there
was another child in the room suffer
ing from a dread disease which may
yet be the cause of several deaths.
Mrs Wheeler telephoned to the police
station yesterday afternoon and asked
that the city make some provision for
feeding her large family, stating that
as she was under quarantine she would
be unable to get out and do her market