The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-01-11
A Wife, Deserted and III, in an
Unknown Land.
Is BEING CARED FOR.
The Woman Is an Immigrant from Poland
and Commissioner Watson Has Taken
Charge OF Her Case Although
She Was Not Brought
Here by Him.

A'SHS 'A SooAe'H6~ ~ SS3Au4J AS'SSAo wv
by the man who had taken with hel
the solemn marital VOWS; iii with the
dread which q woman alone can sui
fer; and unable to converse with those
around her. Such was the pitiable
plight OF a woman who was found
weak and starving in Columbia Fri
day. Applying at the homes Of The
people OF Columbia, she vas unable tt
make known her wants, until finally
she sank e1haustedsupon the step.ol
the home Of kind :hearted people who
live In the most respectable part OF
the city. The following particular:
OF the sad case we take from the
State:
MI. E. ]. Watson, the commissioner
OF immigration, was communicated
with at once, and although be was en-.
gag d in moving his Office effects from
She State house to a temporarT cmee
In the l2.story building, he gave i'm.
mediate attention to the wants Of the
suffering woman. With Mr.. Frank
Myers for an interpreter, Mr.. Watson
went to the home where the woman
vas being cared. .for temporarily, and
as he had suspected, the unfortunate
creature proved to be q native OF Po-
land.
Mr.. Myers engaged her in conyersa.
tion, the first time since her desertion
by her husband that she had heard
her native tongue. The woman told
story which cannot be disbelieved.
She is about 80 years OF age and rather
conely in appearance, although she
has seeL much anxiety and suffering
recently. She was unable to write,
even in her own language, and her
name, as we'll as could be- guessed
from her pronunciation, is Stephanki
This woman and her husband, to
whom she was married two years ago,
came to this country from the prov
ince Of Galatia in Poland three
months ago. Two months ago they
we're brought to G.eenville to work In
the mills, having been secured among
a colony brought south by the South.
ern railway for one Of the mills there.
Her husband obtained work at q re-
enumeration of IS a week, and the two
appeared to be living happily in ex-
pectation OF approaching events until
three weeks ago when she was desert.
ed and left pennies; among people
with whom she could not even con-
verse.
After a period of soui-harassing
anxiety, the woman set, out on foot
for Columbia, and walked all the way.
She was given assistance by the kind
hearted farm peope along the way,
and one family gave her a pair Of shoes
which she needed badly for the
weather has been very severe.
When MI. Watson was notified Fri
day, he found tie woman in state
Of Collapse and exhaustion. She was
so weak that she could not keep
awake and kept dropping off to sleep.
When through the interpreter Mr.
Watson had secured the story of her
suffsrings be set about to find a place
where she could be cared for until he
could communicate with the govern
ment authorities. For the federal
government makes provision for such
unfortunate people as this and she
would be cared for at the hospital at
Ellis Island az soon as he coul6 make
the arrangements
The Door OF Hope" is crowded,
and there was no place for the poor
woman there. Finally Mr.. Watson
found boarding place for the unfort-
unate creature at house near the
union depot, and here she will stay
until she can, be sent to Ellis Island.
The Woman's gratitude was a moving
spectacle, and Mr.. Watson feels many
times repaid for the three hours he
spent in trying to get her located TEN
porarily.
The romantic part Of the story is
this: The arrival OF the Pole, Frank
Sobietsky, in Colum bia;a a ;fewiweeks
ago corresponds with the time that
the woman was deserted by her
husband, and it is mcre than probable
that be is the yagabond who deserted
his wife. The woman's condition did
not permit that she be allowed to con-
front the unfortunate Pole who is lying
in hospital In this city with one leg
cut CT ..s Is !, result Of az accident on
the Southern railway last Sunday when
he 7as caught walking across a long
trestle few miles north Of Colum 5is.
l. 1ill be recalled chat when Soble.
ski came here he was unable TO sIeak
in English. he was engaged to work
for farmer In R!chland county and
was running away when he was knock.
ed CT tie 5rsstle. It is barely probable
that he was trying to get back to
GreenVille when he was caught-pro.
Vided Of course he Is the renegrade
husband Of the suf ring woman. In re-
gard to this case Mr.. Watson said last
nigat:
The State department OF ag1icul-
ture, commerce and immigration has
been placed at decided dlSadvan5 5ege
by reason Of such case as this This
woman was not brought to South Car
ollna by reason Of any action Of the
department., and I regret that 1t is
impossible for me, because OF her lack
OF knowledge Of the Eoglish: Language
to ascertain by whom she was brought
to the State. When the call came tr
me in the shape that it did and saw
the poor creature and talked with bel
through an interpreter it would have
been necessary for me to have had s
heart Of stone not to have attempted
to DO something fer her. The poo
creature WAS in such a condition thai
did moi believe she could have KEEP
her eyes open another half hour.
After trying several places wher
I thought 1t would be best for her tt
be, ! finally took her to a boardin,