Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-18
FAMILY IN PITIFUL PLIGHT
Woman and Nine Children Destitut,
Deserted by Husband.
RELIEF WILL BE EXTENDED
Case in at once Reported 60 the
City and County Authorities
and they VIII Give
suatenance.

Living in a sdualid three-room house In
the hollow below South Eighth street. at 1907,
deserted by her husband, who is thought
to nave run away with another woman,
Mrs. Antonio ~swoboda. the mother of nine
children already. is striving by the aid OF
her eldest little girl. IA years OF age, to
exc out a bare existence.
'rhe case was reported to The Bee
wednesday by Mrs. NJ. Beran. 442s South
Thirteenth street, and investigation proved
pitiable circumstances and squallid condi-
lions. Ragged. but clean, the nine children
clustered around their mother as she told
her story, the eldest girl acting as In
terpreter. Mrs. swoboda Is a Bohemian
and can not talk English and understands
Il but slightly.
Joseph Swoboda, the husband and father,
left home on the night OF April %, without
! bidding his family farewell. The next morn
ing a certain woman to whom the man had
paid some attention left without taking
| leave of anyone. The family draws the
supposition from this that the husband and
father is with this woman. swoboda took
his personal belongings with him and did
not leave his family one cent Of money or
provisions Of any character in the house.
Mrs. swoboda was then compelled 20 so
to work and for a month did three wash
ings q week. The last two weeks she has
been able, owing TO her physical condition
to do but two washlngs in a week, for
which she received 75 cents each. This sum
was entirely Inadequate and little Anna.
IA years old, went to work in the Kirken-
dali shoe factory, where she earned "a a
week. Lately the factory has closed Sat-
urday afternoons and her wages were cut
to $2e0. Another shortening of time has
now been made and the little girl was told
not to work Wednesday afternoon, and her
wages this week will be proportionately
smaller. The other eight children are too
young to help earn anything for the sus-
tenance of the family.
Children in school.
Anna was In the A class of the Eighth
grade in school when she was compelled
to leave and go to work. Frank, u, is In
the Eighth grade in the St. Wencelaus
parochisl school. Mary. IL; Joseph. 8;
Josephine. Z; Charles, 6, and Helen, 4,
attend the Train graded school. Anton, =
years old, and Bessie. / year old, stay at
home, and days the mother is away wash
ing one of the older children has to stay
at home with them. Anna says she tries
to study at home nights, but she has to
help her mother as much as possible and
has but little time for study.
The Bee promptly reported the case 70
Commissioners BrunIns, and he said he
would start the county machinery to work
at once, ard provide help for the destitute
family. The Bee then reported the matter
to Superintendent Morris of the Associated
Charities. and he at once called up the
county store and gave instructions that
provisions be sent to the home first thins
in the morning, instructing ore of the
emergency officers to take provisions and
coal to the Swobodas before any other
affairs were attended to. The superin-
tehdent' also communicated with the Visit.
ing Nurses, and they win see to n that
! Mrs. Swoboda has care at the time OF hei
confinement.
Superintendent Morris has a record Of the
family and says that Mrs. Swoboda Ii
honest and industrious. The little girl
Anna, was in the juvenile court a yea
ago for working contrary to the chile
labor law. she at that time being but 1
3 years Of age. She was placed in school
and the Associated Charities gave thu
5 family help for a short time and paid tn,
house rent until the husband procured EN-
ployment. Swoboda formerly worked a
the smelter, but lost his health and posi-
, tiop through lead-polsoning.
Anna says they have received two letter
l from her father since he left nearly
couple of months ago, both letters beinI
, mailed from Morrill,. He simply wrote tina
he was ION the prairies," but sent hi
family no money. and said nothing Of beinI
at work or of coming back home.