The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1910-01-07
IA PITIFUL CASE.
The Charitable Act Of Westminster.

An exceedingly unfortunate case of
two young people, was shown in JUS
tice .Shriver's report this week. Al
though it tells only what was done,
yet the suffering and love between the
lines are pathetic and the real facts
arouse ones sympathy.
On the docket and appearing i'm the
report of his proceedings is the case
of State VS.. Rufus H. Williams and
Mary e. Williams, charged with riding
on freight train, discharged. It il
not the charge but the entry dis
charged, that causes suspicion, and we
wondered what the stern, though ten
derhearted Justice had been doing.
Investigation disclosed that Rufus
III. Williams was a young married man
living in ConnellSville, Pa, who, natur-
ally wishing to better his condition
went to Baltimore last fall, where he
succeeded in obtaining work, in his
trade, that of a plescerer, and was
soon able to bring on his young wife.
They rented room and lived happily,
and the song of love and joy thrilled
in the humble apartment, a. it never
did in the places of the rich, until the
cold spell and snow arrived at Xmas.
1t was this supposedly gladstone sea-
son, 10 every respect, that proved
their undoing and misfortune.
The cold weather prevented the
husband from pursuing his trade, and
in a short time all the money he had
saved in his previous weeks wages,
was nearly consumed, and the wealth
er was still cold and no work in sight.
1t was then, at this Holiday season,
that their landlord demanded his
rent, in advance, for their room. They
told him their condition, the waiting
until the husband could work at his
trade, but in vain, for last Wednesday
the 30th of December, 1909, he turned
them into the street.
| Tit was cold, and tho Baltimore was
rich and warm and charitably inclined
but it did not know them. So they set
their faces towards Connellsville thei1
previous home. The suit cases con
tanning their clothes were expressed
taking all their money, and they ther
started to walk the 500 long and cold
miles between Baltimore and theil
destination.
4 When they reached Arlington, the
\ young wife was exhausted through
4 plowing through the snow, tender.
] hearted brakeman seeing nera IcoDdi
tion and hearing their story, although
h. knew it was against the law, sug
gested that she and her husband gel
in an empty freight car, and ride
They did so, he closed the door, anG
the freight train soon afterwards
started. But conductor Crowthers oi
the freight, an extra, ocasioned by the
Holiday season, discovered them, anG
instead of pitying their helpless state
announced to William Helm, special
officer, when he arrived in Westmins-
ter, that he intended to have then
arrested,a ,and had telegraphed to Union
Bridge.
But Billy Helms big heart was
filled with pity, and knowing that the
helpless ones would be best cared fol
here, jumped the train and ordered il
to stop, and he did stop it by the time
it had reached Green street. The
trembling and frightened man and
wife were taken by him before Police
Justice Shriver, where the charge OF
unlawfully riding on cars was pre-
ferred against them, and they. in de-
fault Of bail were committed to Jail
the young wife sobbing bitterly.
Before the trial however, the Justice
obtained the true facts of the case, as
we'll as the citizens of Westminster
and the New Year was ushered i'm hap
PLY for Williams and his young wife
for 10, the charge against them was
withdrawn, and the kind and tender
hearted citizenship of Westmin-
ster had made up purse sufficient
to send them home and to start the
New Year with rejoicing. And il
was not our charitable organization
that did this, but the every day and
ordinary citizen who contributed his
nickle or his dime.