Omaha daily bee., 1910-12-06
DESTROYS SIGHT OF HIS CHILD
ANNUAL Report 81 Child Saving Insti-
tute Sets Forth Work.
TALE OF IEHUMAE TREATMENT
Mas Pats Out the Eyes Of His DauHh-
ter that she Might Become n Beg-
Ear and Earn Money
for HIN.

She was born with perfectly normal sight
and grew up to be ~ or II years Of age
seeing az well as other little girls. Then
something happened. II was no accident
Il was no ocular silmeut which robbed her
Of her sight IL would have been better
thus. For Il was her own father who
blinded her that she might become street
beggar and support MIN.
This atrocity Is narrated in the thirteenth
annual report OF the Child Saving institute
Just published. So awful are she facts as
narrated that one may hasten to add that
the little girl Is now in the state Home
for the Blind at Nebraska City and Is
being well cared for by tender and sym
pathetic people. no other single accom-
pnshment BY the institute during the
year" says the report, has given 50 much
real pleasure and satisfaction to the man
aeement and to the scores Of others who
know the circumstances q" And 20 this 81
may be added that II the Child Saving
institute has done nothlag else during the
year than saving the girl from her mon
strous parent It would have done q great
years work.
| Tale of savaEery.
This tale Of mioeene savagery rivals any
thing which every traveller returning from
Europe told about practices Of Italian
! mendicants with respect 10 brutalites prac-
tioed for begging purposes upon their Off
! spring. The tale set forth in the report
| is given below, the superintendent Of the
institute being Rev. Clark Of Omaha:
! The blind girl whose picture appears Ia
/ this report was rescued few months ago
/ from the most piuable condition Of any
child a. far as can be learned in child saw
| ing work IN Nebraska Her father. an out
/ law. has done no work in three years, but
made a living for his family by begging
with the blind girl
He abused her most shamefully, and at
one Nebraska town citizens broke into the
house where he was beating her and Sc
cured evidence which they thought suffi-
cient 70 prove in court that he had de-
nberately made his child blind to use her
as q means OF begging.
The superintendent OF the Child Saving
institute was sent for. He advised that the
evidence was insufficient for criminal pro-
oeedings, but that under the new compul-
sorry education law the truant officer could
Immediately take possession of the child.
Necessary legal papers were drawn. but the
officer was afraid to go after the child.
at first the chief refused to 60 and said
~ recently had trouble with this man
in a saloon and I know that shooting will
begin as soon as we get there and he learns
what is wanted. / don't want to kill any
? body and I am not going to be killed
He afterwards decided to go and be
, went heavily armed. The child was rescued
and brought 70 the Child Saving institute
and taken by US to the State Institution for
the Blind at Nebraska City. She now has
a chance to get something out OF life.
The annual report shows that on Novem-
? Der l. 1903. thirty-nine children were in the
institute. During the year were received
M. sixty we're readmitted. making q total
} OF n6 These were disposed Of as follows
} Eaghty-eiEht were placed in homes for
adoption, ia had guardians found for them
placed in other institutions and otherwise
provided for. also forty-three died. Tota
$40.
} Total Cost Per Child.
The total cost Of caring for these Sls wal
n4s72. or about $50 child Another para
Fraph IN the report deals with girls near
inE young womanhood. II says:
Many girls from IA to Is years who ar
, without parents or guardians and have
been left in restitution are in greater neeC
. Of the oversight Of this institution thar
1 Younger girls Five or six such girls have
been saved from evil influences the las
year and placed in good families wher'
= bright prospects are before them HAD 4
not been for the work Of the institute WI
z believe their lives would have beel
bUphted. The same has been true OF man!
Of the large boys from p TO Is years"
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