The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-09-28
WERE DESERTED BY
FATHER AND MOTHER
Associated Charities Unearths
Worst Case of Child Poverty
in Local Annals-Scene in
Police Court Beyond
Description.
Fl NC Nd. Vas

Il 1 y II NJ . N d, VA.-Special.-
Sad, emaciated. weeping. deserted
by their father and mother, four chill
dren-three girls and one boy-the
Oldest just twelve years old, were tried
before Justice Crutchfield this morn
ing for Vagrancy. The eyes of the
ster arbiter of law glistened suspi-
clouSly as representatives Of the Asso-
ciated Charities and Captain Virgins,
OF the Salvation Army, told how they
had found the children and how they
had been living.
The judge ordered the four pitifuI
little bits of human driftwood, which
had been so cruelty cast about on the
sea OF humanity, placed i'm comforta-
bic home. DR.. James Buchanan. SUI
perintenden of the Associated Chari-
tiles, was entrusted with the work.
He will report to Justice Crutchfield
September 27th, and If all the chill
dren have been cared for, the charges
against them will be marked dis
missed"
That the children are alive is due
almost entirely TO the oldest girl, who
for many weeks has been mother and
father TO them. Procuring food-no
one knows where-cooking It, and
taking care of the miserable little back
room which the ycaIIed home.
William r. Neathery. carpenter and
iron worker. father OF the outcasts,
appeared before the bar and asked
that he be allowed to take them back.
He was refused.
Mrs. Belle Neathery, mother of the
children, is said TO have left home last
February with a saloon keeper and
went to Norfolk. She had left home
several times before. DR.. Buchanan
declared, and had been taken back
by her husband. The saloon keeper
was arrested a week or ten days ago
on complaint of Neathery. and is in
Jail awaiting a hearing before the
grand jury. Neathery is willing to
allow his wife to return home. but
is afraid she will never live with him
again.
How the Children Lived.
About two weeks after his wife de-
serted him Neathery called at the As
ISOLATED Charities headquarters and
asked that a home be found for the
children. A representative of the or
ganiZation called at the address left
by him-447 Eighteenth Street The
children were living in room reek-
ing with birth and NTH, DR.. Buchanan
declared. There were two beds in the
room and two empty barrels. What
ever clothes and shoes they were not
wearing were thrown into one OF the
barrels. The other contained a hete-
TO geneous assortment Of bread crusts,
| potatoes, tin cans, pieces of at bacon
and other appetzing delicacies of like
nature.
Members Of the Salvation Army
Il
children were sent out TO the Fresh
Air Camp. They were brought back
to Richmond about two weeks ago.
/ Neathery then went to Norfolk to
track down his wife and the saloon
keeper The children were deserted
They lived with negroes. They stole
| what they ate. They were in rags
and literally eaten up with vermtn
when Associated Charities workers
found them again. They had moved
| - To
pied dark little attic room which
one of DR.. Buchanan's assistants said
a decent hog wouldn't live in
New Baby Unclaimed.
Realizing that something had to be
done at once, DR.. Buchanan and Cap
tain Virgins preferred 'vagrancy"
| charges against the waits in order
| that official action might be taken to-
wards finding them homes or placing
| them in asylums.
There were nine Neathery children
originally. Three are dead. James,
fourteen years old. was sent to the
] reformatory sometime ago for steal
ing. A four-year-old girl. Minnie, is
| in Danville with her grandmother.
| The four children taken in charge
| by DIR. Buchanan are: Grace, twelve
years old; Della, eleven years old;
Willie nine years old, and Alice,
twenty months old.
| Thrown upon their own resources
forced TO uSnI lot existence, lnS
three older children-Grace, Della
and Willie-have already begun to
develop those peculiar traits so often
the distinguishing marks of the GRIM
inal underworld
They have lost the innocent frank
ness OF childhood. Their eyes which
should be wide and trusting are mar
row and suspicious. Their chances are
shrewd and calculating. They trust
no one. They want to be let alone.
Holding her baby sister defantly in her
arms twelve-year-old Oracle boldly
faced Justice Crutchfield and said she
could get along" If the police would
leave them alone.
Scene I'm Police Court.
, -year-old Willie, at the sight of
so many policemen-his natural
enemies-sullenly cowed under q desk
and refused to move. Little Della seat
ed herself fiat on the floor and would
answer no questions. Baby Alice, when
put down by Grace, toddled around
among the officers her emaeiated little
body a pitiful spectacle, though still
! full of the happiness of babyhood she
prattled and crowed joyfully at the
sight Of the rows of brass buttons and
shining badges.
Grace and Della wept when they
with DR.. Buchanan. Their father, who
entered a protest at this point was so
severely rebuked by Justice Crutchfield
that he held his peace during the rest
of the proceedings.
DR.. Buchanan and his assistants led
the chjJ@~en out of the court room.
Grace insisted upon carrying her baby
sister in her arms. William Neathery.
the father. sulked behind them.
grumbling because his wife had left
let him have the children