Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1911-04-08

OnCuSO VuBus w ''e "
shame.
The widows Of the brave fremen
who lost their lives while on duty at
the Stock Yards fire last December
are not to receive any immediate aid.
The $2O2,O given by generous Chi.
cago will not be divided. The
widows will get about $400 q year out
of II.
When their children are twenty-five
years OF age the money will be given
them.
The poor mothere must struggle un.
til then.
In the meantime the money will be
invested in the stocks Of several Chi.
cago corporations that are represent
ed on the "relief" committee.
Chicago has bad record on this re-
lief fund business.
Many citizens recollect the fate OF
the big sum raised for the sufferers
Of the great fire Of 1871.
But this last case is the limit.
The people were astonished when
the facts came to light through the
published accounts Of q meeting OF
the fircmen's widows called to protest
against the way they were treated.
According to an account In the
Record. Herald there were stories OF
mothers being compelled to move
from their homes they had occupied
while their husbands were alive IN
order to eke out a living for their
children on what they could earn and
the meager pensions allowed under
the firemen's pension fund.
Women tearfully related to one
another their plans for securing
clothes for the summer-mourning
dresses that must take the place OF
the colored garments OF q season ago.
And most serious OF all the hard.
ships described was the worry OF sew.
| eral of the women on whose homes
mortgages are about to fall due. In
spite OF unofficial promises they have
been made to them, the women said
that not single payment had been
made for them on these mortgages.
Neither did they enjoy the benefit
of the six months salary voted them
by the city council. The law depart
ment, 1t was explained, had found
that the city did not have the right to
spend its money for the survivors of
1 the men who had given their lives In
| the performance of their duty.
The result of the meeting, which
was held In the home Of Mrs. A. d.
Lannon, 5733 Emerald avenue, was
that the Stockyards Fire Survivors
Protective Association was born. In
its membership is numbered every
mother or sister who was dependent
for support on the firemen who lost
their lives in the Morris disaster.
After the women had exchanged
their stories of hardships. due to their
lack the money, they decided to take
matters into their own hands and ask
the Citizens Relief Committee for an
accounting.
The request took the form of these
resolutions:
| Whereas, A sympathetic public gen.
erously has contributed fund Of
more than 100000, presumably 'or
the families of the men who gave
their lives in the performance Of their
duty at the stockyards fire of Decem'
ber 22, 1910; and
Whereas, The women most interest
ed have not been given voice in the
proposed distribution of the sum of
money, nor have the donors of this
money been given any definite infor-
! nation as to the disposal of this
enormous fund; therefore, be 1t
Resolved, That the widows, mothers
and dependents of the dead fremen,
| members of the Stockyards Fire Sur
vivors Protective Association, do
hereby respectfully request the mem.
bers of the citizens relief committee,
which has possession of the money
| collected, to render us an accounting
| of their trust and permit us to have
| q representative on that committee; I;
To this document were affixed the
signatures of the following survivors
of the flremen: Mrs. Nicholas Doyle,
| Mrs. =. T.. Collins, Mrs. f. r. Walters,
Mrs Il. j. Danis, Mrs. p. ]. Powers,
Mrs w. +. Weber, Mrs. Mary McIner-
ney, Mrs. NJ. A. Murowski, Mrs. Agnes
Crane, Miss Nan Fitzgerald. Mrs. A.
ID. I.annon, Mrs. A. G. Moriarity, Mrs.
G. Moore. Mrs. Herman Brandenburg,
Mrs J.. Fitzgerald, Mrs. c. Enthop,