Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-12-06
PITlFUL STORY OF FOUR LITTLE
GIRLS BEING THROWN ON
THE WORLD.
FOUND HOMELESS, FRiENpLEss
FREEZING AND STARVING
Museatins Waits, Deserted BY Inhu-
man Mother, Lived For Weeks in
Lumber Yard and Slept in Vacated
Cabin Boat, Subsisting Meanwhile
Upon Scraps Cleaned From Garbage.

Muscatine, Dec. 6.-Homeless, friend
less, deserted and alone, four little
mites of girls whose ages range from
to II years, gained sustenance for the
and dump piles, eating what little they
could gather in this wise and beg from
nearby restaurants. During the per-
iod Of their deSertion, according to a
pitiable tale told to Sheriff Vanatta
when they were taken in charge by
him. they have been living as best they
could in lumber yard near Mao Creek,
gaining shelter from the grateful pro-
lection of the boards piled high in the
yards. while during the cold, bitter
nights OF the past several weeks they
found sleeping quarters in an old, de-
serted cabin boat.
Pitiful Privation Disclosed.
Huddled together for protection, with
the only warmth radiating from their
eUaciated, tiny bodies to the other by
contact. the quartet of half-starved,
pneumonia threatened children tried to
WOO sleep in the rickety cabin boat on
the river, ehivering at every blast OF
the icy winds which howled about their
place Of scanty protection during the
entire night. The eldest child, pretty
little thing barely II years old, acted
as mother TO her unfortunate little
sisters. mother;ng them with that ten
de1ness which should have been theirs
by right Of heritage from their own
mother who. they told Sheriff Vanat-
Ia. between sobs and tears, had left
them to face the world alone.
Wonder That They Survived.
How they slept thruout the freezing
nights. how they kept from freez-
ing to death, dressed as they were IN
the thinnest kind of summer clothing,
IS mystery to the sheriff and his
assistants who took charge of the little
people yesterday. They were given their
first bath in months. cleaned and fresh
ened up and given their first square"
meal which the children probably ate
in equally as long time.
The pinched faces Of the small
children eloquently bespoke Of their
experience IN sleeping under lumber
piles and a cabin boat where large
cracks in the walls permitted the
wind to bring the temperature to the
zero point with every gust. One Of the
little tots told their protectors that she
was given shelter at a home on West
Fifth street for a time, altho this home
is, according to the police. probably
he least desirable for a young. child
Of any in the city. After having been
fed, washed and cleaned, the little
:. aifs were placed at the county poor
farm, where they will receive proper
food and attention in the future.
Destitute Boy Sick.
Sheriff yanatta also had his etten-
ton attracted to small lad, Is years
old, who was lying desperately i'll at a
home on an island above the city. The
child gave his name as William Fobles.
He was being cared for by an aged
couple whose best efforts were entirely
TOO poor for the care OF the sick lad.
He was threatened with typhoid but
despite this, because OF lack Of room
space. he was forced to sleep on the
hard, cold floor Of the little cabin. He
vas also taken TO the county farm yes-
terdav