Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-03-11
THE HEART STORY OF
A MARTYRED MOTHER

By One Who Knew Her Best.
!. On Saturday morning Of March 2,
1912, occurred at 469 Liberty street,
the most heartbreaking and pitiful
tragedy ever recorded in the annals
of Salem, when the mother of four
little children administered cyanide Of
potassium to them, and after tenderly
closing their innocent young eyes, and
composing each childish form for the
last long sleep, she bravely swallowed
her own portion and lay down beside
them, dressed all ready for her grave.
She was woman of refinement and
culture, well educated and Intellectual,
She was for some time student at
the Monmouth Normal school and
lacked but few weeks work to COM
plete the requirements for life di-
ploma from that institution.
In recent civil service examination
she stood third on the list for appoint
ment to the Salem postoffice.
On several occasions she has won
honors where skill or learning were
put to the test.
The past eight years have been a
constant and bitter struggle for the
barest necessaries of life for herself
and babies.
Maud Jellison, aged eight, was born
in box car set off on the siding at
little way place in Oregon, where
the mother and her three little ones
had taken refuge for few weeks.
She picked hops and worked when
ever and wherever she was able, al
ways keeping her little flock together
and trying to train them up as best
she could.
During the last three or four years
of her life she has lived in Salem, and
here her youngest child was born in
bare, comfortless house at the end
of Twelfth street
For months before this baby came
the family lived on flour and lard
which was made into bread, and water
gravy The mothers portion was a
half slice Of bread, but If she had
work to do for some neighbor she
took a whole slice ito give strength
for the added task.
While she was too i'll to work. the
Eastern Star lodge helped her some
AS soon as her strength returned
in any measure, she obtained work In
a cafeteria, and 1t was about that time
that she removed to her last earthly
home on Liberty street. Here, will
the help of her eldest son, whose
wages paid the rent and the milk bill
she managed to feed the hungry little
mouths and to keep the three children
in school.
But her work took her away from
home all the time, and she realized
that her little ones we're forming hab
its that were ruinous TO them.
"O," she said to me on one occa
sion, "you don't know how It grleyei
me to see them running wild llk,
this"
o, you who are housed and fed
no matter how humble your home
how can you have aught but compass
sion for her whose life was so bare
so utterly devoid OF every comfort
Yes, bare even Of the opportunity Il
train and guide her babies Could yol
have stood with me that day an,
looked into her dear, wan face, witt
all the wild, fierce pain Of mothe
love, the infinite yearning and tn
tenderness-th grief for the wrong
she could not oyercome-0, then yoi
could never utter one word Of augh
but pity for her sad fate.
"My poor babies" she continued
"they need 'mothering and can onl
feed them"
proposed helping her to find home
for them until she might succeed I
obtaining better-paid employment
and then-a wounded doe could NO
have shown more pain than was de
plcted in her wide, startled eyes an
tremulous lips.
"No-no" she said with that will
hunted look like some wounded thini
"My Observation-Disclosures
tell you this, dear because you wis
to help me, and ! must be truthful
Then with bowed head, and eye
streaming tears upon her claspe
hands. she chokingly told me: "Ther
Is not one Of them but will steal, M
one but will lie. We have lived 3
hard-so hard-they have learned
snatch like little animals. They ha'
longed for simple comforts, and o,
often my poor babies have been hui
gry-hungry--nOt only one time, bi
for days and days and days. Forgi'
me, dear, for saying this to you, b.