The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-11-29
She II on . Chsutauqua Coun-
ty Farm
WITH 5 CHILDREN TO FEED
Carried Sack of Flour 2 Miles
Chops Wood.
Writes Loving Letters, but Hus-
band Cannot Read.

Olmple IlluOeO AlDeTI 008rUn6l tIloO
to square an imaginary wrong with
Chautauqua county loan shark by
giving him q check on a bank in which
he had no funds. Now Marshall Is
serving one to five years in the state
penitentiary at Lansing. Marshalrs
family. a wife and five little babies.
are literally starving on q 20 acre
patch of thin southern Kansas soil and
the stories Of hardship and privation
In the Marshall case are among the
most pathetic ever told to the state
prison board.
Marshall isn't so much az asking for
q parole. The simple minded farmer
has been in prison since April Is, this
year, and in his sluggish mind he fig
ures that perhaps he must stay In
OF course he would like to be out Of
prison and with his wife and little
ones. But nothing in MarshAlls men,
tai makeup has led him to believe
that he has even ghost of a chance.
A few days ago when Parole Clerk
Sam Seaton went to the penitentiary,
q clerk brought Marshalis case to his
attention and the ChautauQua county
farmer was sent for. Marshall walked
into the presence of the parole clerk
with fear and trembling. Perhaps he
that the court had thought over its
hasty decision of last spring and de-
ctded to tack on q few more years for
full measure. After ten minutes. Mar
shall went back to his work on the
prison farm without inquiring or
learning why he had been sent for.
Family Is Starving-Wife Sick.
Nothing that Marshall said added
anything new to the case. On the
envelope containing Marshalps pris-
on record, was the following:
Name. Albert Marshall. age. 38:
cation. none; habits. temperate: mar
fied. yes; wife, Mary Marshall: adj
dress. Chautauqua Spring. Kansas,
And this is the story which the pris-
on officials told. Marshall went to
enough money to pay local bills. He
left a wife. a young and attractive
woman, who must earn her own way
and care for five children. The young
est Of these children IL IS months, the
eldest, IL years. The only income has
farm. 1t il not productive farm.
even in good years. But last summer
1t didn't rain much in Chautauqua
county and the little that the soil pro-
the mother and five little ones.
mother sold such Of the farming imple-
ment: :s could be spared: then hem the horse;
wasn't q matter Of choice. The babies
had to eat
Carried Sack Flour Seven Miles.
One day last summer. the family needed
ask nsighbor to go to tom th and n ssek
wagon TO make the trip. For a long time
she thought 1t over. Then Mrs. Marshall
made her decision. She walked the seven
flour and trudged back through the seven
miles Of foothills with the sack Of flour
c ON hsz ats set er s
meal in two days That was the mothers
But But now Mrs. Marshall is sick and
broken. But not for minute has she
quit her fight to keep the little home to-
ssther until her her a9an can Event IN
her fight against odds, she il cheerful
and bees her husband not to worry about
her This n il Pat Ct
for the sack Of flour: $50
Bees Husband Not to Worry.
Dear Husband-I received your loving
letter and was surely glaa 70 hear from
ven. rSs leaves " m me still up and with
the children. l. never wrote ana told you
e n. esn hardly II + In sas 'ss
srsn. we ELI dsa. s me and viola were in
town Thursday, the first time for q
month. / was hardly able to go. but
had some Strengthening up to do With MI
me- TIL We earn enough money to pay him.
SThore has been some man from town
that fetches us out some groceries. We
are surely glad
'sWell. my loving man, here Is what I
mean II. I got stout in three months. !
would sell my chickens and turkeys ana
re have not slept with the doors open
since you left, the people are getting aw-
aWful. I cannot even leave the children
q home without being bothered; Well
my loving man. you must not worry put
your time may be shortened II you are
hood. Well. papa, I don't want you to
enarSe is hard enough on you don't