Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-01-31
MALE HANGER-ONATE
FOOD INTENDED FOR
WOMAN NEAR DEATH
Charities Investigators Find Pitiful
Case in Cherry Street
House
s'BOARDER" HAS LEFT TOWN
Friends of tuberculosis Patient
Tell of Sacrifices Girl Had
Often Made
''BOARDER" HAS LEFT TOWN

Many a tale has been told Of sud-
den departures from the tenderloin
as a result of the recent police Clean
up" but the abrupt decision OF one
so-called star" boarder in a Cherry
street house to leave Harrisburg is a
little tale of its own.
The chain of circumstances that
helped the boarder to decide were
woven largely by enthusiastic young
women investigators of the Associated
Charities.
The story was developed in the
course of an investigation the Chari-
ties representatives made in response
to an appeal for aid-one of the hun
dreds of little jobs of that kind by
the way. which is a part of the adj
ministration work OF the Charities.
The Investigations as is generally
known, are made with view to en-
listing all sources of assistance for
the needy cases. but at times tempor-
airy and immediate relief must be
given in the way of food, etc. This is
what has cut into the Charities treas
ury so heavily and because of which,
the appeal for a hundred dollars to
successfully wind up the fiscal year,
has been made. There's Il little story
of the real devotion of friends in
connection with it, too, incidentally.
pul-Nell, mere y lne STORY.
Scarlet Woman Ill
When a request reached the Office
of the Associated Charities that n
woman in a Cherry street house was
seriously i'll and needed food and at
tention. fearless young women inves-
tigators went down into that district
They found a woman suffering with
tuberculosis in the advanced stages.
The investigators got busy and en-
listed the aid of the. city health Of
ficer. tried to get into touch with
relatives and friends of the woman
and set in motion the machinery that
would lead to her admittance to a
suitable institution for treatment.
In the meantime, the Charities Of
fieers learned from two women who
claimed warm friendship for tho suf-
ferer, the tale of the "star" boarder,
From time to time they dropped hints
as to their unwiliingness to help
"Mayme's friend"
"Why we're willing to help her as
long as we can get a bite to eat our
selves" said one of them to a char
ties officer. But we got tired of
feedin' HIM. And so we quit. We
had a plan to fool him."
And then they told how. when
Mayme's condition grew so serious as
to keep her in bed, they had procured
groceries and other food for her.
What did you two do for food ?"
was asked them.
'Oh, we got ours-afterward. We
sat in the room with her while she
ate-and when she finished we ate
what she left. or didn't want"
But why?"
Would Take What HE Left
why? Why because of HIM,
She liked him a lot, l guess. And If
we hadn't sat by while she ate what
we brought, she'd have given it ali
to him, first. And then taken what
HE had left. Why she often crawled
out of her bed, so sick she conld
hardly walk-and went out to the
nearest saloon to get him a can of
beer often"
do you know this MANI" was
asked.
"Weli, no. except and there was
no mistaking the way she said it
"he's the star boarder'i"
The Charities investigators got
prompt action on the case. Through
DIR. J. M. ]. Raunick, the city health
officer, the suffering woman was re-
moved to the almshouse tuberculosis
institution. And Col. Hutchison's aid
was enlisted. And that is the story
of the sudden departure of a "star
boarder' from the tenderloin.