The broad ax., 1914-03-21

The most shameful persecution of
Chicago Colored people in recent times
is the vindfeation arrest, fine and i'm
prisonment of Mr.. and Mrs. Eldridge
two well known good Christian people,
whose only crime is that they furnish
home and give care to Colored chill
dren under three years old.
Few other homes open their doors to
COlored babies, and most Of them are
only temporary. Mrs. Eldridge is kind,
motherly and able to care for the
twelve children which she boards, and
Mr.. Eldridge helps his good wife. They
charge so reasonable that poor mothers
can pay board and then work out at
service to pay the bills.
Mr.. and Mrs. John s. Eldridge kept
their little home in Chicago two or
three years, but they concluded to go
into the suburbs so that the babies
could have more room, plenty of play
ground and fresh air. So they bought
a modest Cottage and moved out to
11154 Bird Street, in Morgan Park, and
took their little children with them.
Then trouble began. The White
people at once protested and the day
after they were settled, Morgan Park
officers visited the house and told them
they would not be allowed to stay and
keep the children there. Receiving
legal. advice Mr.. and Mrs. Eldridge
said they would not move.
Next came the officers and charged
them with having unsanitary plumbing
and ordered improvements. Mr.. Ed
ridge made the improvements. Next
they ordered asphalt basement and
Immediately Mr.. Eldridge ordered sand
and cement. Next the officers threat
ened to arrest Mr.. and Mrs. Eldridge
under the Hospitable ordinance. A
conference between the Morgan Park
Officers and Lawyers, F. l. Barnett
and Jerry Brumfeld, resulted in dis
missal Of the charge.
But the officers were not satisfied so
they ordered all dependent children out
of the Home, or they would close the
home In 4s hours. Mr.. and Mrs. Ed
ridge sent away the few dependent
children.
As the Morgan Park authorities had
failed by all previous efforts, they de-
tefmined to pass a new law furnishing a
person for caring for babies. So they
passed an ordinance, intended to reach
Mr.. and Mrs. Eldridge, but fearing that
it failed passed an amendment which
required Mr.. and Mrs. Eldridge to OBJ
tain the consent of property owners in
the block. OF course they could not
do that and the persecution began.
Mr.. Eldridge was arrested Monday
last week for violating the ordinance
in failing to obtain the signatures Of
owners in the block. he was tried
before Police Magistrate Nsf, found
guilty and fined forty dollars. Lawyer
F. L. Barnett defended him and took
an appeal.
Mr.. Eldridge was compelled to pay
$3.50 for appeal bond to keep from
spending Sunday in Jail. Still the per-
seeutiOn was kept mp and on Tuesday,
the good old people we're arrested again
and put in Jail Mr.. L o. Baler, who
has stood by them through thick and
thin, signed the bonds for them by
nightfan and they were released until
Saturday, March 21st, at 8 p n, when
the case win be called again.
Such is the kind Of prescription and
persecution that come to these two
Colonel people because they want to
care for the little Colored children that
no one else win help. They are truly
giving their lives for the children and
their reward is persecution, poverty and
imprisonment. IF the COlored people Of
Chicago win stand idly by and let this
{ Be done without protest, persecution in
Chicago VIII soon be a. bad here a.
in lEississippi-ssL"