The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-13
SIMPLE SERVICE ! HELD OVER ANNA R0CHESTER'S BODY Mrs. Searight Financed Fun eral and Secured Clothes
 for MOurners
CHILDREN CALL HER
 THE ANGEL LADY"
She Asks for Sewing Machine for Widow Who Gave Shelter to Des- titute Children-Discusses
 Associated Charities
By RICHARD N. LussIER

By RICHARD F. LUsSIER With brief, kindly sermon, the Rev | ]. A. Bryan. pastor of the Third Pres byterian church, held the last earthly obsequies over the remains of Anna Doyle Rochester in Johns private chapel yes terday afternoon at 1 o'clock. The serv- ices were attended by the survivors, three brothers and <hree sisters; Mrs. Wilson Searight head of the welfare depart ment; Mrs. Lindley, her assistant, and Mrs. Julia Yother. an impoverished widow who first aided the Doyle children and | their dying sister.
 Following the funeral services the re- | mains were placed in the hearse and cession went to Elmwood cemetery, where Anna Rochester was buried A simple l wooden cross marks the grave. A Welcome Change A change came into the life of the Doyle children yesterday morning. From the day of their birth they had been &C., customed to poverty, squalor and misery yesterday, it seems fate beamed on them and in a moment the world was kind. There was money, food, clothes and no questions asked No investigation to see if there was any merit to their case; everyone seemed only too glad to be able to do something.
 Of course, the kind angel-the angel lady the Doyle children call her-was Mrs. Wilson Searight.
 Since Saturday morning Mrs. Searight has been working ceaselessy in succoring the plight that John Doyle and his three sisters and three brothers found them selves in Friday afternoon when they found that the work promised and the home to be furnished were but an idle dream. Mrs. Searight went out and se- cured medical aid, bought a cot, night gowns and clean sheets for the dying girl; and for those that were not i'll, the head of the welfare department bought food and clothing.
 And Saturday night, when the only hope to save the life of Anna Rochester was to transfuse some blood into her veins, Mrs. Searight unselfshly offered her own. Her offer was taken, but 1t was too late Anna had died.
 Buries Dead Girl
 Still there was something to be done and Mrs. searight did it. The dead girl had to be buried, her survivors taken care of and Mrs. Searight saw that all of this was done. She instructed the Johns Undertaking company to prepare the body fer burial, also to have com pete charge of the services and to charge the entire cost to her.
 But not satisfied with merely paying the funeral expenses of the dead girl, Mrs. Searight interested several of her friends, and clothes, plenty of clothes, and money came forward yesterday morn ing and John, aged 20 Ola, aged IA; Os- car, aged 13; Grady, aged f. and Ida, aged 5. all were dressed-dressed neatly to go to their sisters funeral
 There is something more vet to be done,' said Mrs Searight last night some kind soul should buy or give sew ing machine to Mrs. Julia Yother, the old widow who first found the Doyles and took them into her already overcrowded home last Friday afternoon. She con tributed her widows mite, now some one should contribute a little to this poor woman.
 Wants Sewing Machine
 Do you know what she wants the sew ing machine for? Why, so that she will be able to sew for the Doyle children, who are still at her house. at 307 Thirty-ninth street. She does not want a new machine some second hand affair will do. and really l know that there are so many kind people in Birmingham that Mrs Yother's request will be taken care of to- day.
 AS for criticism of the Associated Char tiles. l have none to make, and l do not believe that the account of the Doyle case in Sunday morning 8 Age Herald can be construed as an unwarranted criticism of the Associated Charities. The Age Herald merely stated the facts in the case.
 q Was sitting in my office last Satur- day morning when Mrs. Julia Yother came and told the pitiful tale of the Doyle children, and how their dying sis- ter had, heen left in the middle of the street. Just as Mrs. Yother finished her story, I said; How fortunate, here are two of the visitors of the Associated Charities Miss Moore and Miss Dona- hue-they will take care of you. Mrs. Yother.'
 Had Hands Full"
 But Miss Moore ana Miss Donahue i'm mediately replied that they had their hands full for Saturday, and would be unable to investigate the plight of the Doyle children until Monday morning at the earliest Now, of course I do not blame the Associated Charities for the fact that they have too much on their hands, but had not too much work on my hands and I went to the scene, and so did pr. Cecil Gaston, and later Chief of Police Martin Eagan, under orders from Judge Lane to do everything possible for the Doyle family. And we all worked to- gether and helped the best we could.
 T understand now that John Doyle has secured work and will be able to con tribute to the support of his brothers and sisters. His 14-year-old sister, Ola, is aiIins, and unless taken where there is good. clean, fresh air pr. Gaston states that she will follow her sister. Anna. She has been working in the cotton mills at Siluria and that sort of work for one so young is not good"
 MT. Thompson of the Childrens Aid said last night that If the Rochester chill dren are sent-t to the ChiIdren's home at the old DeBardeleben place. they will be glad to take care of them until their brother can find work.
 BAND GIVES
 NIAyN HAAJUDUDTuy