The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1914-02-12
A VICTIM OF CAPITALISM
Seattle Ian Sacrifices Life to Feed
His Family.

In West Seattle frail little mother
was bending over her baby. Tender,
sorrowful, tear bedimmed mother-eyes
looked lovingly down upon a sleeping
baby. 1t was HER baby, flesh of her
flesh, soul of her soul-and his.
He?
4 He was an expert photographer
Nike as not he had spent years of saw
higs, as an abstemious wage-slave, in
order to attend some college of pho
Biography, that he might hope to stand
at last at the very head of his new
profession But he was no longer a
mere novitiate now. Last week he
stood among his neighbors an honored
and beloved citizen, by adoption, of
these United States. He was gener-
ally recognized as photographer of
more than common artistry. But the
hoi polloi are not artistic, Future his
torians will allude to the beginning OF
the twentieth century as the Age OF
Trash, just dS pdlOnIOioSAS1o iSASA' 49,
geology, to the Age of Reptiles.
But the whole story centers on this
one fact: capitalism, with its hideous,
anti-Christian laws and methods, was
starving Edward Swaps baby. And
Swapp was young, just twenty-four
years of age, and he loved that sleep
ing baby; and he loved the little moth
er who looked down upon that prec-
ious, helpless little form, knowing that
its first cry in the hour of awakening
would be for milk.
And there was no milk. There was
no money with which to buy milk
And Swaps helpless little baby
would awaken hungry for its natural
nutriment. Credit at the grocery
store was not obtainable. The milk
mans bill remained unpaid. The hol
polli had no need of artistic photo
graphy. This is not an age of art. So
Swapp was desperate because his
babe was hungry in "the richest coun-
try in the world"
What would YOU do, neighbor, in
such a case?
Would you let your helpless little
babe cry in vain for milk, when milk
is abundant just around the corner?
God pity you if you would!
A babes cry for nourishment is
above all man-made laws restricting
production of life's necessities.
That fathers heart had heard before
the cry of an infants hunger-hunger
in the midst of plenty He was too
fine a man to beg; too strong a man
to ask for charity-in the midst or
plenty So he went forth to find sus-
tenance for wife and child.
The christian" laws of this great
country stood between him and the
xight to work. christian" institu-
eons stood between him and the open
) Dportunity to supply natures tlrst
n eeds-unless someone could realize
HROFIT from his labors, his artistry.
Kissing his dear wife goodnight, as
she leaned lovingly over that sleeping
baby, Swapp, age "a, surreptitiously
dropped his last resort, a revolver, into
his pocket and went forth into saw
age world to procure food for his fam
lily.
Hands up!" said the father of the
hungry child to Robert Avann, grocer,
in West Seattle.
Now let the capitalist press tell the
rest of the story. 1t is more effective
as coming from upholders of capitalist
politicians. We quote the Seattle
Itar:
Hands up!" said the robber curtly.
Avann dropped behind the counter
md fetched from pocket of his linen
ltore coat a 25-caliber automatic. He
Q.rust it over the top of the counter
and fired The larger calibered weap-
on of the robber roared at the same
instant.
The heavy bullet crashed against the
grocer's chin and ranged down into
the neck The force of the impact
hurled him back, but he continued to
fire. Then he ducked down behind the
counter again. Silence followed.
Avann had fired five times. Two cart
ridges remained in the magazine.
Was the robber planning some
adroit maneuver? Avann dared not
wait. He rose again. with pistol ready.
But the robber lay on the floor sup
porting himself on one elbow, his free
had clutching his breast.
Don't shoot asalnl For Gods sake
don't shoot asaIn!" he sasped. "Pm
a married man, and"
His head sank.
Avann ran out OF the store, return
ing with DIR. Gustav lewis. OF 66Ol