South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-01-16
BY MARY CLARK.

BY MARY CLARK.
\ little over month ago three
women appeared before Judge Fara-
baugh in the police court. They were
not picked up from the streets. bold
showily dresses in tawdry fnery or
were they thieves from the houses of
the rich, where the maid in her am
bition To ape her mistress fOrgets her
self and borrows, as il were, a bauble
1roIr My Lady's" dresser to satisfy
her vanity for brief evening and
ueglccts to return il. They were none
OF these. They stood, three women
uf big square proportions. an apron
about each waist and blank, hopeless
eyes staring from shawl covered heads.
Scarcely a word of English did they
speak and not until an interpreter
was produced could they be made to
understand why they were there.
What is il the judge is saying?
The interpreter translates into Hun
garian. You were caught picking up
coal along the railroad track, were
YOU uot2'
yes" There was no attempt at
denial They admitted they were
guilty what was the judge to do2
Impose the full penalty of the law?
lie turned TO the first Mrs. Lickey.
"Why did You do it?" he asked.
Because my children were cold"
translated the interpreter.
Where is your husband
Dead
who supports you?'
"No one"
How many children have you?'
give"
Low old is your oldest chnd?"
Fourteen.
boy or sirl?'
tfoN.'
cant he work."
'Ifc hasn't finished the fifth grade
in school, so he CANT go TO work
why don't you work.
''I can't go away and leave my chill
The court turned to the second.
Mrs. Nergcs-
''Why did YOU steal the coal?"
'I was just helping the others
Then You have husband who
supports YOU
lie passed ON TO the third, Mrs.
Elizabeth kaman.
why did YOU steal the coal2"
MY children were cold
What does your husband do?'
'.He was injured in mine and
hasn't been able To work cor three
years"
How many children have you?"
Seven"
How old is the oldest?'
Thirteen" +"
And the Youngest"
zone month"
or course we al know that the
Judge suspended sentence. The public
read that this thing happened, that
three women were forced TO steal 10
keen their children warm. Every
mother who read IL thought il ter
rible" and every father passed II over
with a word about such cases being
reported 20 the proper authorities. The
women went back 20 their cold homes
and CRYING babies The imminent
danger of being sent To prison was
mast. but were things any different in
those homes Was the need OF steal
ing cold removed
Wav Across Fields.
The answer 10 this question led
across a field OF snow Co where an
irregular row OF poor little one-story
houses We're Silhouetted against the
horizon. The wind was sharp and not
a soul was 10 be seen any place.
though the deserted streets and paths
ocross fields in the direction of neigh
boring factories showed the imprint
~ human feet Drawing nearer these
isolated dwellings one could discern
a very faint spiral of smoke curing
from a chimney and a lean and hungry
looking yellow dog announced the ap-
nroach OF the visitor with series or
ntercing harks. In reseponse a pinch
"a white little face pressed itself
against n window pane and Mrs. ka-
man answered my knock
Tt was only after much questioning
with one OF the children acting as in
terpreter. that I was able 90 learn the
sf.,,a+for, though the evidences Of
grim poverty spoke elc,:uently. The
eoor was destitute OF covering. \ very
small stove was doing its poor best 20
throw ont some heat.
The husband. wasted by sickness
and injuries. tried in his broken way
20 explain why he couldn't work. The
mother stood. boy OF five ciinging to
her skirts and a child OF a year and
n half IN her arms alternately cried
CONTINUED OK PAGE TWO)
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