Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-07-08
PITIFUL CASE
WAS UNEARTHED
CHARITY COMMITTEE DISCOVERS
DESTITUTE WOMAN WITH NEW
BORN BABE.

In q iacal at the outskirts of the city
drano, "A woman of thirty five, was found
destitute with a new born child. United
the city's poor yesterday. The woman's
husband, Manuel Medrano, a carpenter for
the past five days has been in the Cameron
county Jail, violently insane, awaiting
transterral to the state hospital The baby
was born four days ago, the day it, father
was put into Jail charged with insanity.
There are two older children. Miss Nora
Kelly, chairman of of the charities COM
miltee, appointed by the city council a.
fortnight ago and also patroness of the
Charity Home and Hospital, arranged i'm
mediately for their transferral to the
charity home, where two rooms were pre-
pared for them.
Medrano was a iourneyman carpenter.
members of the committee say, and had
steady work at good pay until his reason
failed. Ills wife was then forced To
move from the comfortable quarters into
a ~dllapldated jacal, and to depend on the
meager means of her %neighbors for aid.
Last week the husband was locked up. In
the course of their rounds of the Stun see
tion, made once or twice a week, the com-
mittee found the aged mother Of Medrano.
who i not IN want, being an occupant of
4 household not destitute. The aged wo-
4 man - -.rraurIpu .Nar tho InGL nt har SOM
reason. No definite cause for Medrano',
insanity was unearthed by the committee.
In no ease where there j. any means Of
making a living III a destitute family does
the committee, composed of Miss Kelly,
Rev. ". A. Ross and Rev. j. :. Bowls.
furnish permanent means OF relief. ltS aim
= not 10 encourage pauperlsm and idle
ness Of persons able to work. Employ
ment u often supplied To those who say
they cannot secure work. In eases such IA
that OF another family found last week.
where both breadwinners, father and son,
are sick. the family was instructed to APP
ply al the Charity Home for food. A meal
dispensing service = maintained from the
kitchen of the home which supplies food
to a. many a fifty needy persons daily
Work Of the committee j. rendered easy,
says ". A. Ross, by the system of com
munIcatIon that seems 10 be- maintained
bet wcen families IN the >lumS. Whenever
there - a ease of de-titutlon or sickness
there will always be neighbors without
number To guide the charity workers 10 the
spot. In some eases attention j. called
by someone no far from restitution him
self 10 Il worse case halfway across the
city.
Regular tours are being made at least
once a week to puck up any eases needing
attention. When the poorer classes learn
that the Charity Home will 20 to the relief
Of such eases and earn to apply at the
home II ~ thought that the burden on the
committee viii be lightened.
NJ tIm ha~ vet been. set for "a second
report un conditions to the city council
which created tho committee. The chair
itic~ cummlicr IN now working OH an ex-
tension ut time "a gather facts to be en-
bodied in 4 report. The charity home. now
the only organized source ot relief. j. able
to use many times the amount 81 the funds
winch at present pass through It~ hands.
and i always AT the limit Of IL resources.
UnetInted prai>@ has been given the work
Of the home hy outsiders, including State
health officers. and by the two member,
Of the present charities committee not con
nected directly with the administration of
the home. 1t present resources. however,
are too meager properly 10 cope with The
situation.