Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-10-03
OLD GRANDMOTHER
WOULD SAVE LIFE
OF CHILDISH AVER
Says Boy, Who Killed His
Mother Did Not Have Fair
Chance in Life as a Little
Fellow
BY FREDERICK E. HAMLIN.

NEW ORLEANS. Sept. 3O.-Mrs. Mar
garet Blake. seVenty-one, lives in d.
lapidated room in tenement house in
Tchoupitoulas street
Mrs. Byake has known nothing except
hard work all her life. Married at fif-
teen. mother of eleven children, grand
mother of four she has been a victim
Of society since childhood.
But Mrs. Blake, who alone in poverty
now makes her scant living by pushing
a baby carriage about the streets sell
ing collar buttons, candies and odds and
ends, has a heart, the same as the most
aristocratic woman in the most fash
ionable world.
She knows what il is TO cry, she knows
The pangs of death ia the family, and
she knows the heartaches in trying TO
make a living and she is fighting for
the life of her twelve-year-old grand
son, Willie thinner about to face trial
for killing his mother. Mrs Blake's
daughter.
And society now is needing the plea
of Mrs. Margaret Blake. Women who
wouldn't let Margaret Blake touch them,
before, are raliying to her side. They
have heard her story of the life of the
child-slayer. and are trying OF make
amends for the conditions which indirect
~ led to the killing of a mother by
her boy.
l found Mrs. Blake pushing her go
cart, "Noak's Ark" about the business
section of New Orleans. In ragged
clothes, but clean, she was hobbling be-
hind the cart.
Years ago, Mrs. Mary thinner used
that same cart for Willie thinner ito
show him" to the tenement neighbors,
interested i'm re- first-born.
While Mrs. Blake tries to peddle her
wares about she spends much time in
the neighbOrhood of the killing, talking
to folk who. she thingks, might be good
witnesses to testify that Willie amt
no bad boy at heart
My daughter amt had no time for
learning Willie" walled old Mrs. Blake.
willie grew up himself. Mary had
three other babies. and her husband
was working all the time, but he didn't
make much and drank lot. When Will
lie got five years old, Mary had two
babies and didn't get to take much care
OF him. l guess"
What mother would have a chance
three children. five, three and one years
old, and the family drudgery of a ten
ement home?
While Mrs. Mary thinner raised chill
dren and washed and cooked, and while
her husband worked for SO to $12 a
week at most anything" Willie Zim-
mer grew up"
with this twelve-year-old boy as the
subject of the laws unbending vengeance,
even though 1t be done in the name of
justice. society has confessed it's weak
ness rather than shown its strength"
said Rev. A. J. Gearheard, pastor of the
Louisiana Avenue Methodist Episcopal
church, after a visit to the prison to
see the thinner boy.
Certainly civilization does not have TO
resort TO the gallows to save itself from
a twelve-year-old. One might as well
cut down young orange tree because
it grows crooked
And while ministers, society women
parents all over the country and others
are petitioning District Attorney c. c.
Gutenberg to drop the indictment against
the boy slayer, Mrs. Blake pushes the
go-cart "Noak's Ark" about the streets,
her heart filled with sorrow over the
death of her daughter, but nevertheless
trying to save the boy, her grandson.