The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-28
|NO DOCTOR TO EASE HOMELESS
 LABORER'S DEATH
1continued from Page one)

Biting December blasts of wind howled through the cracked window panes in the attic, which is on the fourth floor of the building where Youngs lay gasping for breath. That bond of sympathy which binds those whom the irony, of fate has destined to be outcasts, seemed strengthened by the fact that the day was the Sabbath before Christmas
 A dozen homeless wanderers cast fresh wood into the little round stove which stands in the middle of the room. It's warming flames bright ened the dark garret and sent fantas- stic shapes chasing across the cobweb- bed rafters,- lending a ghostly touch to the scene.
 The dozen outcasts, having exhaust ed every means of obtaining succor for Youngs, grouped about his cot to watch him die and render what little help they could to ease the pain of his passing.
 5. They wet his ,fevered brow with ed the dry, lips. } In his struggles to breath the air of the garret, foul with the nauseating odor< of stale liquor and tobacco, Youngs threatened sew eral times to fall from the bed. But these rough fellows had souls. The calloused hands of plying hearts gently caught him and lay him back on the mattress.
 About ? o'clock Youngs, who had been hoping against hope that aid
 might arrive, wearilyt nodded his head, summoning a watcher to his bedside. A tall gaunt figure, of rough uncouth appearance, lifted the faintly breathing man to a sitting posture. He held him securely in that position with one hand. while the other clasp ed the fever consumed fingers of the i'll man that he might speak the cas- fer. ..
 'T'm dying-yes-Tm dying" feeb- ly murmured Youngs, 'if you can't get a doctor, get mo g priest"
 k His eyes grew dim and closed. Then for a moment they opened, and it seemed 'tos the watchers that the
 dying emIbers of life for a brief sec ond awere suddenly famed to "a flame of fierce intensity; providing flash
 of light, by which he read the rec
 ords of his neglect and tragic ending. Then it flickered and went out for
 ever.
 John Youngs was dead. His head fell Imply to one side and the gaunt fellow who held corpse, laid ii, gent 1y back on the bed. Strong fingers closed tho sight1ess eyes. Tears roll ed down faces furrowed by. the in- roads of strong drink Perhaps it was the fact, brought forcibly home to them, that they would meet a similar fate if taken i'll, that actuated their grief. Perhaps 1t was a, genuine sor- row for Youngs-or both causes that touched them.N
 Simultaneously the twelve unkempt men. standing in the presence of death, uncovered their heads and kne1t in the dust on the rough wood flooring. Faces normally of vicious mien,- bearing the indelib1e marks of 1f1-spent, dtssipated lives, assumed a softer aspect. Lips that had not for years mumbled a prayer devoutely 'implored of Him m-whose worldly ad- vent was to be celebrated on the nor Fvotions and feasting-spiritual repose and a happier Christmas for the soul then winging it's way to eternity. LII duSWcT lO llc Hurry CdI lOT a. priest the Rev. James B. Nihill of St. Augustine church dispatched Rev. James Derwin to the scene. The call was hurried one. The priest rushed to the scene. Finding Youngs dead, he administered conditional absolu- tion, and departed. He had been ca1l- ed too late, but he reached the scene before the physician from the Elmer gency Hospital.
 | The body was taken away. The floating population of Water street discussed the case with great anina- ton for a day and then quite natural 1y forgot about it.
 All that is known about Youngs is the fact, that he was employed off and on as laborer, at Miller's lumber yard Efforts to ascertain if he had relatives failed. He lived in the cheap lodging houses about Water street. He drank but always was a quiet
 man, never made any trouble and was self supporting. It is thought he was Eabout 38 years of age.
 Unlike the human driftwood which inhabits Water street, prominent citi- zens of Bridgeport to whose attention the case has been called have not for gotten the incident and exhaustive in- vestigation by the charities commis- sioners which as one official termed it, may make the Charities depart
 ment assume some semblance of it's | name," is threatened.