The Vashon Island record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1916-1919, 1919-10-02

venture ae One Way Out.
One expert. Analysing the problem
Of the high cost of living, sets forth
TINT dollar now is worth % cents.
Another equally eminent. snys 1t Is
worth only 45 cents. So II appears
clear, anyway, that dollar is not
worth dollar.
John Bemish OF Chicago finds s28-
the same old $50. except thai II won't
stretch nearly so farm his pay en-.
vslope every week. There are four
children. the Oldest fourteen years, the
youngest five, and all with healthy up
was, his wife. victim OF the white
plngue.
For months Mrs. Bemish's houseworls
had been interrupted frequently by
phroxysms OF coughing. Her strength
was waning. There came a time when
she could not lift the heavy drain UNI
der the refrigerator to empty 1t. or the
pail OF hot water 10 scrub the floors.
When she tucked the children In bed
n; night she averted her face and
stihed her cough, lest they breathe
slow death.
Doctors Sad Decision.
There was little money for doctors
and medicine, but they had to be pnid.
And at last the doctor gave his final
verdict.
"She must be sent away" he said.
ut Is her only chance And the chill.
dren may catch the disease II she
stays"
ION 500 week." John Bemish
sighed
Mrs. Bemish heard She knew that
If from her husbands pay came money
to send her elsewhere there would he
little left for the home. And she
knew that II she remained Mt home
the children might
All night she lay awake. staring dry.
eyed into the darkness. bordering her
problem. Toward morning she reached
decision. When her husband and
children awoke Mrs. Bemish had gone.
Kisses sleeping bapee.
The children told of having felt In
their slumt-rs n light kiss on their
cbeeks-not on their lips. That was
all.
On his birthday, week ago, one OF
the children received card from his
mother. It read:
Dear Son: Stay with your father.
Your mother is no good. Try to for
get her. MOTHER"
Today John Bemish was asked by
the police to go to the South side aud
look at the body Of woman who had
committed suicide. He dropped his
tools and put on his worn coat.
~ hope It's not Emma" he STAN.
rered to his mates. 1--WE want her
back, sick or we'll"
And she is good" he cried as he
moved away. "She's the best woman
In the world"
Another pitIful Case.
One expert says the dollar ls worth
81 cents now. Another says 1t is
worth only As cents. One thing is GER
tnin. That is, dollar is not worth
dollar And
Tuitle Sweeney, assistant engineer
Mt the Burr school, draws the same
my he did year ago: maybe little
more. But he decided that there
wasn't enough any longer to pay the
rent and also keep his wife and chill
dren clothed.
"Well give up the fiat and go to live
,cith my mother" he told his wife,
/ Elizabeth.
The next day Mrs. Sweeney kissed
her children good-by and went away.
The same day Mrs. Lena Kirchner
rented n room in her home at 4447
West Ravenswood avenue TO wom-
az Next day the woman went TO
work. The following morning they
found two gas jets open in her room
The woman was dead.
Shock for Husband.
Sweeney was called by the police
ia view the body of the suicide. 1t
was his wife.
II heard her tnlk over the telephone
about having left her husband and
children because there wasn't enough
/ oney to keep their apartment" Mrs.
Nirchner told the police.
She said she'd regret her hasty de-
-ision till her dying day And she did.
It was the last thing she talked Of
asst night"
There was a coroner's inquest. The
vsrdict was "death by suicide"
The value of dollar did not enter
ato the proceedings.