Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-09-13
Prisoner in Filthy Cellar
For Nineteen Years Sees
Light of Day.
HOSPITALS DENY
HER ADMISSION
Physicians Who Desire to Undertake
Development Of Wasted Body and
Neglected Mind Forced TO Leave
Child at Her Home-lmprisoned
by Mother Because Of illness and
Mental Defect.

Mental Defect.
BY Associated Press.
Joliet, Ill, Sept. 13.-Efforts to
place Martha Zumback. 19-year-bld
crippled girl, hidden in cellar for
seventeen years. in q hospital were
unavailing today Ms Joliet health and
school authorities took steps to re-
store the stunted mind andiswithered
body Of the child thru operations and
scientific treatment.
Dr.. Bernard Klein. expert dag
nostician, and corps OF public
health nurses visiting the Nome to-
day, where tho child has been left
pending action, to place her in
Chicago sanatorium, said that they
would undertake the tayK Of restor-
ing the subnorimal child to health.
Because she contracted disease
Of the spine when she was years
old, the 19-yearro old girl, whose body
has developed to the extent Of a 81
year-old child and whose mind has
the response OF a 2-year-old, was
where she had lived in filth for
seventeen years. The case is dag
nosed as one OF the most astonish-
ing cases OF cretenism ever brought
to the attention OF illinois physicians.
The girl. according to Dr.. Klein,
bears every indication OF the absence
OF the essential thyroid gland.
Lived In Filthy Dungeon.
Crippled burden to her family,
she was placed In the basement when
she was two years. Old. When in
vestlE1tcrs. opensd the door OF the
cellar room they faced the wasted
form q q girl not larger than that Of
a. 5-year-old child. She was covered
with filth, her limbs twisted and
shriveled, face gaunt and discolored.
Her eyes seemed to bear the only
sign OF human intelligence.
The girl was IN crib covered with
q quilt. Light filtered in from a small
window slightly elevated above the
ground
The upper part Of the house is
clean and comfortable. There are
Sthree other children. all in normal
health. The girls stepfather. Steve
Earn. Is an employe Of the Elgin,
Joliet & Eastern railroad.
How Did She Liver
Maria Ii q living REPUTATION Of the
biological theory OF DR.. Darwin that
only the fittest can survive.
For sixteen years she has chung to
TIC. 49, Sry. onpdi<tono fkof horcor do
seription.
Mrs. zumback is a Polish woman.
The family lives In q foreign colony
beyond the Joliet city limits. The
mother has five children besides Ma
ria, all normal. Maria was the ugly
duckling'" In the congested house,
hold. And when 1t became apparent
that she was not going to develop
into a normal child she was con-
signed to her >subterranean dungeon
where '"she wouldn't be so much in
ethe way
"A. ranschack CRIB was placed in a
corner OF the dismal furnace room.
Covered with q. few filthy rags and
tattered comforters. infested with
vermin. Maria lived there.
90 on 3fO9Is
The mother says she gave Maria
cruel and other forms Of liquid foods,
but the child,s- sunken cheeks and
<c1naciated body denote 81 famished
condition to DR.. Klein.
Altho Is years Of age. according to
the mother, Maria has the physical
proportions Of q child of and the
-.ankality Of 3. Her head Is much
y large for her body. The mouth
remains partially open at all times.
as in a baby. The drawn little fea-
lures register no change of express
e;on. She recognizes no one. She
lever cries. can not talk, but con
.inually mutters cultural sounds.
One OF the most astounding cases
tof cretinism ever brought to my at
tention," was the diagnosis OF DIR.
Klein. 1.-THE child bears every indi-
cation Of the complete absence Of the
very essential thyroid gland.
Secs No Hope for Her.
II have never heard OF O cretin
living as long as eighteen years. If
thyroid extract Is administered in
earliest infancy, great improvement
when the child has been neglected as
long as this one, irremediable or
ganic changes have taken place. I
can see no hope for this child. The
best thing would be to place her in
an institution where she would be
insured some measure Of comfort for
the balance Of her days.
Last Friday 14-year-old Bessie
Zumback asked permission to be alb
sent from school to attend to, a, sick
sister. On Saturday Mrs. Margaret
Arthur. truant officer,and Miss Flor
ence Baldwing, supervising nurse of
the public hedlth council, called Aat
the Zumback home to investigate the
request. Upon asking to see "the sick
sister," Mrs. Zumback took the in
yestigators out into the back yard
and around to the basement door
They CROPPED their way In the dark
ness thru a series of rooms and fin
ally reached the cell that housed
Maria.
Miss Baldwin obtained clean