Evening star., 1923-08-10
BY HIRAM KELLY MODERwELI..
BY Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
Copyright, 1928

BN HIRAM KELLY MODERWELI.
BY Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News
Copyright, 1923.
MUNICH. Germany. July 30.-Star-
walton from poverty, or starvation
from disease resulting from under
feeding. have become so common in
postwar Europe that instances of
them pass unnoticed and often are not
even mentioned in the local news
papers. But in Germany there have
been several instances of starvation
from sheer fear OF starvation in the
midst of plenty.
Among the following instances of
extreme poverty are three which in
dicate how the fear Of starvation, due
to the constantly falling mark and
the constantly rising prices. has af-
fected peoples minds and led them to
hoard their food instead OF eating it,
until they died, or nearly died. of star
walton. They represent pathological
eNaggerationS of IL very widespread
state of mind.
Cases From OfficiaI Files.
The cases that follow were dug out
of the Munich municipal records tex-
cept one, which rests on trustworthy
newspaper reporD on the initiative
of the Daily News. Their authentici-
ty can be vouched for absolutely
Recently in Gross -Corbetha. prov
ince of SaXony. the widow of Inspec-
tor Schaper Estate employe of higher
grade) was found dead in her bed.
Medical examination established the
fact that death had been due to star
walton. The police had been notified
h.AR hu nd IN
visit her baker and vegetable dealer
where she had regularly bought the
bread and beets that were her only
articles Of diet The police were
obliged to break into her house
forcibly and there found the fearfully
emaciated body.
In the house, which she occupied
alone, everything was in greatest dis
order. To their aStonishment the po
lice found in the room 100 pounds of
raw coffee, large quantities of peas,
beans. cocoa and chocolate. and under
the bed 100 pounds of sausage There
were also gold and silver trinkets.
HOnrded Her Food.
Frau SChaper owned a double villa
which in peace times had brought her
an income of about 5000 marks near
ly $3.50. a year. and furniture for ten
rooms. Under the system of fixed
rentals which has been in force since
the war the amount Sne collected WAS
reduced TO a fraction Of the former
income. varying between s25 and $50
year, according to the value Of
the mark and the variations in the
fixed rent. but with purchasing
power perhaps three times that of the
same amount OF money in America.
The woman. terrified by the increas-
ing prices. could not make up her
mind to sell her precious furniture.
hid from her friends. and spent her
life storing up food for the future.
Baroness Y. widow of a high army
officer, lived like hermit in one room
of her fine home in Munich. having
been Obliged TO rent the other rooms.
The income, at the fixed rental, barely
sufffced for her food. Though before
her husbands death she had been
very sociable. she now refused to see
her friends. She was too proud to
speak of her poverty and too unbusi-
ness like to sell her remaining pos
sessions.
Woman Found Unconscious.
One day. when her tenants returned
from a journey. they noticed a foul
odor coming from her room. Since
there was no reply to their knocks.
they.informed the police and the room
was opened forCibly. The baroness, in
the last stage of exhaustion. lay on
the bed almost unconscious. The po-
lice established that she had become
so weakened from undernourishment
that for many hours she had been
unable TO move.
On the table, in the drawers and in
the CupboardS We're provisions of
every sort-rice -four. lard and sau-
sage. now decayinE and filled with
worms. Hence the foul odor. Through
the care of friend the woman's life
was saved. For that reason her name
is withheld.
i
she bought food TO store away. But
when she found that her money was
not sufficient to replace what she ate.
she became terrified at the thought
of the day when her reserves would
be gone. So. in order to have some