The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-05-02
Fourteen BejeWeIed Gypsies Cir
cIed in Reeking Room, Watch
Life of Child Ebb.
LIKE SCENE OF DARK AGES
Strange Story Of Even Stranger Pay
eholo0y That Places Gaudy Adorn-
ment Above Comfort, and IT,
nores Niostlss Of Life.
Would you mink that such
conditions az this could exist In
the nations capital and within
two blocks Of the White Houss7

Neutrality-suspicious. two blocks wes1
IF the White House on Pennsylvania
avenue, Gypsy family squats in alb
Iect poverty, filth and squaior around
The form of dying babe while hun
1reds OF dollars In solid gold tinkles
and sparkles from the necklaced
throats of its turbaned women. 1t is
a scene from the dark ages, set down
In the heart Of civilization with star
Ting reality.
Perhaps this strange story OF an
even stranger psychology, that places
gaudy adornment above personal c0ms
fort and ignores the niceties OF life
would never have. been told had not a
physician been summoned in u des-
perate effort to save the tiny babys
ebbing life What he saw shocked
him almost beyond expression.
Following a ragged tot Of boy to
1919 Pennsylvania avenue northwest,
he climbed two flights OF stairs past
heaps OF filthy rags, by doOrways that
exhaled choking odors and finally was
led 10 an ordinarily sized room on the
third floor. Pushing open the door,
he beheld IA gypsies-nen, women
and children squatting in q circle
around a lone candle
The candles dim, yellow rays
showed in the center of the floor
whimpering babe. struggling In the
throes Of bronchial pneumonia. No
one spoke they only looked and
-hopoI xutfIo tho{r uold pooLToooo opd
braceleted arms flashed in the meager
light. One, glance satisfied the ply
sican that the child had small hope
Of recovery.
Eight Sleep in.aOne Room.
Eight of the occupants OF the room
slept in it, the mother, father, five
children and a young man member Of
the clan. They had kept the windows
tightly closed and it was with diff
Guilty that the doctor persuaded the
chieftain father to permit him to open
one window even few inches. The
room was absolutely devoid Of furni- !
ture.
The whole family slept wrapped in
Silken comforts on the floor. Not So /
much as chair or table, or carpet, I
relieved the barren, dismal appear |
ance Of the room. The mantle was I
Uttered with medicine bottles and on
the floor beside each pallet were
glasses, some containing few drops
OF coffee. Crumbs around the glasses
told what that family's festive board
was. M M
The air in a room directly behind
sAf~ |
stefan and an assistant who accom-
panied him, were obliged to hold
handkerchiefs to their nostrils and
mouths. Over the floor were scattered
bits of decaying food and bottles filed
with decaying refuse rested here and
there. The shutters of the rooms
only window were closed and the win
dow Itself locked.
Planned Florida Trip.
Yet the gypsies talked Of going to
Miami for the remainder OF the win
err, shook their heads and made the
golden necklaces around their thrOats | +
nke. John MitcheOm, the father and
eader, explained that he had plenty Y
# money and would gladly pay to h
lave his child placed in a hospital. r
lie had tried, but because 1t had first r
,een stricken with wh0oping cough
t must be sent to contagious dis y
ase ward, and these were filed, the III
IAN said he was told IN
"Theesa place, she no guide for the y
eed' he continued in broken Eng y
sh. "Peesa help me get her in hos M
italI pay well. plenty money-and a
hen she gets better we all motor to rs
you know. We have
ice automobile and then, when q
Gather here get better, we maybeso RI
rive back again. II you theenk hes. I
III in more doctor, but don lettn my
etle Mary die NJ
The doctor did what he could for r.
e baby and notified the Visiting -
urse society Of the pitiable condi-
IN OF the family's living quarters. ~
zen he had his assistants place
once more over their Fl
strils, picked their way through the IN
st and rags of the stairs and In
oment were breathing the pure, fresh IT,
: Of outdoors.