The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1924-04-11
by JIM MARSHALL

IN
wi who lives In an apartment
house At 1909 Minor ave. asked the
United StEics government for 49,
100000 today. She said that her boy.
who died In Butte while on guard
over tho mines during tho war. was
worth much more than that
From his earliest years Mrs
Hobby worked and planned for her
sons future. She was confident
that he would be rich and powerful.
that he would provide her in her ad.
vancing years with comfort. travel
and reasonable iuxuries. An her
hopes and plans were ccntered.
mosher-like on this.
That her boy should become presi.
dent IN his later years was not below
ihs horizon Of her thoughts.
TuIEN the war came and took the
L boy. II no had died on the bat.
tlefisld u might have been different:
easier 20 hear. But he died guard.
ing private property. the owners OF
which made millions from the war.
Because her loss. proportionnlly. was
far greater than the mine owners
guin. Mrs. Hobby thinks they should
pay her the millions she asks-the
millions she is confident her boy
would have accumulated had he lived.
IL mothers generally succeed IN
forcing adoption OF Mrs. Hoiby's
theory. wars, OF course. would end
automatically. They would become
too expensive.
First Mrs. Hobby went 10 Seattle
attorneys with her claim. They re.
fused. she says. 10 take the case.
Then she went TO District Attorney
Thomas p. Revelle. He told her he
could not take claim against the
government SO she wrote to the
adjuiant general OF the army. Mt
Washington. d. G.. filing her claim
for the fio.ooc.ooo.
HUNDREDS OF Seattle men knew
i 4 Alfred Hobby. son OF sturdy Nor.
wcgian.American parents. He went
TO tho Cascade school. graduating at
10 TO Broadway high. From there
he graduated nj IL and went TO the
university, taking a general course.
The United States declared war on
April 6. and a day or two later AL.
fred enlisted in the Seventh com.
pany OF the Coast Artillery corps. He
later went TO Fort worden. and was
promoted corporal. In September his
company was sent to guard the mines
at Butte. Alfred caught cold thru
lack OF proper shelter and went TO
hospital.
U,ARLY In December Mrs. Hobby
IL was summoned to Butte by
telegram. She arrived 10 find her
boy had been operated on. but could
not discover why, The lad died
few hours after her arrival His
body WINS brought back and buried
in Lakevlew cemetery.
aThey said he died from cold"
said Mrs. Hobby. wiping fearful eyes,
"why would they operate for cold?
Since Fred died he has come to me
in spirit and said: Mother. they
killed me!' He said that he was &c.
cused Of something he didn't do, I
believe he was shot--but they hid 1t
from me-"
NOR six years Mrs. Hobby has been
l. trying TO get the government TO
accept her theory, but without sue.
cess.
But I'm going TO keep trying."
she said. MY boy and planned
wonderful things together-trips TO
Honolulu, an automobile and serv.
ants for me worked and
planned for him for 20 years. Then
he died while he was guarding mines
from which the owners made mil
lions during the war. Why shouldn't
they give me few of those millions?
when government takes boys
from their mothers and sets them TO
guarding property. so that the own
ers can become rich thru the trag
edy OF war. the government ought to
make those rich men compensate
mothers IL their boys are killed.
'Ten million dollars7 Why. that's
nothing. My boy was worth untold
millions to me-"
oh WIN n aplF oil la.