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About Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1903-1919 | View Entire Issue (March 11, 1912)
HT CAPITA! ItVUkl, BALM, BMflOS, MO XI) AT, MARCH 11, Ml!. 7 1 Pitifi End of a Brave jfraggte JAOS THREE. Eli OF SO If HID CIAL ISOLATION LOSING FIGHT YIELDS TO DESPAIR TWO LAST LETTERS BY MBS. LUCY F. WRITTEN JELLISOM WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE Heart Rending Story of Her Life Struggle Told by Her One True Friend Children Born in a Boxcar, Who Learned to Lie and Steal and Snatch Things Just Because They Never Had Enough to Eat Awful Indictment of Social Con ditions -Need of Higher Socialization of the Communrty Life Along Broader Lines. The Capital Journal editorial of Sat urday, entitled "The Crime of Isola tion," has been widely read and com mented upon in connection with the tragic death of Mrs. Lucy F. Jelllson, who killed her four children with cy anide of potassium and then took the poison herself. The editorial state ments are remarkably sustained by the following letters written by Mrs. Jelllson just before her death. Letter number one was written to a friend who called on her the same evening before she had posted it, and it was delivered by Mrs. Jelllson after she had probably resolved to die. The second letter was written to the Bame woman after she had called and sus tains the editorial commend that the woman died of social isolation, and that the Christian duty of loving our neighbors and taking an Interest in them from a humane standpoint was shockingly omitted In her case. The letters and the story of her life as read at the assembly of the Salem branch of the socialists are given below: letter 'o. 1. Feby. 28th, 1912. My Dear Friend. Please do not fret one bit. For more than seven years I've worked and planned and we have managed to exist but we have never had enough to live. I have always hoped for bet ter things and worked all I could. This last blow has been one too many. It Is not possible for me alone to earn enough to keep my family. As I told you, they have dnveloped habits from being left alone so much, that other people would not be willing to have them in their homes. I can not take them to my people even If I no use talking. I must be with the biddies more. And even if I could be now I fear it is too late to rectify some things. They have been left alone too much already. I have never left them for an hour willingly nor for aught but work. There has been no lecture, no enter can you tell WHY it has not been an swered? I fear I am a bit of a fatal ist, else may be an Infidel. I hardly believe that, though." There has al ways been a very real God to me, al though not Just what most of the min isters tell us. My dear, even yet I pray with all my soul, 'Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me." but I cannot finish it in the same spirit as our Leader did. Were I only concerned I could. But if I had no biddies I could make my way easily. "Go for my wandering boy tonight, Go search for him where you will, But bring him to me with all his blight, And tell him I love him still" It is an untold agony to me that he feels so hard to me. It is true that I've punished him, but it was to try to keep him from forming habits that were detrimental to him as an indi vidual and to the state, too. And it seems I've made a grievous mistake. I do not understand. These next three never were good like he used to be. They can do, but will not. I can take any one alone and work with them and they will do fairly well, but to gether there is nothing What can I do? It is not right to rear them so. I wish you knew all my life. There is so much you could make use of but I've no time for more. Just this. I've lost my grip and grit nn, . i,w,; ,, ' T V UUUM;,,iand all is dark. Forgive me, dear, and nor a neighborly visit. I have gone u.i m1 ,.u without everything possible and tried you meet my lad give him a kind word LUCY. to keep them well and happy. It was . .Vi- iTnV. t'v- V B m An th,s an,i I've not said what I nl h hL .y ? mU, Ul wanted to, at all. GOOD NIGHT, poor babies. I seldom read, although i it is meat and drink to me. I've tried to get them enough to eat and most of the time they've had bread and milk enough, with some fruit. I have looked within. for the fault. I never Imagined it lay outside myself. You would like me to work for the cause, THE HEART STORY OF A MARTYRED MOTHER By One Who Knew Her Best. Op Saturday morning of March 2, 1912, occurred at 469 Liberty street, the . most heartbreaking and pitiful If I could live I would, but I cannot tragedy ever recorded in the annals do that now. I believe the gods must of Salem, when the mother of four have been at outs when I was born. I little children administered cyanide of I've never complained. I've tried to! potassium to them, and after tenderly be patient, but this winter my patience ! closing their innocent young eyes, and became threadbare. Really, I ve been composing each childish form for the cross most of the time. last long sleep, she bravely swallowed The nervous strain was too much. I don't want you to feel that you are In any way to blame for. anything. Do not think this Is easy for me to do. No one can know how hard it is to do this awful thing, but what Is left? My poor boy does not realize all it means for him to leave me so. It is outside influence,. There are many boys who really have a harder time than he. 0, I wish it might be that some such an one as you might be the one to be his friend. He Is so easily led. I fear so for his future. I would not have him weighed down by any remorse for me, only to open could have raised the monev. which his eves to the rleht wav truth, hon I could not. esty, purity In mind and body. You I've looked every way for some other j may meet him. I've no time to say way and I can not see any. It Is only ; all I could wish to say. I am not so lately that I have found out all of good myself but I wish I could have the evil consequences of our hard life, jbeen better. Perhaps I do not know all yet, but it Perhaps you can use my experiences is enough that I feel I should do ' to some advantage in your work. You wrong to leave such citlzenB as my are welcome. I do not know what Is poor biddies will make. My strength! to blame. I have only asked of life, has failed fust. It is only a matter of i for a home (ever so small) and my a short time till I could not work at , babies and a chance to mother them nil;, and then what? I cannot face it any more. Espy has done a large share of my work for 3 weeks, but the law would not allow that long, even It by that means we could live, which we could not on that salary. My head is so muddled I can not think even and I've nothing to live on till I might possibly get over this blow. . Too late I realize the utter impossi bility of trying to be provider and mother at once at leaat I must ac knowledge my life a failure. Yet 1 can but hope that even this end may le some advantage for some other one. At least there will be more room for some others who, are perhaps stronger. When Russell first left T thought to send the children east and stay and Good bye, dear little woman. I wish work till I could straighten up every I could thank you and all the rest of thing, and then go, but some way it the good people who have ever shed seemed .so hard to be without them a ray of sunshine over my way. You 1 even for a time that I put off Btartlng have your work to do, so do not give us a thought. Be good to "the boys." I have them much In mind. I hope the few books I've sent them will bring them a few minutes pleasure, perhaps even a little profit. I wluh you your full measure of suc cess In your work. Sincerely yours, LUCY F. JELLISON. Letter So. 2. Feb. 29. My Dear. Your visit tonight has filled me full again of the wish to benefit others, but I cannot see my way. There is them off even after I had found out all the time, etc. Then, something happened that made it impossible for me to send them. So I am left all around. I am not a very graceful liar, and these last few days have been a hor ror to me. I only fear my mind will not hold out long enough. It wnmlers much of the time. You do not realize how fast I have failed both ways. If such a wicked one as I could be Bald to pray I have prayed always for strength to work and bear. If there Is a God like the preachers tell of, 1 V. 0 union i WESTERN Day Letters Tliey beat the mails Night Letters THE WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH COMPANY you must know that no one would take my children into a home and keep them.'' ' Came the day when she was left alone in all her suffering and pov erty. Grief and illness soon subtract ed her little strength and courage adding also to the malady which she had borne in secret all these years, and worse than all else, at this time, came the knowledge of further wrongB to. her children because of the sad neglect which they were forced to endure. You mothers of little girls, answer in your own mother-hearts why it was that during the last three weeks or her service at the cafeteria she al ways took Espey with her ostensibly to help her with her work ,but does not your mother Instinct tell you more than that? What would you do, dear mothers? And she, remembering the hard, hard days of pinching want, the suf fering of mind and body the cold and hunger and misery, she could not face It all again. She took her babies with her be cause she could not leave them to the mercies of a world that had given her nothing but torture. She could not hear the thought of the "undesirable citizen," that to her clear mother's mind they must some day be, because or tneir early environment, and the lack of the "mothering" that, she could never give them. Her mother-heart could not Dermit them to grow up in a society that was only waiting to punish their mistakes or lire with bolts and bars. 0, mothers! You who read these lines! What would you have done? She had even sold their school books to help pay for food I know for I sold of them for her. Her house rent was due, and the Illness with which she had fought for so long had reiurnea witn an us torture. Does honor mean so little, after all? Does it mean nothing to you that she held fast, her woman's crown or chastity, through all those eight long years or weariness and suffer Ing, and watching her babies starved before her eyes? To me her life Is like a beaco nllght shining out before all the world of tired, hungry moth era, who are bread-winners for their children. All the loneliness and heart-hunger and suffering only made her strong er in ner purity, and so at last, when the burden became too heavy for her tired shoulders, she laid it down In fear and trembling, but bravely to the very last, doing the thing she felt best tor ner babies and herself. vague rumors have drifted about the town of a "farm' that she owned, i nat "rarm" consists of three lots and a miserable two-room cabin in little oui-or-tne-worid place of some two or three hundred Inhabitants down near .the coast somewhere. She could not possibly make a living there, Theu came a rumor that she had an "ele gant bedroom suite and a piano.' have been In her house many, many times and I never saw such a thing as a "bedroom suite" of any kind. As to the piano she did have a piano uiai ner motner nad helped her to buy more than ten years ago. It was shipped from Kansas, and stood In the freight office over seven' months, till she could filially get it out. That was several years ago. I, myself, have been trying to soil this piano for her ror sau. i tried Tor nearly a month and. couldn't get It. 0, it is bo easy to be angry and re proachful toward those whom we nave wronged. And now, comrades, I must sav word to you, for you can understand tnis pitiful tragedy as no one else can. Your hearts are brave and strong to face tilings as they are. A constant stream of the morbldlv curious filed through the morgue, to gaze upon the dead faces that In life they httd never given more than passing glance. Strange hands placed great clusters of beautiful flowers over the little silent hearts, and In the little dead hantls that but yesterday reached out to them for bread. Hush! See no flowers are In the mother's thin, worn hands! Sho who had borne all the years of crushing sorrow and soul torture; who had ev er tried to shield them from pain and cold and hunger, always with the smallest portion of food for her own and with the hardest tasks for hers: she who risked even the anger of her God to do what she felt to be best for her "babies," was Ignored In this inst irwute tnai tue living can pay to (lie dead. Not that It mattered to her now she never hnd flowers given her when she could enjoy their fragrance and their loveliness, bo why should they be offered now? Only this the outward expression of the things that people think. 0, society! Have you not even a flower for her chastity Not one? Dear dead heart, slain by the greed and advice of present day economics What do you care for their flowers You asked bread for your babies and they gave them flowers! And do they hope thereby to cover up all these years of neglect and the pangs of hunger and the heartache and the Borrow that In Ufa they nev er once thought about? A lady brought an armful of pale, spring flowers and laid them loving ly about the sweet, wan face and over the tired heart. Another stood by her side and added Hunters of purple vlo i Madam, You'll Easily Find Just the Style I You Want the Exact Size and Your Favorite Color in This."'- Splendid Showing of New I Spring Outer Apparel for Women, Misses and Children v. ' :: With Special Emphasis on the NewSuits, Coats, Dresses and Waists her own portion and lay down beside them, dressed all ready for her grave. She was a woman of refinement and culture, well educated and lntelectual. She was for some time a student at the Monmouth Normal school and lacked but a few weeks work to com plete the requirements for a life di ploma from that institution. In a recent civil service examination she stood third on the list for appoint ment to the Salem postoffice. On several occasions she has won honors where skill or learning were put to the teBt. The past eight years have been a constant and bitter struggle for the barest necessaries of life for herself and babies. 1 Maud Jelllson, aged eight, was born in a box car set off on the siding at a little way place In Oregon, where the mother and her three little ones had taken refuge for a few weeks. She picked hops and worked when ever and wherever Bhe was able, al ways keeping her little flock together and trying to train them up as best she could. During the last three or four years of her life she has lived In Salem, and here her youngest child was born in a bare, comfortless liouse at the end of 'Twelfth street. For months before this baby came the family lived on flour and lard, which was made Into bread, and water gravy; The mothers portion was a half slice of bread, but if she had work to do for some neighbor Bhe took a whole slice "to give strength" for the added task. While she was too ill to work, the Eastern Star lodge helped iter some. As soon as her strength returned, in any measure, she obtained work In a cafeteria, and it was about that time that Bhe removed to her last earthly home on Liberty street. Here, with the help of her eldest son, whose wages paid the rent and the milk bill, she managed to feed the hungry little mouths and to keep the three children In school. But her work took her away from home all the time, and she realized that her little ones were forming hab its that were ruinous to them.. "0," she said to me on one occa sion, "you don't know how It grieves me to see them running wild like this." 0, you who are housed and fed no matter how humble your home, how can you have aught but compas sion for her whose lite was so bare so utterly devoid of evory comfort? Yes, bare even of the opportunity to train and guide her babies. Could you have stood with me that day and looked Into her dear, wan fnco, with all the wild, fierce pain of mother love, the Infinite yearning and the tenderness the grief for the wrongs she could not overcome 0, then you could never utter one word of aught but pify for her sad fate. My poor babies, she continued, "they need 'mothering,' and I can only lets. One said "what a mockery It Is feed them. . to. offer her flowers, when It was I proposed helping her to rind homes bread she wanted. Assortments are more extensive than any ,you have ever before seen in this vicinity. Styles are all new. and absolutely authentic down to the minutest detail, Materials are the highest order patterns are exclusive colors' are beautiful, . Prices are shaded in your favor to such an ex tent that you would be unjust to your own purse if you should fail to inspect these extra good values before purchasing elsewhere, New Onyx Hosiery New Kaysers Silk Gloves New Spring Underwear New Baby Capes New Baby dresses New Children's Coats v New Modart Front Lacing Corsets New -Warner's Rust Proof Corsets New Messaline Petticoats New House Dresses New Reiser Neckwear . New Hurds Stationary hi at Quality U. G. Shipley 145-147 North Liberty Street Co Merchandise Between State and Court Streeti, SALEM, OREGON Popular Price mothering" then, 0, then, society cannot bear to look upon a woman who would do such a thing as fiat.'1 I tell you it is not charity that such as Bhe desire! It is a chance to earn an honest living by the labor of their laithtui hands. 0, if It weie not for the wanton cruelty and the wastefulness of it all, we comrades touid smile broadly at the "statesmanship" of today. How they try to decolv themselves and each other Into thinking that whatev er Is, Is right. It Is not right that some of us should live in hovels, and suffer cold and hunger long, weary years of pinching want, till we come at last to the "dividing of the ways," while oth ers reap the product of our toll and appropriate It to their own selfish uses, N. A. Richardson tells us that the average pair of hands that labor In the great marts of our country, pro duce each day $10 worth of wealth, and that the average wage is $2. Have you ever aBked yourselves what be comes of the other $8? This woman received $10 for seven days' work, and uttered no word of complaint, so long as her strength permitted her to earn It It was only when the strain of hunger and cold and ceaseltss toil and anxiety for her babies became too great a burden, tliat she resluctantly laid It down, and stood before her Maker for Ills Judg ment. Hut what became of the surplus $8 that these faithful lunula produced soven times each week? Co out and look about you at the splendid mansions that line the streets of our cities; look at the state ly spires and glided vanes of the churches every whore; Bee the shop windows, filled to overflowing with elaborate apparel, the mostly furnish ings and the private cars and the magnificent hostclrles. Did it ever occur to you, dear read er, that every atom of this splendor was created by the toll of hands? Just hands, and hands, and hands for them until she might succeed In obtaining "a better-paid employment, and then a wounded doe could not have shown more pain than was de picted In her wide, startled eyes and tremulous Hps. Nono," she Bald with that wild, hunted look, like some wounded thing, "My children are 'undesirable.' I tell you this, dear, because you wish to help me, end 1 must be truthful," Then she of the violets replied, "yes, dear, but I feel that I have the right to offer flowers, for many, many times have I given her bread." A man looked pityingly uoon nil the childish faces, and then turned dis dainfully away from the mother's bier, saying. 'I can't bear to look at a wo man who would do such a thing as this." How can the hearts of those who Then with bowed head, and eyes knew and loved her refrain from bit streaming tears upon her clasped tnrness? If Ehe had sold her body to hands, she chokingly told me: "There tneA her babies, then he would have is not one of them but will steal, not scorned her, too but when, under the one but will lie. We have lived so present system of wage slavery a hard so hard they have learned to 'mother cannot feed her hungry little poor, tolling, human hands, that never can enjoy any of tht lavish splendors mat tney create never have anything of beauty or loveliness until are stilled forever, and then some Borrow ing friend places within the lifeless lingers the clsuter of making flowers that tries in vain to cover up from the eyes ot us, comrades, the worn, tired hands that have been defrauded all these weary years of their pro ducts. 0, the mockery of it all! To fill starved bands with flowers! And you who "cannot bear to look upon a woman who could do such a thlngvis that," aftor the first shock is over and the "three days" of morbid curiosity is satiated, will you all go back to old accustomed places, and let things drift again, trying to make yoursolves believe that "all is well?" Will you tell us that these cold, hungry, Btarved little "motherless" children had equal chance with the rich man's son to "make good" in this world of dollars and cents? Will you still talk to us about "room at the top?" Yes, there Is room at the top. But, listen! Just so long as some climb to the "top" they must climb over, the dead bodies of their fallen brothers, and she, and her children, are, aftor all, but stepping stones in the ByBtem that tells up to "climb to the top" That Is how peo ple get to the top over the these weaker oncB. When I Btood In the morgue that desolate day and looked into the Quiet face of hr whom I bud known and loved so well but yesterday, I knew that It was not ber own hand which had wrought all this havoc but tho hands that wrings from labor Us laBt ounce ot strength and gives but the barest pittance in return And my heart cried out to the Ood of the poor, the Ood who sends "the red, red blood ot dear humanity" pulsing through all our veins, and with my poor, weak hand on her dead breast, I gave my vow to Him that I would con secrate my life and all the fullness thereof to this cause, so long as He will grant me strength to serve Ills poor. A gray-haired comrade said to me, "I came away from the morgue, a better Socialist than I went in, and I can work for Socialism now, as I never knew how to work before.' Comrades, it is for us to say wheth er or not Lucy Jelllson and her babies have lived, and died in vain. I go to keep my vow give answer every one. 0, hoed the call of God's lonely poor. My answer to the call is only this: "I come, I come with heart and brain, with willing feet and eager hands I nnswer "Here!" And above all the wild tumult of the strife louder than the din of musket ry that Is turned upon hungry wo men and their starving children, louder than the empty words that come from high places In answer to their cries; louder than all the sounds that try to drown out our shout of warning I henr each comrade's voice proclaim: "My strength 1s as the strength of ten, HecauBe my heart Is pure." : 0 You can say goodbye to constipa tion with a cluar conscience If you use Chamberlain's Tablets. Many have boon permanently cured by their use. For sule by all dealers. For sale by J. C. Ferry. natch like little animals. They have longed for simple comforts, and 0, so often my poor babies have been hun rrvhuniry not only one time, but pw , . iirood, and because her mother ben-t cannot permit then: to grow up in a sorlety that only wnlts to punish tlnlr mistakes of life with bolts and bars for days and days and days! Forgive mistakes tbst, to her mind, wre me, dear, for saying this to you, but i(Jre to come because they Isrkt).' SALEM BANK & TRUST CO. GENERAL BANKING AND TRUST BUSINESS With our assurance that we are able and willing to take care of It, we solicit your Hanking llusl ness. Open an account with us, and we will extend you every favor consistent with good bank ing principles. WE PAY FOm !F.It CE.T OS HAVIKUN Corner Stute and Liberty Streets J, L. Abler, President. W. 0. Kast, Cashier. S. S. Kast, Vice President. Dr. L. B. Sleeves, L. H. Roberts, Directors. SAVE YOUR SELF There is no reason why you should always be, a slave. It you are desirous of saving yourself or a friend from a drunk ard's grave, you cannot afford to overlook the opportunity offered at the Hot Lake Sanatorium for the cure of the liquor and drug fcit'.t list Lsi; E!s?r;! bh nrouare the body for tho treatment and then south the nerves and actually remove the deBlre for the liquor or drug. Hundreds of happy homes in Oregon and Washing ton today bear witness to the elliclency of the Hot Lake treatment One week will in most cases effect a cure. Sometimes longer 1 re quired, but not often. Tho best of care Is given the patient. For full information, address I Hot Lake Sanatorium Hot Lake, Oregon WALTER M. FIERCE Pres. and Mgr. LIGHT WHITE II HEAD such as It Is Impossible to bake with home fucllltli's, comes from our ovens every day, Don't take our word for It. Just try a lonf or two and no further argument will be necessary,' Our bread Is good for the . body . and brain. It Is a complete , food of Itxulf and as toothsome as It Is wholesome. CAPITAL BAKERY 43 Court Strest Phone IS