Show GAVE ALL AND STARVED I Miss Gallagher the Victim of HerO Her-O Benevolence New York World Here is something of the life and death of a woman who made a mar r herself that she might relieve human suffering wfio died of starvation stavaton Helen Day Gallagher was born in New Orleans 46 years ago Her father wasa merchant who dying left her mother a fortue Miss Helen was superbly educated and besides was a splendid horsewoman Amiable talented talent-ed she led in the society of the Cres cent City She had many beaux several sev-eral offered marriage to har But she refused having determined after her I fathers di > ath to comfort her mothers declining years One night a murder wa committed I I in this city John RYan a tailor was found dead in the street his skull broken by some blunt Instrument Joseph A Foirl a young man lame and a man named Pool were charged with the murder and arrested Font was Helen Gallaghers first cousin their mothers were sisters Mrs Font and her son had removed to New York estranged from their family Young Font fell in with the fast young men of Greenwich village and went from bad to worse When Mrs Gallagher learned of the fearful accusation against her sisters child the shock hurried her death Possessed then of ample means the proud and sensitive Helen determined that the stain of murder should not rest on her family determined t prove her cousins innocence and to save his soul First she released her betrothed i from his vows She came to New I York and engaged the best lawyers to defend Font but he was convicted be I fore Recorder Hackett and sentenced to be hanged The devoted woman did not forsake him hut used in his behalf all the influence and money she could I command with the result that a day before he was to be executed Fonts I sentence was commuted to imprisonment imprison-ment for life From that moment Miss Gallagher gave up her life to feeding the naked I clothing the hungry uplifting the weak and helpless She never relaxed 1 effort > > to secure her cousins freedom for she believed in his innocence After years Police Captain Kennedy in whose precinct Ryan was murdered died But on his deathbed he made a statement that cast a doubt on Fonts guilt and the justice of his conviction Again Miss Gallagher used her in fluence with the former friends of her family and on Jan 1 1897 Governor Hill pardoned Font For many years Miss Gallagher was sunerintfnrlpnt nf thA V I T I ile society which was founded by the i I Rev Dr Robinson a Presbyterian I clergyman and in which Dr Egbert I Guernsey was much interested But the society languished and Dr Robinson Robin-son died of a broken heart because its work had failed In February 1895 the New York Family Home Relief society was organized at a meeting In Dr Guernseys house its object being to help needy worthy families An office was opened and Miss Gallagher was I made superintendent superntendent Her fortune had been almost spent to I save her cousins life but this self sacrificing woman readily cheerfully gave what she had left to relieve the I suffering that came under her sympa thetic and everwatchful eye Funds came slowly to the society and of late months I was almostbankrupt I But its directors did not know the I extremity to Whichfhe superintendent I had willingly arrived Six weeks ago I Mr Dugan the societys treasurer visited Miss Gallagher He had not I heard from her for some days He wa astonished shocked tp find fnd her ill almost dead from starvation I starvaton I but still uncomplaining ready to give her very life as she ha given her last I penny t tne needy and hungry She had eaten nothing for four days Mr 11r Dugan put her in a carriage and battened with her to the Homeopathic I hospital There she died of inflammation of infammaton I mouth superinduced by starvation the surgeon said there she died unwept unhonored and unsung Font realizing his loss that his moral prep war gone put a bullet through his head in the societys rooms I |