A Mother's Struggle
A judge moves to intervene in the life of a 15-year-old youth whose mother can no longer manage him.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Judge Langley yesterday made an order requiring the parents of Eddie Cummings, the incorrigible South Seattle youth committed to the county jail about a week ago, to appear in court today and show cause why the lad should not be sent to the reform school. The boy is 15 years old, and his mother, who is an invalid, cannot control him. His father deserted the family some time ago.
“The boy is 15 years old, and his mother, who is an invalid, cannot control him.”
This brief account highlights the limited resources for struggling families in 1890s Seattle, where 'incorrigibility' was often met with incarceration rather than community support. It underscores the precarious position of single mothers in the city's early history.
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