Starved to Death

A death record in the Lawrence County courthouse noted that Nyrane R Yocum was born May 12, 1877, in Vermilion County.  His parents’ names were not given. He died at age 1 year 3 months on August 12, 1878, in Lawrence County Illinois of malnutrition.  The body was returned to Vermilion County for burial.

A review of the newspaper at that time yielded the following story of how county governments dealt with “welfare” cases at the time. Note: The death record stated that Vermilion County was in Illinois but the newspaper claimed it was Vermillion county Indiana. 

Page  8 of Rural Republican, published in Lawrenceville, Illinois on Friday, August 16th, 1878

“A few weeks ago, a family took up their residence in a house on Mr. Walter Whittaker’s farm, being shipped here by the county authorities of the county in Indiana whence they came.  They gave their name as Yocum.  The family consisted of the parents and four children.  Since their arrival they have been in a wretched condition, their furniture consisting only of an old stove found in the house and having but one suit of thread bare clothes apiece. They subsisted on charity until Monday when the youngest child aged sixteen months died. With the help of neighbors, a coffin was procured, and Tuesday morning supervisor Kirkwood furnished them with transportation back to Indiana and money for their subsistence till their arrival at their destination.”