Woman’s home held 10 tonnes of rubbish

Press, 31 October 1979, Page 8

Woman’s home held 10 tonnes of rubbish

NZPA-Reuter Chicago; J Mary McCarthy, a frail,l introverted woman, spent 40 of her 67 years cleaning up after other people. During that time, how- ’ ever, she never found time i to clean out her own house. ' This week, Chicago officials expect to cart off the last of ; more than 10 tonnes of rubbish from inside her modest home. "I didn’t get time to take it out. I worked 5 (p.m.) to J 2, and during the day 1 took care of a neighbour of mine who was sick,” said Mrs McCarthy, who retired as a cleaning woman last: year. I

“In the winter, I couldn’t; take it out because the snow: I was blocking the way. I couldn’t shovel it,” she said. Acting on a search warrant, city officials arrived at the house on Friday. They took the door off the hinges when it could not be opened! because of rubbish piled in-1 side. Once inside, they found what drawn blinds had concealed from neighbours on the neat, tree-lined street for more than 17 years. No-one but Mrs McCarthy had entered the house since then, shortly after her husband died. i “She must have been (sleeping on garbage,” a

building inspector, Mr Roblert Snodgrass said. Workers found the two beds of the house underneath a 1.5 m pile of rubbish. Mr Snodgrass said the smell was so rancid inspectors had feared that a decaying body might be found. As crews tried to carve out enough space to continue working through the debris — which included six stacks of newspapers dating back to the 1940 s — a neighbour found Mrs McCarthy, dressed in clean due slacks and a green sweater, carrying home yet| another bag of rubbish.