This is a song my grandparents who both passed away many years ago sang when I was a child. I found a CD with the recording on Amazon. The album title is "Earl Johnson Complete Recorded Works Volume 1 1927. The Album (DODC-8005)was produced by Document Records and made in Austria. The recording is very scratchy and some words are difficult to understand, but the following is what I could determine.

POOR LITTLE JOE
(from Earl Johnson)

While strolling one night through New York ????
I met a boy he was singing a song
Although he was singing he wanted for bread
Although he was sighing he wished(?) himself dead

I looked on this poor boy out in the snow
He had no place to shelter him and no place to go
No mother to guide him him in the grave she's low
Cast upon the cold night street was poor little Joe

Cold blew the blast and down came the snow
He had no home to shelter and no place to go
No mother to guide him him in the grave she's low
Cast upon the cold night street was poor little Joe

He followed the cab she not even smiled
but gently caressed her own darling child
He followed the mail although it looked odd
For this poor ragged boy forgotten by God.

Cold blew the blast and down came the snow
He had no home to shelter and no place to go
No mother to guide him him in the grave she's low
Cast upon the cold night street was poor little Joe

The night it was dark the clock had struck one
Along came a policeman whose duty was done
You could tell by sound of his ???? heavy tread
??? think he was waking the grave of the dead

Cold blew the blast and down came the snow
He had no home to shelter and no place to go
No mother to guide him him in the grave she's low
Cast upon the cold night street was poor little Joe

He looked on poor boy this is what he said
At a curb on the cold street little Joe he lay dead
His eyes turned to heaven covered with snow
Cast upon the cold night street was poor little Joe

Cold blew the blast and down came the snow
He had no home to shelter and no place to go
No mother to guide him him in the grave she's low
Cast upon the cold night street was poor little Joe