The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-28
PARADISE OF wIFE-BEaTERs.s
The Justice that Woman get In the
Empire OF the Gear.


Empire of the Gear.
Correspondence of the London Times
Wife-beaters in ENGLAND on leaving
the uncongenial atmosphere of the tread
mill to which thay have been condemned
by sentimental jury, who consider that
hob-nail boots and sticks should not be
freely used in asserting the husbands au-
thority, may find consolation in the fact
that there are juries who view this mat
ter in different light, and who possess a
lust appreciation Of the obedience to be
shown by the "weaker vessel to her
lord and master. The Government OF
Volhynia, in the Empire of Russia, ap-
pears to afford peculiar advantages to
those individuals whose wives occasion
ally require little wholesome correction,
if we are to believe the account just pub
lished in the Russian press of sage de-
cision on this subject arrived at by dis
trict court. The wife of well-to-do
peasant in the District OF Kremenetz ad-
dressed herself to the court of the Volost,
or district, with complaint against her
husband, charging him with beating and
torturing her and with keeping her in the
cold without food until she had nearly
died of starvation. He had bound hel
stark naked to post in the street and
requested the passers-by to strike her,
which he did himself each time they re
fused to do so. The inhuman brute had
even fastened her down to the ground,
and in such position had heaped stones
and heavy weights upon her body until
one of her arms had been broken. When
the wife's accusation was brought be.
fore the local tribunal, this specimen Of
domestic authority took fright, and did
not appear to answer the charge, bu1
neither his absence nor contempt oi
court prevented the learned Judges from
coming TO an immediate decision. Tht
wife-beater was found mot guilty." OF
the plea that husband has the perfec
right to beat his wife if helso chooses, for
said the wise conclusion of the court, j
can not be permitted to wife to ignor'
the authority of her husband. But tn
affair did not end there. On the follow
ing day the husband, emboldened through
the general acquittal by his peers, turne'
the tables on his "better half by bring
ing a counter-complaint against her be
fore the same court, and this excellen
authority actually declared against tn
unfortunate woman, and by its salutar,
Judgment she was actually aogged pub
licly there and then on the spot, in tn
most shameful manner. OF such extraol
dinary distribution of justice as this W
have lately had more than one example
and it shows plainly enough that the ne,
judicial tribunals Of Russia, from whic
80 much was expected at the beginnin
of the present reign, are in vast nun
Der of cases quite incapable of apprec
the duties which they are called upon t
perform. 1t is hardly necessary to recal
attention to the recent case of the Post
man in St. Petersburg, whose youth an
lazines, obtained for him full discharg
from the compassionate tribunal befor
which he was arraigned for stealing let
ters during a whole twelve month. Thi
fragrant case, about which l wrote to yo
at the time, is now about to undergo tn
revision of higher court, and it is to 3
hoped that the decision of acquittal wi
be reversed. ..t