Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1882-02-03

what the Statutes Say About
Cruelty TO Women.

what the statutes Say About
Cruelty to Women.
1t does not seem to be generally known
in Eureka that there is a State law against
cruelty to women, which provides as q
penalty for beating a woman that the Of
fender shall be tied to a post set up in
some public place by the County Com
missioners, with a placard on his breast
bearing the words printed in large letters,
"Woman Beaten" or, as the case may be,
"Wife Beaten" The full text OF the law
is printed below. Several efforts were
made to enforce it in Virginia City, but in
effectually, those convicted of the offense
being released by a writ Of habeas corpus
ON the ground Of "cruel and unusual pun
ishment," which the Constitution OF the
United States says shall not be inflicted.
The law was enforced in one instance In Car
son, however. The punishment was GER
tainly unusual, though whether so in the
sense OF being cruel is q question OF law.
The sight Of the wife beaten, with the pla-
card bearing these words On his breast,
tied to a post at a public street corner,
created q decided sensation. There was
hardly a word of sympathy for the branded
wife heater except from Overland Pat"
who protested vigorously and was put In
Jail for disturbing the peace. Professor
W. Frank Stewart, then Senator from
Storey County, introduced the bill and
fought vigorously to have it become a law.
The law has not been passed upon by the
Supreme Court and remains in force:
Section 1. 1t shall be the duty of the
Board Of County Commissioners in each
county in this State, to cause to be erected
in some public locality at the County Seat
Of the respective counties in this State, a
substantial wooden post or stone pillar,
the same having the Dimensions OF eight
inches in diameter, and @ vertical hight
Of five feet above the ground surface; pro-
vided, that such post or pillar shall not be
placed where ii may interfere with the free
passage Of vehicles or of pedestrians along
any OF the streets or sidewalks in said
County Seat.
Sec. 2. ANY male person in this State
who is more than eighteen years Of age,
who shall wilfully and violently strike,
beat, or torture the body Of any maiden
or woman who is more than sixteen years
OF age, shall be deemed guilty Of a INSIDE
meanor, and upon conviction in any Court
of competent Jurisdiction, shall be sem
fenced to be firmly tied or lashed in a
standing posture to the post or pillar de-
scribed in Section 1 OF this Act, and shall
be kept in such tied and standing posture
for a period not less than two hours nor
more than ten hours in the daytime Of any
day except Sunday; and it shall be the
duty Of the Sheriff, Constable, or other
peace officer who shall be detailed to en-
force the sentence Of the Court, to fasten
upon the breast garments of the culprit a
placard bearing in large Roman charac-
ters the words, woman Beaten" or "Wife
Beaten" as the case may be; and it shall
also be the duty OF such peace officer to
see that said placard shall not be removed
from the person OF the culprit at any time
during the hours Of his legal confinement
to said post or pillar.
Sec. 8. Any male person in this State
who is more than eighteen years Of age,
who shall a second time commit the Of
Tense OF woman beating as defined in SEQ
ton 2 Of this Act, shall be deemed guilty
Of o misdemeanor, and upon conviction
by any Court Of competent jurisdiction,
shall be sentenced to imprisonment in the
County Jail for a term not less than thirty
days nor longer than six months.
Sec. 4. Any Sheriff, Constable, or other
peace officer in this State. who shall refuse
or neglect to comply with any OF the pro.
visions OF Section 2 OF this Act, shall be
deemed guilty Of a misdemeanor. and
upon conviction thereof in any Court Of
competent jurisdiction, shall be sentenced
to pay q fine in aay sum not Less than fifty
dollars nor more than five hundred dol
lars.
Sec. s. This Act shall take effect. from
and after its passage.