The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-11-17
Temperance Reading i.
WHAT DRINK WILL DO.
The Ruin Whisky Made in n Once Happ
Family. f., 80 d.

Richard Needing, thirty-seven years
| of age, was arraigned in the, Harlem
Police Court yesterday morning. He
was charged on the returns with being
drunk and disorderly, but in her testi-
mony Mrs Ella Rex, who resides at No
985 Washington avenue Morrisania,
told an extraordinary story. Mrs. Rex
is charitably-inclined lady of dimin-
utive stature, and is member of the
Morrisania Methodist Church. She.
with others, formed Helping Hand
Society, having for its object the assist
ance OF the poor and needy in Nor
risania, and it was while on one of her
charitable missions that she witnessed
the brutal conduct of the prisoner in
East Northumberland street.
near Elton avenue. While Mrs. Rex
was telling her story the prisoner whose
features bore traces of long-continued
dissipation, listened with. flushed face
and trembling limbs. He is said to be
of very respectable family. ~ ..F
Mrs. Rex said that she had known the
prisoner and his wife for the past nine
years, the latter being one of her init
mate friends. During that time she did
not believe Needing had been sober for
single day, and he had at last brought
his family, consisting of wife and four
children, to the verge of starvation.
Sometimes he would bring home few
dollars and give to his wife, but in an
hour or two afterward would demand
it from her, and, if she refused, would
beat her until she gave it up. For
months past, up to the time of her
sickness, Mrs. Needing had supported
the entire family by her sewing ma
chine, and he had done nothing. The
Helping Hand Society had been taking
care of his wife during her sickness
and providing the family with food. AS
Mrs Needing was soon to become a
mother and was in o very weak state,
Mrs. Rex frequently sat by her bedside
to attend her. She had been with her
friend last Tuesday afternoon, as it was
believed that she was on the eve of con-
finement. The husband had left the house
in partial state Of intoXication, and the
invalid had been made as comfortable
as circumstances would permit. At
seven O clock in the evening Mrs. Rex
was about to 90 to her own home for
an hour or two, preparatory to sitting
up all night. with her friend,
when the uncertain footsteps of
the husband were heard on the stairs.
Entering the room, he staggered up
to the bed, and, looking first at his wife
and then at Mrs. Rex, said huskily:
"Ain't you dead vet? | thought YOU
would be buried before l got back"
Then, according to Mrs. Rex, whether
Intentionally OF in drunken abandon, he
flung himself upon the bed and upon the
body of his wife. Mrs. Rex SAYS he
also tried to take his wife by the throat.
Mrs. Rex says she siezed Needing, and
BY eXerting all her strength managed
to pull him from the bed and fling him
upon the floor. A doctor was al once
summoned and every attention was paid
the suffering woman. Before the ply
sician arrived the witness said that
Needing threatened TO kill her, and
started for small bedroom to oct his
razor. Fearing that her own lie as
well as that of his wife was in danger,
Mrs, Rex rushed out of the room and
ran to the One hundred -and-sixty-iirst
street police station. Two policemen
were sent back to the house with her,
and Needing was arrested. He was
crazed with drink. Mrs. Rex found the
razor on the bed of the room the
prisoner had entered, and showed it to
Justice Morgan.
In reply to the questions of the Jus
tice, NEEDING said he was not drunk, and
intended no harm to his wife. The
razor he wanted to shave himself with
Policeman James L. Conklin, of the
mounted squad, who made the arrest,
testified that NEEDING was drunk when
he (Conklin) was called TO the house,
and that he appeared to be out of his
head.
This is the most extraordinary and
inhuman case that has been brought be-
fore me during my entire career as a
police magistrate" said Justice Morgan,
as he looked at the prisoner. THE
charge against you is only for being
drunk and dsorderly. On this | will
fine you ten dollars, but will also hold
you in the sum of one thousand dollars
to keep the peace for six months, in de
fault of which you 90 to the island for
six months. There is Just where you
belong, and by right ought to have been
sent long ago, and am very sorry that
the law prevents me from sending you
there for a longer period. This is the
most brutal outrage ever heard of:
Take the prisoner away ..s.. ..
A reporter of the Herald who inquired
for Mrs, Meding's residence in East
Observation-Disclosures street later
in the day found that the family occu-
pied two rear rooms on the second story
of a two-story frame cottage near Elton
avenue. When she asked, in excited
tones, of the reporter what had been
done with her husband. and was in
formed, the sick woman sighed:.
'But am glad he has beensent away
to the island" she said ''He can not
harm me now or injure the children. /
have lived in constant terror, of my life
for years past, but now it is over and
can rest, Drink has made him insane,
| know, and | wish he might be sent
where he could be treated for that fear
ful malady. My friends will try to OBJ
tain a separation for me, and | desire it,
Tor | can not live.with him any longer.
Little by little he has gone down, until
now no one respects us, and I and nv
children are forever disgraced. His
people nave done all they could for him,