Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-04-24
FAMILY JARS IN COURT.

-- .---" AWE H-
Some of tho Scenes that Recur Every Day
in the Year.
There are about forty complaints
every day in the police courts of this
city by wives against their husbands.
The complaints are generally for fail
ure of support. Not infrcquently they
r accompanied by charges of cruel
and inhuman treatment.
The complaints are stereotyped:
Judge, my husband has not given me
a cent? in six months" my husband
comes home drunk and will not give
me a cent" ..He never keeps a situa-
ton for a month" He spends his
money in liquor stores" sHe CANDLES
his wages away every Saturday." HE
beats me and the children" HE calls
me vile Names" HE threatens to kill
me. "He keeps company with other
women" He knocked me down and
kicked me-" "He threatens to leave
the country" HE blackened my eye
Yesterday" 81 am afraid to live with
him."
These stories come not alone from
poverty-stricken and degraded women.
They are told by women who are
comely, well-dressed, healthy and even
educated, as well as by the poor. Not
infrequently the Justice asks, .sCan YOU
get along without im?'' and the woman
answers: II can support myself and
my children if he will only keep away,
All I want is for him to let me alone.
l have worked ever since I was married
and l can work yet"
1t is a common occurrence for these
unfortunate wives to go to the court
with babies in their arms, and to stand
with the fretful infants awaiting an
opportunity to tell their woeful tales.
Sometimes they go with Scared faces
and bandaged heads, mementoes of the
brutal treatment of their u~nfeeling
spouses. Often the mother-in-law
brings up the rear, developing the real
source Of much of the trouble.
What of the fathers? Very often
they come with besotted faces, with
tattered garments and grimy skins.
Some come with smooth-tongued ex-
cuses. ''Your Honor, I am willing to
SUPPORTER, butI can not bear her rela-
TONS" II struck her. but she struck
me first" II did not hit her; she was
drunk and fell down." II give her all
the money 1 can afford.''0 "She left
me and went to her mother's." .tShe
has company that 1 do not like" .'She
wants me to be put out of the way so
that she may misbehave." 81 am will
ing to support her, but l will not live
have not got" 81 will give her a fair
share of what I earn"
Sometimes the offending husband
sullenly refuses to say anything, but
marches off to Jail. Justice German
said the other day to q teacher in one
of the public schools who was brought
before him: ssIn five minutes you will
be in atcell unless you agree to support
your wife, andfurnish surety to do So"
The man obstinately reiterated: II
will not furnish ball. and marched of
to the cell.
Generally the Justices use the utmost
power of the law to compel the de-
linquent husbands to pay a fair share
OF their earnings. In many cases the
man becomes alarmed at the prospect
of imprisonment, and gladly gets the
required surety, either from some rela
tive. employer. or friend.
Even d1LcT InOSG n~eaTCfenQlng tales
of ill treatment and neglect, women
often relent when they see their hus-
bands behind the bars. Then they go
to the Justice, with eyes as fearful as
before, and say: s.Please let my hus-
band out, Judge; he can't earn any
money where he is, and he may help
me if he comes out.n Then the Justice
utters a homily on the wrong of thus
taking up the time of the Court for
nothing, and winds up by letting the
man out. Sometimes the man stub
bornly serves out his term of six
months, only to come out of prison
filled with thoughts of revenge.
Occasionally the justices find the
causes Of disagreement trivial. They
see that there isa possibility of recon
citation, and they send the parties into
one of the court rooms to talk it over.
Then, as the reunited couple walk out
of court, arm in arm, the Justice looks
on smiling at the happy result.-Phi1a-
delpAiia Press.
A THRlLLING EXPERIENCE.