The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-06-27
FAMILY JARS IN COURT.



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 infrequcntly they
are accompanied by charges of cruel
and inhuman treatment.
The complaints are stereotyped.
Judge, my husband has not given me
q cent in six months" my husband
comes home drunk and will not give
me a cent" ''He never keeps situa-
ton for a month" ''He spends his
money in liquor stores" "He 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 blacke1ed my eve
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, "Can you
get along without him?" and the woman
answers: II can support myself and
my children if he will only keep away.
All 1 want is for him to let me alone.
l have worked ever since was married
and can work yet"
1t is 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 Ito tell their woeful tales.
Sometimes they go with SCARED faces
and bandaged heads, mementoes of the
brutal treatment of their unfeeling
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
battered garments and grimy skins.
Some come with smooth-tongued ex-
cilses. "Your Honor, | am willing to
support her, but can not bear her rela-
tions." 81 struck her, but she struck
me first 81 did not hit her; she was
drunk and fell down" Il give her all
the money 1 can afford. ''She left
me and went to her mothers" "She
has company that | do not like" ''She
wants me to be put out of the way so
that she may misbehave." II am will
ing to support her, but | will not live
with her." II can't give her what |
have not got" II will give her fair
share of what | earn.
Sometimes the offending husband
sullenly refuses to say anything, but
marches off to Jail. Justice German
said the other day to a teacher in one
of the public schools who was brought
before him: ''In five minutes you will
be in a cell unless you agree to support
your wife, and furnish surety to do So
The man obstinately reiterated: 81
will not furnish bail" 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 prospec
of Imprisonment, and gladly gets the
required surety, either from some rela
tive, employer, or friend.
Even after most heartrending tale.
of i'll treatment and neglect, womer
often relent when they see their hus
bands behind the bars. Then they e
to the Justice, with eyes as fearful a
before, and say: ''Please let my hus
band out, Judge; he can't earn an.
money where he is, and he may hell
me if he comes out. y Then the justice
utters homily on the wrong of thu
taking up the time of the Court TO
nothing, and winds up by letting tn
man out. Sometimes the man stub
bornly serves out his term of 81:
months, only to come out of prison
filled with thoughts of revenge.
Occasionally the Justices find th
causes of disagreement trivial. The
see that there is possibility of recon
citation, and they send the parties int
one of the court rooms to talk it over
| Then, as the reunited couple walk on
of court arm in arm, the Justice look
on smiling at the happy result.-Philo
delphiG Press.