St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-08-25
FoR oesERTED WIVES.


FON Oe9ERTE0 WIVES.
~ Odd Set q Books Kept by New. xssl
Ponce Court Sergeants.
To be- sergeaat In . police court N
wolves a peculiar and somewhat bur
densome duty, that Of acting as banker
for the receipt aud disbursement q
the weekly stipends paid by husband
TO deserted wives A sergeant il fort
unate if he has not above thirty such
bookkeeping accounts on his list
and in busy court the number may
rln up " Ole hundred and fifty or one
hundred aud sevenfy.fivc. The obi.
cation OF the husband to support hin
wife assumes q not romantic aspect in
police court. The obligation is moi
10 the woman as her desert for serv-
less rendered or for affsosioa's sake.
but to the city, that it may not have
pauper on its hands. This attitude
Of self-defense of the. community q
against the husband eoloEs the pro-
ceedings which, woman must 90
through before she can compel her hus-
band fo prOvide for her. The first Step
involved is q visit to the commissioners
OF charities and correction and an ap-
plication for a requisition from them on
the police justice in her district requir-
ing him 10 issue an abandonment war.
rant for the. arrest of the DELINQUENT
husband. The law being framed di
rectly to prevent the increase of pau
pers and not to punish the man. the
wife is called upon 70 swear on the face
OF the warrant thss she will Be a
charge on the public unless her. hus-
band supports her. That is all she has
to do with the matter as a principal.
In the police court 1t Is the city against
the husband, with the wife merely as /.
witness. She is called upon TO testify
, second time that she is in the posi-
lion Of a pauper and that the city will
have to support her il her husband
doesnot. Under such circumstances tho
amount awarded the woman is seldom
large. the object being simply to keep
her oN Of the po0r-hOnse. The weekly
sum which the husband is put under
'onds to pay her varies. according 70
his wages. but more closely accord
ng TO the .ages OF her children.
whether they can work and help
upport her-Or, whether she can |
'et work and support herself. Hb,n |
loilars a week. or IS. is as high as it
'ftcn gets. and sometimes it is not
.bOvo e2.50 or q. Women who brace
for weeks to submit to the
ordeal of swearing out such
'arrants against their husbands are
cmctimes- surprised to learn the exact
asis of the law. R man has beaten
woman and made her life I'm almost
burden 20 her but as
srts that he has. not abandoned her,
hat Ne will go home with her and live
18th her, then that woman is not in
anger Of becoming q pauper and the
olice Justice though he may feel the
EmOst, compassion for her, can only
Ill her to so home with him and have
I'M up for assault il he beats her. .
he woman often will not venture to
peal to the court again. for
assault complaint sha hav-
9 learned that my ether is use
IS, will mean her husbands i'm.
'i'onmcnt and stoPpage Of she family | /,
come. The man very ~ naturally |, :
mes 70 the conclusion that whstevar
does his wife win have to put ur :
tn y and acts for the future yers, b
nch rs he'pleases. 4 man who hassI
cent incofhc has his wife even E.ore n
his power. She imagines sho can s
'urc his punishment for dceertina v
r for q presticr face than her own. L
9 tries. She opens her eyes when Il
finds the abandonment warrants n
en- the door % so many dollars a n
ek only. II he can support two
meR that 10 his business, not the :.
lrt's. He gives bonds to secure her .,
,ad. with net. tso much butter, and \,
= back t. his ,nswer flame. II is ~
lples Of this sort largely for whom
police. sergeant IL banker. Thet :.
IT care 70 meet personally, and the :"
lrt siiiciA COLLECTS. pays and take. - -
receipts. 1t Ia getting to be quite ~ ~
usiness in it, wsy.-N. T. Mail and
L.