Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-06-27
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lleekkeepine Tor Deserted W1ves-AaSs-
tai Tresbbes In New yerk City.
To b sergeant in police court In
wolves peculiar and somewhat burden
some duty. that Of acting - banker for
tho receipt and disbursement of the
weekly stipends paid by husbands 70 de
serted wives A sergeant Is fortunate II
he has not above thirty such bookkeeping
accounts on his list. and in q busy court
the number may run up to 100 or 1s5
The obligation of the husband to support
his wife assumes . not romantic aspect in
. police court The obligation Is not to
the woman IS her desert for services rem
dered or for affections sake but to the
city. that ii may not have a pauper on its
hands This attitude of self defense Of
the community as against the husband
coiors the proceedings which . woman
must 60 through before she can compel
her husband 10 provide for her The first
step involved is . visit to the commission
ers of charities and correction and an ap
plication for a requisition from them on
the police justice in her district requiring
him TO issue an abandonment warrant for
the arrest Of the delinquent husband
The law being framed directly to pre-
vent the increase of paupers aud not to
punish the man. the wife is called upon
to swear on the face OF the warrant that
she viii be a charge on the public unless
her husband supports her That is all
she has to do with the matter as prin
cipal In the police court it is the city
against the husband. with the wife merely
as witness She Is called upon TO testify
q second time that she is in the position
Of q pauper and that the city will have to
support her IL her husband does not
Under such circumstance. the amount
awarded the woman is seldom large. the
object being simply to keep her out Of the
poor house The weekly sum which the
husband is put under bonds to pay her
varies according to his wages. but more
closely according to the ages Of her chill
dren. whether they can work and help
support her or whefhe she can get work
and support herself Four dollars a week
or SO is as high As 1t often gets and
sometimes 1t is not above 81 80 or 81
Women who brace themselves for weeks
to submit to the Notifying ordeal of
swearing out such warrants against their
husbands are sometimes surprised to
learn the exact basis Of the law
II q man has beaten a woman and made
her life an almost insuppOrtable burden
to her. but asserts that he has not aban
doned her. that he will go home with her
and live with her. then that woman is not
in danger OF becoming pauper and the
police justice. though he may feel the ut
most compassion for her. can only tell her
to go home with him. and have him up for
assault il he beats her The woman often
will not venture to appeal to the court
again. for an assault complaint. she hav
ing learned that any other is useless. will
mean her husbands Imprisonment and
stoppage Of the family income The man
very naturally comes to the conclusion
that whatever he does his wife will have
to put up with it. and acts for the future
very much as he pleases Aman who has
decent income has his wife even more in
his power She imagines she can secure
his punishment for deserving her for
prettier face than her own She tries
She opens her eyes when she finds the
abandonment warrants open the door to
so many dollars week only Ii he can
support two women that is his business
not the courts He gives bonds to secure
her bread. with not too much butter. and
goes back to his newer fame 1t is
couples Of this sort largely for whom the
police sergeant is banker They don't
care to meet personally. and the court
official collects. pays and takes the re
ceipts 1t is getting to be q"ite 4 bust
ness in its way