Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-26
WASH DAY In COURT.
Family Linen Brought Out on Satur-
day for a Little Cleaning.
MATRIMONIAL CHAINS THAT GALL.
Moody Men and Wrathful Women VINO
Fight to Finish Once Week.
NEED OF A REFORM OR A LARGER JAIL

proper study of mankind, and ethnology Is
to-day about the most fascinating study,
though when the race sets within the COM
pass of history, its pursuit presents some
disagreeable features. Several phases OF the
dark side are shown almost every SATURDAY
in the Criminal Co urt, and were 1t not tnat
District Attorney Johnston has soothing,
not to say fatherly, way of composing tne
ruffied plumage Of hysterical women, and'
with the Judges, can send tough to the
cooler if he become too obstreperous, IL
would be difficult to tell what Kind OF circus
might be developed.
The proceedings Of yesterday showed that
marriage is sometimes failure In this
neighDorhood. Occasionally a surety case
would come up in which the opposing
parties were not husband and wife, but the
majority of the contesting parties bore this
relation. In some cases it was not difficult
to discover where to place the blame, but oc-
casionally the chances were so evenly bal
anced as to right or wrong that a Judge re-
qu1red the acumen of Solomon to do the
proper thing.
HARD TO PLACE THE BLAME.
When a man shows in his appearance
that he is a brutal, low-browed tough, and
not overly scrupulous as to truth. and the
complainer's wife is a sharp-featured, red
nosed, thin-lipped, razor-backed, virago, it
| is difficult matter to properly apportlon
the blame. The case is siited as far as pos
| sible and the decision rendered with many
misgiyings.
The curtain was rung up yesterday with
| two colored men and mule in the first act.
] The plaintiff deposed that not only did de-
| fendant carry razor, but he, plaintiff, was
| afraid defendant would do injury to his
mule, which constituted a material part
plaintiffs capital. Several colored men
gave testimony calculated to show that not
| only was there danger to the mule in the
| continued freedom of the defendant, but also
that plaintiff stood in some danger himself.
He, however, said he wasn't afraid for
| himself, but for that ere mule" and de-
| fendant was let go on his own recognizance,
after severe lecture from Judge Magee.
Mrs. Joseph Reese had her husband up
some time ago, asking that he be made to
support her, and Judge White had fixed q
sum to be paid per week. Meantime, Mrs.
Reese had been informed that Joseph con-
templated emigration, and as he was out on
his own recognizance merely, she had him
| rearrested.
Joseph's Attorney, Mr.. Alcorn, contended
that it vas a grave injustice, and asked fol
the discharge of Reese. The latter said be
was willing to pay, but could not give Sc.
curity. Thomas M. Marshall. Jr., insisted
that a man who had talked as Reese had
could not be trusted, and Joseph was finally
required to come before Judge White to.
morrow and settle the matter AGAIN
NOT IN LUCRATIVE BUSINESS.
Frank n. Kelly, an almost beardles;
youth of Wylie avenue, was arraigned on a
charge of non-support OF his wife, and the
testimony of the wife and a number OF
women, married and single, was that Frank
not only neglected to properly feed Mrs.
Kelly, but on one occasion had blackened
| her eve by blow with his fist; also, that
sometimes he did not get I'D until 10 O'Clock
A, M, when he might have been
out hustling for meat and potatoes,
and that at times he played checkers
| in his store in the afternoon with divers
| people of leisure, when he should have
been hustling for grub Frank offered evil
dence denying generally and specifically
! all his wife's and neighbors' allegations,
showing that at times he had no milk to
sell, and then he took rest in bed, but
when he had supply on hand he got up
! at o'clock A. NJ. Frank informed the
Court that after living expenses were
deducted he had but $40 profit per
month on the business, and that
| he run it to its full capacity. He also de-
posed that his trouble was fomented by
his wife's relatives, in which it seemed that
it might not only be too much mother-in-
law, but also too much father-in-law,
brother-in-law, sister-in-law, collateral rela-
| tives and oficious neighbors. Judge Magee
directed him to pay $40 month to his wife,
the profit on his business
THE SAD STORY OF A WIFE.
The last case of bakers dozen that at
tracted particular attention was one brought
to the notice of the Court by Humane Agent
O'Brien. 1t was that of an iron worker who
is said to make about S28 week, when at
work. The wife testified that she and her
four children were forced to maintain them
selves on what was lett after her husbands s
sweetheart had been provided for. The wife
was somewhat excited when she began her
address to the Court, and her fervor in
creased as she went on, until her
ewes blazed and her form dilated.
Her gestures were scarcely up to the eIocu-
tionist's standard, but they were none the
less effective. She said she had borne her
husband four children. and that in her
hours of peri! he had never either provided
her doctor nor given her the money to pay
one. Judge Magee decided that tine hus-
band must either find S. week for his
wife, or lie in Jail indefinitely. apparently
taking the ground that if the man did not
support his family they would not suffer on
account of his Incarceration.
J. A. O'Donnell, ESQ.,, suggests that
some punishment should be devised that
would catch wife beaters and persons
notorious for the neglect of their families.
1t is difficult to properly apportion punish
ment at all time, as it is occasionally very
hard to determine who is the most to blame
in the squabbles between the sons and
daughters of sorrow and penury.
sHREwS AND THEIR TREATMENT.
Occasionally shrews who would provoke
the patience of Socrates into an outburst,
come into the Criminal Court with tales
against husbands who, under happier en-
vironment, would do the right thing, but as
a rule, husband who beats even a shrew is
brute. If all such are sent to Jail. that
institution must be enlarged. They cannot
give bond for the per er'ormance of what the
Court commands, and so are, TO a large ex-
tent, released on their own recognizance,
with threat that they'll catch it if they do
not comply and support their families. The
majority of such cases come into court
The condition Of Pittsburg streets might
suggest, remedy to Legislators. Wife
beaters might in repairing them and keep.
ing them clean earn enough to support their
families.
Fall and Winter Opening.
Nobby suits and overcoming at Dickson