Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-23
MANY WIFE BEATERS.
Those Pernicious Gentlemen Are
FlourishiDg on the Northside.
LACK OF ADEQUATE PUNISHMENT.
Several of Them Dismissed Yesterday With
Light Fines
OTHER POLICE CASES IN ALLEGHENY

Allegheny City seems to be the abiding
place of the wife beater, and little of the
Delaware whipping post might be used
there to advantage. There is rarely police
hearing where one of these brutes is not ar
raigned for punishment, but on Sunday he
holds malevolent sway with the virulence
of Mars during the dog days, and at the
Monday morning court stands in the front
row OF malefactors. The ordinances of Al
legheny permit Of the punishment Of wife
beater only under the charge Of disorderly
conduct, and police and magistrates say
that the punishment does not fit the crime.
Deputy Mayor McKelvev held court at
the Allegheny police station yesterday
morning. W. f. Close, of No 129 Lacock
street, was arraigned for abusing his wife,
Mrs. Emma Close. The wife appeared
against her husband, and she was sad
sight. Herface was severely bruised and
one eye was black and swollen. She keeps
a boarding house, and said that she was
compelled to do so because her husband had
a deep-seated objection to work. He came
home Sunday evening intoxicated. He
had evidently been dallying with the win
some proprietress of a speak-easy. He
called his wife many vile names, accused
her of violating large section of the stone
table of Moses and beat her with his fists.
He was sent to the workhouse for 80 days
Poker as a Corrective.
About $50 o'clock Sunday evening Officer
Holmes was attracted to No. 81 First alley
by the shrieks of a woman. When he en-
tered the house he found Robert Watson
standing over his wife Nancy with poker
in his hand At the hearing Mrs. Watson
and their adopted daughter Maggie said
that Robert had come home full of whisky,
had tossed Mrs. Watson around the room
several times and had then run for the
kitchen poker. Robert was let off with $40
and costs
Thomas Gates, of Middle street, was also
caught by a policeman while he was trying
to sober himself up by beating his wife
Mary. Mary showed few external signs of
castigation, but she said that her heart was
broken by the dreadful names which
Thomas had called her. He escaped with
SO and costs.
Andrew McGinniss, whose home is away
off in the Palmetto State, could not reach
his own wife, and after he had imbibed
Allegheny speak-easy whisky he walked
into the West Penn depot Sunday evening
and struck Mrs. L. S. Stoner in the eve.
The depot officer Immediately corralled Mr..
McGinniss At the hearing he was totally
unable to tell why he had hit the woman,
and Mrs Stoner, whose eye is black, was
equally unable to solve the problem. Nc
Ginniss was sent to the, W orkhouse for 80
days.
Not Wife Beater but a Deserter.
Detective Kornman arrested James Boggs
for deserting his wife on East street exten-
sion, and the Deputy Mayor held James in
$500 for the September term of court.
Mrs. Lizzie Orr, who took her child with
her Sunday evening when she went out to
yesterday. The forfeits which the women
put up were confscated.
The seven men arrested at the upper end
of Butchers run Sunday evening for rails
ing Cain generally were all fined. Philip
Klemm, Fred Klemm, Joseph Klafchenkel
and Sim Mertz were fined the costs. Louis
Henkle, George Steinbocker and George
Miller each paid IS and costs.
Shortly after 1 o'clock yesterday after
noon Special Officer Hall took to the Alle-
gheny police station j. A. Kelley, who is
known as Allegheny's Hob Nail" Kelley
is charged with stealing $40 from Frederick
SchaIl of No. II High street. 1t is said
that Sunday evening Kelley persuaded
Schall to 60 to Reiley's lodging house on
Spring Garden avenue and spend the night
there. When Schall awoke in the morning
Kelley and money were gone. Yesterday
Schall saw Kelley on Main street, seized
him and called for help. Several men ran
to his assistance and Officer Hall was called
to take the man into custody.