The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-10-25

Fight.
How a man possessed of comfortable
means can allow his wife to go to the
work house rather than pay a fine Of
81. is something that the average man
cannot understand, yet that is exactly
what occurred in West Indianapolis
Thursday afternoon. Adam Hahn is the
name Of the man, and he conducts a
grocery and meat market near the corner
Of Williams and Howard-sts.
Hahn owns a cow which has been run
ming at large in direct violation of the
law. Marshal Maholm took the animal
up few days ago and on Wednesday
Squire Allen summoned him to appear
in his court. Hahn was fined 81 and
costs, amounting in all to $40. and as
soon as he was asked to pay the fine he
denied ownership OF the animal and said
that 1t was the property of his wife.
The marshal started out to find her and
she was brought into court. She ac-
knowledged that the cow belonged to her
and the fine was transferred from her
husband to her She had no money and
the friends she brought in were not sat
isfactory to the court. The marshal ac-
companied her home and told her hus-
band that unless he paid the fine his
wife would have 10 go to the work house,
and strange as it may seem he decided
on the latter course rather than pay the
fine. The officer tried to reason the case
with him, but he seemed to think that he
was getting the best of the authorities
and stpbbornly refused to pay the
money.
The officer finally took Mrs. Hahn
away, followed by the walls of her child
rem, who begged the hard-hearted father
not to let their mother go to Jail. He
was deaf TO all entreaties, however, and
told them TO go in the house or he would
beat them.
The People Indignant.
When the marshal returned TO the
suburb in the evening and told the story
the indignation of the people knew no
bounds. and threats of white-capping
were openly made, but the officers who
were present prevented anything of the
kind from taking place.
All day Thursday the matter was
talked over by the citizens Of West In
dianapolis, and II was decided that unless
Hahn paid the fine and had his wife re-
leased by o'clock at night the citi-
zens would take the matter into their
own hands and give him a good whip
ping or a ducking in Eagle creek. A
notice to that effect was sent him during
the afternoon, but he paid no attention to
II, and continued TO go about his bust
ness in an Indifferent manner. Shortly
after o'clock at night men could be
seen standing about the street corners
talking the matter over in subdued tones,
and shortly afterward a large crowd of
citizens living in that part Of West IN
dianapolis known as the Valley district
gathered at the corner Of Morris-st. and
Hadley-ave., and shortly before O'Clock
started in the direction OF Hahns place
OF business. There were perhaps thirty
or forty men in the crowdse which was
made up of the representative citizens
of that part of the suburb. When they
arrived In front Of the store the place
was deserted with the exception of one
or two men who were In the meat mar
ket The crowd was orderly and In a
quiet manner arranged themselves along
the sidewalk in front of the building.
A Physician Leads.
One of the number, a prominent and
well-known physician. was detailed to
his instructions. Hahn was busy wait
ing on a customer when the physician
went into his place Of business. and while
waiting to get an opportunity TO speak
to him a buggy drove up IN front of the
store. Mrs Hahn was one of the occu-
pants, and as soon as the crowd or In
dignant citizens saw that she had re-
turned they were satisfied and many OF
them went home. 1t was through no
effort of Hahn's, however, that his wife
was released, as he made no effort to
get her out. A relative hearing of the
occurrence drove to the work house and
paid the fine and effected Mrs. Hahn's
release. It's a lucky thing for Hahn that
he did so. for the crowd was determined,
and he would have undoubtedly been
roughly hardled had he been unable to
show that Mrs. Hahn was IN the house.
Probably nothing in years has aroused
so much indignation in West Indianapo-
lis. The citizens over there are nearly
all working people. who prize their home
higher than anything else. and the fact
that a man would treat his wife so
shamefully aroused them to the highest
pitch.
Hahn's side of the Case.
Hahn was interviewed by Sentinel
reporter few minutes before the crowd
arrived. He is very bitter toward the
for publication. He said that he never
heard Of any one being fined for allow
ing COW to run at large and he seemed
to be Of the opinion that the fine was
imposed upon him in order to give the
officers little spending money. He said
they did not do anything but sit around
and smoke ten-cent cigars and spend the
money they received from the poor peo-
pie who are compelled to allow their
cows to run at large. He said he had
paid s. already and he did not propose
TO give them another cent.
The reporter mildly suggested that he
believed he would rather pay the $40
than see his wife go to the work house.
mo. sir: they won't get another cent
OF my money. ! am not q stingy man.