Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-22
T r OUBLES AT HOME
A Recent Epidemic of Assaults on
Women.
The Tales of Woe Related I'm the
Police Court In the Presence of
Regular Audience.

During the first two days of the present
week many domestic difficulties were VEN
tilated in the Police Court and the number
OF assaults on women was unusually large.
Judge Miller called attention to this fact
in open court and expressed establishment
at the large number of such cases. The
judge was at a loss to understand the rea-
son for so many cases of this kind. Jeal-
ousy causes most of this trouble, and the
black eyes and cut heads became SO num-
erous that Judge Miller found it necessary
to impose severe sentences. The men be-
came worse and worse in the endeavors
to discipline their female friends until one
of them used knife In such a manner
that his victims life was endangered and
then the maximum penalty OF the law, 36i
days in Jail was imposed There was
subdued whistle by some friend OF the
prisoner who sat in the court room. but
nothing could save him and he is now serv-
ing time. In these cases sweethearts and
wives have figured as prosecuting witness
es as well as mothers and sisters.
In cases of husbands assaulting their
wives whisky took prominent part, al
though in one case the parties to the affair
met at a ball and they did not wait until
after the ball was over but engaged In
puSilistic encounter right there in the
ball room. Not much damage was DONE
however, and the husband was let off upon
payment of a nominal fine, as the judge
probably thought her place was not at the
ball unless she went there with her hus-
band. young man and a woman whom
the former had known figured in a case.
Their stories of their alleged love affair
were entirely different The woman de-
MED that she had ever loved him, but he
said to the contrary. He said he had been
engaged to be married to her. and the young
mans once prospective mother-in-law and
siSter-in-law We're present in court to help
along the case against the young man, WHO
appeared alone. But either he made n good
preston. for Judge Miller expressed doubt
in the case and the young man escaped a
heavy penalty because of 1t.
The Cause Was whisky
Whisky caused one man to assault his
sister, who had assisted him in life and
kept together his grocery store. Her plead
ing with him was of no avail, and it was
not until locked up that he was forced to
turn against strong drink. The last case
of domestic trouble was that of man
thirty-fiVe years old, and he, too, INDUCED
in strong drink to a painful extent. His
mother is in charge of the family estate,
and the young mans Imagination caused
him to believe that he should get slice of
it, although he had been paid his share of
the proceeds from the sale of a piece of
property. When he appeared in court he
admitted that the use of whisky had made
his recollection defective, and he expressed
a desire to go TO California. But he had 10
funds, and so he appealed to his mother for
assistance. She. however, did not feel in
clined to pay out another S1O0 for him. and
so he had to stand by the sentence Of the
court.
Before Crowded Houses.
While these victims of strong drink and
passion are being tried in court, there is a
gaping crowd of idlers both in and out of
court anxious to hear their tales Of Woe, as
well to see them, handcuffed, marching
from the court to the prison van. In the
court rooms many persons appear day after
day and some of them act though they
are entitled to reserved seats because of
their frequent appearance, and sometimes
they occupy the seats to nc exclusion Of
those who have legitimate business before
the court.
On the outside is the overflow. \ mans
appearance often has something to do with
his chances Of getting in court, especially
when nearly all the seats are taken. Men
stand along the curostone or on the steps
leading to the court, while in good weather
many of the gentlemen and ladies of
leisure" make the little triangular park
in front of the court camping ground
and remain there until the last load
of prisoners has left for the jail and
workhouse From time to time orders
are given to clear out the crowd, hut
1t seldom happens that pedestrians are
able TO pass along the sidewalk without
trouble, especially about the time FOR the
prison van to start away with the prison
ers.
Judge Miller. speaking to a Star reporter
said he had been compelled 10 call the at
tention of the officers to this conErega hon
on the sidewalk a number of times. and he
could not tell why the crowd is permitted
to congregate there sc often.