The morning call., 1894-02-06
TO SWEAR OUT A WARRANT
Charging Her With Being an
Insane Person.
TAKE HER FROM HER HUSBAND.
Captain Short Details Perrin to Take
First Steps to Aid the Unfor-
tunate Woman.

One of the first acts of Officer A. A.
Perrin of the Southern station detail, after
reporting for duty this morning. will be 10
appear before Secretary began Of the
board Of examiners of insane persons at
the new City Hall and swear out a war
rant charging Mrs. Joseph Traverse of
us Gilpln street with insanity. Orders 10
this effect were given to him last night by
CAPTAIN Short. Mrs. Traverse is the
woman who for four years has been held
prisoner in an improvised Jail in her
home by her husband. on the strength Of
a certificate issued by the commission ers
on insanity four years ago, giving the
woman into the custody of her husband
for keeping. and the story of whose cruel
and often barbarous treatment was told
exclusively in The CALL on Sunday
morning. The move on the part of Cap
tain Short is preliminary steps to getting
the woman away from her heartess hus-
band and having her confined in some OF
the State institutions, where she Will
stand some chance of recovery.
No inconsiderable amount of interest in
the case has been created in the different
societies for the proven ton of cruelty TO
persons and the police Dy the publication
of the story. But for the determination OF
Officer Perrin to end the persecution and
the publication OF the story it would prob
ably have gone on until death would re-
lieve the wretcbeG victim of her suffer
ings. Although all the Traverse family
pTofessed their Inability to speak a word
of English, let alone read 1t. ii was in the
early morning hours that Joseph Traverse
read the account in The CALL. The
room which for so long had been the
woman's prison has been cleaned and put
in better condition. The pile of quilts
that lay in the corner have been taken
away. the broken chair carried to the floor
above and the fth-StreWu floor swept of lis
gatherings.
When this was done Francisco, accom-
panied by his mother, made his way to
the Southern ! olice station to make COM
plant against those who had visited their
place the day previous and exposed the
condition of affairs. The complaint was
made in view of the following sign that
was posted on the front door:
Positively no Ambulance except on business.
No peddlers, caayaSsers or strangers allowed
on these premises under penalty OF the law.
Captain Short in his remarks to the pair
was short, and in few words told them
that he was familiar with the details of the
case. which, in his estimation, was as
cruel as had ever come under his notice,
and that be did not want 10 talk any fur
Their. He ordered them to leave the place,
which they cid, and went back to the home
III hlilCA A14O OuhinsCo OCCh OOHl-
mitted.
Captain Short is determined to leave no
stone uuturned to get the woman out of
the possession of her husband. In speak
ing of the case yesterday he said: when
Officer Perrin first reported the case to me
! became Interested 10 it. He had made
full examination of the premises and was
couversant with the facts. | realized at
once that something must be done. but the
man being in possession of an insane GER
tiicate from the Commissioners, l did not
quite know how to act.
II sent him to Mr.. Christie of the So
ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty tc
Children, thinking he might suggest some
thing that could be done. He could not
take the case as it was out of his juris-
diction. The story of THE CALL threw
new light on it, and tomorrow 1 will send
Officer Perrin TO swear out warrant
against ner. She must be taken from that
brute of a husband, and maybe she might
get we'll. 1t was humane act for THE
CALL to take the interest in the case that
it has"
Secretary James P. Christie of the So
ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty 10
Children was much pleased when he
learned that some action was about TO be
taken to relieve the suffering OF the un-
fortunate maniac.
81 have just sentround TO Captain Short"
he said, that if l can be of any service
10 MIN ne may call uDO1 me. was not
familiar with the details of the case until
Tread The CALL Sunday morning. To
think that a man could be so cruel to his
insane wife Is terrible. / am sorry the case
does hot come under my jurisdiction"
Mrs. Traverso's mind is not so badly af-
fected at the present time as il has been
in the past, although at glance it can be
told that she is not OF sound mind The
fear of those who are now interested in the
case is that If she is not taken away from
her husband she will again, when the
matter has blown over. be consigned to her
dungeon to receive the same if not worse
treatment than has been melted out to her
In the past.