The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-06-03
LIKE cold JOHN BROWN
Moses Hartman Regards Himself
Martyr to the Cause
)F WOMANHOOD'S EMANCIPATION.

sent to the Penttentiary for Publish
Ing Physicians Letter Which Ssov-
eminent Inspectors Cali "Obscene."
Moses Hartman, old, decrepit and lame
was taken to the state penitentiarv yes
terday to serve his sentence of one year
for an almost forgotten crime against the
government-that of sending matter
through the mails, in relation to his
doctrine of the independence of women
in the relations of the sexes.
It was in April, 1890, that he was con-
victed of the offense which he must now
expiate. Judge Foster made the sentence
five years but neglected to say sat hard
labor" and it was upon this technically
that Hartman was released the following
August, after actually being in the peni-
Tertiary short time.
In 1892 he was convicted on a similar
charge and sentenced to one year. He
served eight months of the sentence and
was ordered released by Judge Cald-
we'll Now he goes back to the peniten-
tiary by order of Judge Phillips to COM
plete the first sentence.
The article which has made the
trouble was not written by Hartman, out
by a physician named Markland, who
now lives in Florida. It was, however,
published in Harman's paper, Lucifer.
1t was a physicians testimony in relation
to woman he had treated and
was similar to articles found in
medical periodicals every day. It
was in fact no worse than hundreds of
other articles which are published in
medical journals and circulated freely
through the mails, and it is not as filthy
and reprehensible as are Sol Miller's
| paper and the Breeze, where the clear
intent is to be obscene.
| But Moses Hartman was old and poor
and there were few people to take his
part. He was an easy mark for the busy
| postal inspectors and they have to have
something to do. But Hartman does not
care for sympathy. He thinks he is
right and is willing to suffer that his
| creed may live.
81 can better afford to go to the peni-
Tertiary than you can afford to send me-"
said he to Judge Phillips when he was
| sentenced Saturday afternoon. His at
torney, David Overmyer, made a mo-
ton for stay and gave notice of appeal,
and Hartman supposed that would pre-
vent him being taken to the penitentiary
| at once and he walked out of the court
room with dignity.
before dark, a deputy United States
marshal called at his room and
told him that he had orders to
take him to Lansing in the morning. 81
will come for you, for it is not necessary
to lock you up" He said he found Har-
man waiting for him yesterday, ready to
be taken to the penitentiary.
A JOURNAL reporter who called at
Harman's room on East Fourth street,
seated at a table talking to his son
George who is editor of the Oskaloosa
Times. He had just written several let
tiers and acted as if nothing unusual had
happened
''Do you expect to be taken to the
penitentiary at once?" asked the re-
porter.
has been here and he told me that he had
orders to take me to the penitentiary to-
morrow. am ready to 60"
"Were you surprised at Judge Phil
lips decision?'
eyes, was surprised. I expected that
he would order me released. l do not
like the idea of going to prison and have
no desire to spend my life behind prison
bars, but it does not matter much what
becomes of me. I want, however, to
enter my protest against the principle
upon which l am imprisoned.
There are two elements of crime"
continued Hartman, with growing ami
nation. Someone must be injured, or
malice or Intentional injury must be
proved Neither of these are present in
my case, and SO I have committed no
crime
81 have a work to do am trying to
make better conditions for women and
motherhood and the human race. I am
working not only for the good of the
present, but for future generations. If l
live to serve my term and be released
from prison, shall continue the work I
have commenced. I can say with Gior-
dano Bruno:
| '.'Out of the night that covers me:
Black the pit from pole to pole;
I thank whatever gods there be
For my unconquerable SOUL
'sOf course I consider my conviction
an outrage and the laws under which |
have been convicted the most outrageous
ever enacted but as I said before it does
not matter much about me and l have nc
, i'll will against the judge who sentenced
me nor the people who are responsible
: for my conviction. [ have committed
no crime and go to prison with clear
conscience. I have never harmed any
!, one and have done what / could in nv
feeble way for the upbuilding of the
human race.
, 81 havo never been convicted because
: of anything I wrote myself, but because
, of letters l have published, and in pub
. fishing them have been actuated only
,, by the highest motive. may have erred
in'judgment, but l committed no crime
Hartman did not care to talk about hi
case. He preferred, like Socrates, tt
expound his philosophy. He seemed Il
accept his sentence a matter of course
and there was no fear expressed in hi
! voice nor any regret that he was to b,
!, shut up within prison walls for a year
! His paper is to be conducted by a mar
named Pope and his daughter, Lillia1
, Hartman, who is on her way from New
York.
Hartman is 81 years Of age but appear
older. He was born in Virginia bu