The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-10-27
TO SUPPORT
CONvICTS'
WIVES
Magistrate Recommends City's
Aiding Families Of Prisoners.
OtharS Do Not Agree.

New York oct 81 Magistrate Breen
is IN favor of the establishment OF a fund
for the assistance OF women whose nus
bands fail under the ban Of the law and
are sent 10 prison. He has so announced
himself from the bench. and among his
friends. too, ne has often expressed the
belief that there should be such fund
available in worthy cases OF destitution
where the wage Garner OF the famlly mas
been committed 10 prison.
THE innictiou OF the penalty of the
law often falls most heavily on the IN
nocent women and children" said hagis-
trate Breen In discussing the question.
Barely a day passes without some case
Of this kind presenting itself 10 me. Not
infrequently the plea OF somc poor woman
who is wholly dependent on the earnings
OF her husband makes IL almost inhuman
10 inhict the proper punishment on him
for some infraction OF the law.
"Only a few days ago a most pitiable
case came up In the court where 1 hap
pened 20 be presiding. and for time i
was quite at a loss 10 know what was
the best thing TO do under the circum-
stances. Philip Riley was arraigned before
me on the charge OF wife-beating The
evidence was all against him. and II was
plain 10 me that he richly deserved pun
ishment for his brutality.
but the circumstances attending his
case made such a course seem like in
fiicting on the prisoners wife and small
child a sentence OF starvation, for with
him in prison IL was clear that they
must be left I'm dire want until he was
released. The wife pleaded tearfully that
her husband should not be committed.
II you send him away she said, there
Will be no one TO feed me and the baby
WOULD UPSET THE COURTS.
Although the wife herself was the
complainant her plea for mercy TO the
prisoner could not be ignored by
magistrate with a heart. IL simply put
me I'm the same embarrassing position
have been many other times in the
course OF my duties as a city magis-
trate. If | adhered strictly to the law
governing all such cases, the husband
baby would be left to starve during the
term OF his imprisonment. OF course.
under the conditions, there was nothing
for me to do but discharge the man.
despite the fact that he was plainly
guilty OF a grievotns offense
''At the time | was moved TO say in
the court that i'm my opinion there should
be permanent fund for the relief OF
wives and children who must inevitably
suffer during the imprisonment OF the
wage-earners for petty offenses against
the law. In thousands Of cases the man
is the sole bread-winner OF the family
and when this malnstay Is locked up
the family Is left I'm the most destitute
condition. The case I have given is only
one OF hundreds OF it's kind Every
police court in the city meets them every
day"
Magistrate Ommen does not agree with
his brother magistrate that such a fund
should be established lie admits that
much suffering I'm entailed ON women and
children I'm the city because OF the inn
pr'sonments OF husbands aud fathers
but thinks that If such fund were avail
able for their relief IL would only serve
10 complicate the cases I'm court
81 don't sec how such fund could
be put In operation without inviting all
sorts ~ abuses" he said "If relief was
20 be had I'm this way by the women
who are always taking their domestic
grievances 10 the magistrates there
would he such a crush I'm the courts that
the cases could never he properly heard
Scores OF wives who don't get the best
treatment from their husbands would he
running TO the police courts with de-
mands to have their other halves sent
To the island. coupled with other de-
mands for assistance to keep them from
starving while the bread-winner is doing
time"