New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-30
" THEY HIVE GR4DU Ally FALLEN INTO DIS
L-SE-SOME OF THE STRANGE STATUTES

pie actually live under such regulations as follow
their strctness will be the more readily believed
No woman could kiss her husband on a Sun
day. nor could member of family salute an
other member in that way This was Massa-
chusetts law originally, where it was enforced
at least once. the arrival at Boston of a
sea captain after two years voyage. The cap
tain calamity saluted his wife on the wharf on
the Sunday morning he arrived and was
promptly arrested and publicly whipped for his
act In 1910, in New-London, Conn. one John
Lewis and Sarah Chapman were arrested for
sitting together on the Lords Day under an
apple tree in an orchard" and fined both of
them. One Stephen Reckless a skipper brought
his ship into New Haven Harbor from a cruise
to the Barbados, and was hailed before the town
court because he, with several others, warped
the ship into a creek by the town in order to
protect 1t from storm on Sunday
NO one could run on the Sabbath day, or
walk in his garden or elsewhere, except rever-
emily TO and from meeting" No one could
travel cook victuals, make beds, sweep house
cut mar, or shave on the Sabbath" The viola
ton for any of these acts was punishable by
fine and whipping in the public stocks. At the
same tlne, II 1t were shown that the prisoner
proudly, presumptuously and with high handed
intent committed the sin, the person thus de-
spising God and reproaching Him, shall be put
to death that all others may fear and shun such
provoking rebellious courses"
The letter of these old Sabbath keeping laws
has been dropped from the Connecticut statute
books for generations but, as stated above,
their intent remains on the code unreRealed, if
useless.
The early regulations of Haven were ex-
tremely strict; A law passed in 1850, twenty
tLIiCe SediS after the IounuaIion Oh the coiohy'
was 10 the effect that II a child be stubborn
and refuse to obey its parents, and persist in
living in notorious crimes" it may be put to
death. Switchboard was popular game in 1850
in New-England. but it appears to have created
some disturbance. A law passed in that year
disposed of the nuisance summarily by pro-
hibiting its playing. the ground that it took
up too much precious time" and "occasioned
much waste of wine and beer"
In, rIar, %1ho hnfT1 GrSf 1yaTr
duced in the colony, man had to receive
special license in order to escape prosecution
armed with such document, no man could
smoke publicly in the streets of the town of
New Haven, ''or in barnyards," or upon train
ing days in any open spaces under the penalty
of siXpence for each offence. In 1642 law
was passed to this effect: 1T is ordered that no
young men shall live by themselves in cellars,
but betake themselves to such families the
masters thereof will watch over them"
Some odd court cases have come down on the
old New-Haven records from those early times.
In 1647 the case of William Pert was tried.
Pert had taken watermelons out Of another
his master" had sent him into the lot to see
If any hogs had strayed under the fence. and to
bring back with him a watermelon He took
two watermeons. He was publicly corrected.
One Peter Busseker in 164S got into good deal
of trouble with the court for his profane eX-
pressions" the court finding that 'he had hoped
to meet some of the members Of the church in
hell ere long and did not question but he would
Busseker sent to prison TO stay until SER
mon time the next Sunday. During the three
hour sermon he had to stand in the pillory. and
after that be whipped.
In New-Haven the blue laws were famous
for their severity. No man could vote IN the
town elections unless he were member or
some church. No Quaker or dissenter was even
allowed step within the borders OF the town
To pick an ear of corn growing in another's gar
| den was deemed theft, well as any vegetable
! or fruit belonging to another penalty for which
| was fine and corporal punishment. young
man could not court maid in person or by
letter without first, obtaining the consent Of
| her parents For the first offence under this
law the penalty was f5, flo for the second Of
fence and for further repetitions Imprisonment
| at the pleasure Of the court This was an old
massachusetts, law, but the NewHaYen code
was much more specific than that of Boston,
Trfhing with young woman's affections was
strictly forbidden. whether by speech, writing,
message, gifts, or in any other wa--- There were
a large number of cases brought to the courts
under this law, which was one of the reasons