River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-10-12

The quality of mercy was lacking.
The state commission took up its yard
of red tape and notified the department
of commerce and labor at Washington.
An order followed to Commissioner Gen.
eral Robert Watchorn, of Ellis Island,
to deport Mrs. Lolita ROmanik as an Il.
p. c." one liable to become a public
charge. The letter of the law was
obeyed, and Romanik was forced to
stand by helplessly while his wife was
taken from Wards island and placed on
a steamer, due to sail at 10 o'clock the
following morning
1t was the eleventh hour, and Roman
TX in his extremity turned to the Peo-
pies law firm as last resort. The card
of the Peoples law firm states that
Mary H. Grace Quackenbos, LII. B., can
be consulted and retained as attorney
and counsellor at law in cases involving
attendance upon the courts and other
wise, especially with view to meeting
the requirements of litigants of moder-
ate means"
Saved by Fifteen Minutes.
AS litigant of moderate means Her
man Romanik sought Mrs. Quackenbos
and laid his case in her hands. 1t was
not an easy case. Mr.. Watchorn said
positively that he could do nothing.
The law allows the Ellis island commits
sioner no discretionary powers in emer-
gency cases. Everything must be re-
ferred to Washington, and it was too
late to communicate with the depart
ment of commerce and labor. 1t was a
time for quick wit and quicker action.
Mrs. Quackenbos set out to procure a
writ of habeas corpus. Federal judges
are not always within easy reach. 1t
was late at night before District Judge
Adams was found and the writ signed.
1t was served on the commissioner at
Ellis island the next morning Just 10
minutes before the scheduled leaving
time of the steamer. The advocate of
the Peoples law firm did not waste an
instant, and Mrs. Romanik was removed
from the steamer in tug and given into
the embrace of the poor little tailor and
husband waiting in desperation on the
New York wharf.
Romanik would take no more chances
with public institutions. He placed his
wife in the New York infirmary for
women and children and undertook to
pay $25 week until the child should be
born.
The case was set for hearing in the
federal court, but never came up for
trial twenty-five dollars a week is a
heavy tax on an Attorney street tailor
shop, and Romanik was compelled to
give up in a few weeks. 1t would be
five or six weeks before the birth of the
baby. Mrs. Romanik became more and
more violent, and the Ellis island au-
thorities were once more notified.
Mrs Quackenbos had sailed for Hall
fax to take much-needed rest, and left
the case with her assistants pending her
return The Ellis island authorities
contended that the woman was an cpl
leptic, and had been prior to her arrival
in this country. Her husband swore
her insanity was due to her condition.
To deport her now was not only danger
Gus but inhuman. But there was no one
to blame. Each department acted strict
ly according to it's official duty as inter-
preted by the bare, cold letter of the law
AS an insane alien, ordered deported,
the little mother-elect was once more
hurried from the infirmary and taken on
board the steamer. She longed for her
husband, but he had long since exhaust
ed the little tailor shop profits and was
penniless.
AS an accompanying alien the Peo-
pies law firm endeavored to have him
deported also at the expense of the gov
eminent, but failed. Finally ticket
was procured for him from the United
Hebrew charities, and $25 was added by
the Peoples law firm, SO that the for
lorn pair might not land in Europe pen
nileSs.
Romanik's father and brother live in
Liverpool. They were written to for
help, and as a concession the deporta-
ton was made to Bremen instead of Rus
STA, as the nearest stopping point to Liv-
erpool.
American Citizen Is Born.
Everything was settled as well as it
could be, when the most unexpected de-