The San Francisco call., 1905-04-22

city to Children. Result. arrest of the
husband and father and his arraign-
ment before Police Judge Mogan on
the charge of having failed to provide
for his minor offspring. The complaint
was sworn to by Mrs. Watson of 11S
Page street, in whose custody the in
fant has been while its mother worked
as a domestic for a family residing on
Washington street.
Mr.. Grassell told the court that he
was at loss to explain the spirit of
selfishness which prevented wife No.
assigning to wife No. a portion of the
expense of his board, lodging. washing.
tobacco and beer. He could only at
tribute No. 2s obstinacy to the unrea-
son that is inseparable from her sex.
So long as he was willing to have No.
admitted to his household. and that
lady herself had entered no. demurrer.
he failed to see any logical ground for
No. rs objection. 1t was this argu-
ment that prompted Clerk Pat" Gray
to dash off the following lines and hand
them to the Prosecuting Attorney:
George Grassel reclined In his first wfes bed
His second wife's pillow under his head,
His third wife's coverlet over his hide
His fourth wife slumbering by his side.
Mr.. Gray modestly disclaimed author
ship of the quatrain, but the attorneys
table opined he did so because of dis
inclination to have the taxpayers imag-
inc he was frittering away their money
by trifling with the muse during his
hours of off1cialism.
In response to a query from the
bench Mr.. Grassell stated he was a
contracting painter unable to obtain
employment. And you'd better figure
on that" he added, tapping the palm of
his left hand with the index finger of
his right ditto. Before sending me to
Jail you should figure on the fact that
jobs are hard to GET
I'D do so,'' said his Honor. "and
while you are figuring on what your
sentence may be you might as well
make due allowance for the absolute
certainty that 1t shall be as severe q S
the law prescribes for your offense. You
may now return to the cage and plunge
into mental calculation"
Before the same magistrate Albert
Heissner also stood accused of having
failed to provide, the victims Of his ne
glect being two children, aged respec-
lively three and six years. Mrs. len
ME Horan of 453 Ellis street was the
complainant. The defense was that
Mrs. Heissner, who works in a cigar
store. loved dancing SO passionately
that she spent most of her nights trip
ping the light fantastic, while Mrs
Horan took care of the little ones.
IF you devote more time to terpsi-
chore than to your babies they will
be taken away from you" the Judge
warned Mrs. Heissner, and then to Mr..
Heissner he said: THE police records
snow that you are an incorrigible
loafer and have already spent thirty
days in jail for the very same offense
now charged against you. Tomorrow
l shall sentence you to the limit,
which is six months"
But worst of all cases of paternal
neglect was that in which George
Chapman stood accused before Judge
Fritz 1t was testified that Mr.. Chan
of whom is sixteen, and their support
almost since their birth has devoiyed
upon his mother-in-law, Mrs. Eliza
Freeman of 1918 Dupont street who
works as house servant although
her age is seventy-one years
Like the party by the name of
Grassell this defendant Informed the
court that he was q contracting
painter unable to obtain work. His
utterance of the statement was so
thick as to expose inebriety, and the
Judge ordered that he be kept in GUS
tody until to-day, when the extreme
penalty will undoubtedly be prescribed
for him.
officers Young and Walsh found the
entire Chapman IdIillly dwelling IN one
squalid room on Howard street, near
Third, and when they undertook to
arrest the unnatural husband and
father he fought them like a demon,
after taking from one of his pockets
a handful of silver coins probably
earned by his wifes aged mother. and
throwing them in the street. George.
the eldest child, was the only one of
the seven who brought any money to
the home, his contribution being 81 80
a day. For years the unfortunate little
ones have been recipients of aid from
the Associated Charities and other
eleemosynary institutions. their father
spending for drink most of the money
earned by their grandmother
Tetrazzinis limpid voice was heard
in Judge Conlan's chambers, where
she sat awaiting summons to testify
against Julio Ziegner Uriburu, whom
she accuses of having embezzled $1,000
franks while serving as her financial