davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-15
Personals and Briefs.

Mr.. and Mrs, 1T. Powell. OF Emporla'
arc visiting their son, Mr.. T. NJ. Powell
at No. 4O6 West Fifteenth street.
Mrs j. ". Hardaway and her nule
son q, blackstone, are Visiting Mrs, j.
W: F,oese. OF No. sos Everett Street;
The Young Ladies Society o. y, haln,
bridge street Rapts. Church VIII meet y
Friday night in he home or MISS Nam"' .
Goodman. No 1l15 Porter Street. az
o'clock. The meerlng is a most impor-
Mrs. w. u. satchheld spent sunday
with her sister. Mrs, W. Il. jennings OF
No, 1l5 T'hirty-thrd Street Ne"pors
News, , Iu,..
Miss Sadie Agee and Miss Ressie Lucas
,cf, yesterday morning TO Ws,l mrs'
J. ~. Jones, of Lone Oak, va,
Mrs. EVA Rricker, who was recent. a
operated upon by Or. NJ J.. fnnker, , ~,
nearly recovered. She expects 10 retu,'
to her home in Swansboro nj an carry
date.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-15

'.The commission would be responsive
for the control of the, health depar tment,s
and would, therefore, be removed as far
as possible from politics. The c,olnIn1lssion
presumably would be composed Of sensl-
be-! honest citizens and could 1, appolnt as as
Incumbent or; anybody else whoSlniEht be
considered Mt for 1t after full Inquiry ana NJ.
The Washington times., 1906-12-16

one. the son OF the poet who wrote
The Star-Spangled Banner" the other
q member OF Congress from New York
and equally conspicuous and respected
The member of Congress, seeing the
other leave his home and wave a hand
kerchief back to his young wife, lean
ing out Of the window. confronted him
there by the iron fence in front OF his
door and telling him Of his shame and
that he must de, followed him up and
shot him to death. ] was reading Inv
AT the time OF the trial and followed the
case closely. l remember reading with
surprise the plea. not OF the advocate,
but the plea Of the judge for the pris-
oner. | recall how one OF the jurors,
the oldest of them all. going down on
his knees IN a corner OF the jury room,
prayed long and loud for divine guild
ance IN holding the heartstone sacred
The man was acquitted, partly be
cause it vas made to appear thaf he
really loved his wife. but mainly be
cause the victim had by his acts and
some foolish admission TO a friend,
made II appear that he had no real
heart In the affair, but rather gloried
in his crime II Is to be admitted that
the hearts OF all. both women and
men. were with the wronged man. es-
peciallv when he again took the frail
woman to his heart and lived the life
OF a good husband till death took her
from him
The Washington times., 1906-12-16
GiIlette's Cool Assertion.

Who that read the recent ,liaI Of
Gillette for the murder OF .Is victim,
can forget the coOlness with which lie
claimed ne said Tel your father,
If you don't. ] will There comes =
mental picture Of that fatarI and what
swift vengeance he would have msted
out TO the destroyer uI MS child.
Was Gillette such a degenerate that
TO him the unwrittcn law had no
meaning: or was he merely talking Tor
effect2
OF the many tragedies enacted IN
the vicinity OF our own beautiful La
fayetJe square. none IS more often re-
called than that OF the famous SIekIes-
Key tragedy One can see il all. and
thousands Of times has the scene been
re-enacted in the imaginatI3re OF those
who visit the historic spot Deeply as
We must feel the seriousness Of tax
ing human life, yet who has ever
heard the action Of General StcgzIes
conde-1nedF It was a choice OF evils.
The written law furnished no ade-
cUate protection OF remcdy-ths un-
written law was invoked
The unwritten law which saws
engeance IS mine" Is no excuse for
the disgTacefuI br0ils OF the degen-
crate men and women who find their
only pleasure in dissipation. The man
VINO lsspoiIs innocence himseIl-v-bo
gives his name and his pr0tecJi,n 10 4
woman whose life has been like unto
MS own. Is not IN any sense the de-
fender OF what the home stands tor
His sense Of moral obligation for him
self is too blunJed 10 nj hin. 10 Judge
cf the transgressioEs Of another. He
Is himself an outlaw when Judged by
Il e standards CI common morality
His propensity 70 shoot is the result
Of heated brain. or the lack OF
brains.
NO woman, no man IS safe with such
creature al large.
The Washington times., 1906-12-16
Pity Her. But

Count up on your fingers, If you can
do it on both hands. how many cases
of this "UnwTiJJen Law idea have
been conspicuous since the silly and
insolent young idler in the Tombs be-
gan To exploit his defense for shooting
a useful and Industrious man in the
back. Why. right here in the column
next 10 the ugly account of the
woman without cent" who left her
babes behind to travel for days and
nights 10 kill a man. you read OF a
woman in Boston killing a doctor and
pleading I'm Justification "Unwritten
Law" Pity herr Yes. But put her
quietly in some good asylum. and.
above all, don't exploit her as YOU
have exploited the young lunatic In
the Tombs, who SO enjoys being ex-
plotted. For see what comes OF il all
The most piteOus case of this charac-
ter took place right here, stones
throw from the " hite House. in. front
of the old house where The assassins
tried 10 Kill Seward the night Lincoln
was murdered. But IL took place quite
a dozen years before the fateful night
at tord's Theater. A young politician
OF great promise, and. too. of subse-
quent great achievement was living
with his notably beautiful young wife
on that same side of the SQUARE
great iron fence inclosed the SQUARE Al
that time Had il not been for that
fence his reJreattng victim might have
fed and escaped.
The Washington times., 1906-12-16
Denounces Unwritten Law.

Mind You. / am not pleadi.sg for or
against anv one man, or an one wom-
an. 1 simply want 10 bluntly and
plainly denounce all this sentimental
rot about the so-called "Unwritten
Law" For there is nothing OF the
sort in all this broad and law-abiding
land. And the man who undertakes
10 say there is such a thing as an IN
written Law" Is not a law-abiding
citizen, but noisy man who knows
better and talks only for his hire. A
good many years ago, San Francisco.
under great pTovocation. indeed. set
aside the law and tried anJ hung some
bad man. General Sherman, then a
banker there. pleaded and protested
with the mob that they were sowing
dragons teeth. that il they once broke
the laws Of the land and took life II
would be like breaking a precious
earthen vessel: they might mend IT,
but It would never be quite as perfect
and beautiful as before. And behold.
there is sometimes turbulence even to
this day IN that once richest and
loveliest city In ,all the West!
To show what may become OF this
"Unwritten Law" idea, let me set
down one Incident that took place
in Oregon I'm a little valley remote
from where ] sat on the bench. This
little valley had only three settlers:
all I'm the cattle business. But one Of
the settlers came to town. About the
time OF his absence nearly all the
stock disappeared. BY the time he got
back the other two men had formed a
vigilance committee" " after the fash
ion Of San Francisco. They held this
man up with their guns. tried him,
took him out in his own field, fastened
up three fence rails as a sort OF scat
fold, and hung him on the spot That
night there was heavy snoWst0rm.
When the lawbreakeTs looked out next
morning they saw their victim swing
ing in the wind. his tatteFed old black
coat and shaggy back head white as
wool in snow. And there In the field
round about stood all the missing cat
tie "UnwTitJen Law" indeed
The Washington times., 1906-12-16
When the Sword Defended.

In Olden times. the sole defender Of
family life was the man and his good
sword. In modern times, the instinct
of preservation of the home has sur
yived in free-bOrn citizens in proper
tion TO the increase Of civilization. II
Is matter of history that seryile
races have not this instinct-probably
because the condition of the servitude
prevents true family life
The law guaris carefully all prop
srty rights. II deals promptly with
the trespasser and the thief. and en-
forces contracts The murderer, the
embezzler, the peTjurer, have justice
meted out to them as enemies of the
commonwealth,
But the law does not deal with the
family as a unit. Every student of
sociology knows that the homes of
the commonwealth are its real cor
nerstoGes, but the law does not 50
recognize II. II is the one Institution
still left to the defense of tie head of
the family. In the very nature Of
things. there is always a woman i'm
the case. If the crime is against her
personally, if she be over the age Of
sixteen, what remedy does the law
give here
The Washington times., 1906-12-16
Brand Woman's Detraetor.

Let US add to the unwritten law an
other section. Let 5here be no IN
Uendos against the chastity of woman.
but only STRAIGHTFORWARD statements
with page and verse. and the violator
Of this law shall be placarded: This
person took away the good name OF
another without cause and walk the
streets il shame
In the heart OF ever man. there
fwells hrst, absolute faith in his
mother. That Is his birthright. and in
proportion % lis faith IN. and affection
for has mother viii be his faith in and
affection for his wife On that founda-
uun Is built his attitude TO his or
spring. The true son. the true hus-
band, the real father. in all these reIa-
uons- owes 20 the home a clean stand
ard OF living. lie should never invite
!aJo that home man who does not
hlmsSlt respect virtue. The man who
Is a despoIer of virtue In Cne instance.
Is an unsafe guest and friend How
mqch more So, When license is his
rule of conduct
Protect my innocence or 1 faU
Into the trap that Is laid for me-
The Washington times., 1906-12-16
Like Hlghwayman's Act.

A woman cannot we'll come into
court with a family of children and
plead seduction and betrayal. as a girl
TOO often does. and have the sympa-
thy Of both men and women. This
womans statement Is that she asked
the man 20 either marry her or give
her money 10 support her children
He said No; ] Will not" and with
that she shot him TO death, or, at
least. did her best 10 kin him on the
spot Briefly and bluntly, she shot
him down in his hotel for refusing TO
give her money. The difference be
tween this act and that of the ordi-
nary burglar OF .highwayman is not
very distinct.
Her declaration that the world will
see the Justification of her act is as
the declaration of an insane woman.
And this must be. as YOU will see is.
her only excuse; and it Will be pleaded
so soon as a lawyer can be found TO
take care of her; her only defense
Yet there viii be many ready 10 say
served him just right viii say 1t
without waiting 10 hear one single
word of the other side. Sitting at a
table today some one read the
woman statement. wherein she sup
plemenUed the story OF the attempted
murder with the assertion that she
had not one cent" WhereupOn a
beautiful lady OF more than ordinary
culture and knowledge of the world
was moved To tears and sighed: Not
1ne cent; think OF it, But a hardened
nan. a husband and father with
family of daughters. sighed from the
oNher end of the table, An, my dear
there are others who have not cent.
II We are 20 allow all those who have
not cent 20 set out and chase those
down who happen TO have cent OF
two where win that sort of plea lead
us?"
The Washington times., 1906-12-16
- X !
Gun and Crank.

And what would / do with the gun
crank? Why simply send the man who
takes human life when he may find
:ime to be sorry, Don't make "a hero
or Z weak. silly once conCeited man
simply because he can afford 10 have
a hundred -thOusand-d dollar LAWYER
Send this man TO a dungeon or the
chair and have done with him Nfy
word for il, when that Is done, and
done properly promptly you viii have
settled with his foolish following. or
nine cases ont of ten they do all this
simply TO get their names and pic
lures In the papers.
When We are a bit more civilized
We will cease 10 celebrate or chronicle
these piteous lunatiCs at large. and
their lawlesS exploits And they and
their ''Unwritten Law will then go
their ways together.
The Washington times., 1906-12-16
Lines by C. Y. Webb.

As an example of the uHexampled
pity for both parties to the tragedy
let me quote a few lines written aJ
the time by &. II. Webb, of New York.
son OF a prominent politician OF the
time and our minister to Mexico:
This for the wronged member of
Congress:
Blood on his hands,
A stain on his bed.
Pity them all
Living and dead.
And this for the handsome and dash
ing betTayer.
Bllows Of Sod
swell DER his breast
Pleading with God
There let him rest,
Sentiment Is noble and inspiring
have no use fer either man or a
womas without deep and sincere senti-
ment and symp tthy in all things hut
you search the Bible in vain for anv-
The Washington times., 1906-12-16
Victims Morals Irrelevant.

AS said before, as 10 whether this
man is d good OF bad raaB. high or
low, rich or poor. or whether the
woman is either. neither. or all OF
these, does not figure at all in this
dismal and pitiful case Can a woman
leave her children behind her and
chase a man thousands of miles. and
then when she murders him put as her
last excuse the fact that she has not
a cent? Surely anyone not entirely
insane should have saved the price of
the fare Tor her children. "Unwritten
Law" indeed. There is a weak and
foolish fOp in New York who has
kept the press busy for half a year
guessing whether lac viii plead in ie-
fense OF cowardly murder, whence
slipped up and shot a brilliant man of
brains and achievement IN the back.
this same "Unwl ltten Law or simply
emotional insanity.
Now have we not had about enough
The Washington times., 1906-12-16
Mushroom Sentiment.

1t may be well enough for those who
care 10 entertain any sort of patience
with the ''Unwriten Law" plea to un-
derstand distinctly that it is entirely
of mushroom growth and character
Think of DTaco or Lycurgus enter
taining such absurditias. You viii see
nothing OF the sort even limited at in
JustiniaH' Code Coke upon LIttleton,
no commentator, ancient or modern.
ever mentioned anything Of the sort
The law was tie law, that was all
Blackstone was brave. bright poet,
"a sentimentalst as well as mighty ex-
pounder of law. But surely he would
have IIuEhed in the face of any ad-
vocate who might have dared 20 talk
II nm of the ''Unwritten Law"
The Washington times., 1906-12-16
4 Nan 70 Deal With.

A member Of the bar in the one
State in the Union where there are no
divorce laws, once told me that in
his State they had no serious trouble
as 10 domestic infelicities. IF a man
abuses my sister. he knows whom ne
has 10 deal with" In this case. the
unwritten law seemed 10 be preferred
to the statute Law. which sewers the
marriage bond on adequate grounds
well proven. / suggested to the gentle
man that all women were not 50 for
tunate as 10 have brothers, but the
reply was that seldom was there a
case in which there was no male rela-
tive. and that he believed that were
such a case 10 arise of gross abuse,
there would always be found IN the
community a man who would protect
the woman and her rights
Suppose such a condition obtained
in the Capital city, We might safely
presume that there would be uo hlntz
against the chastity OF unprotected
women wage-earners, by persons who
carefully avoid making statements
which will make them liable under
the law. but take refuge in limiting
what they could say If IL was not
for certain restraining circumstances.
In other words. the chastity OF the
woman is questioned. the doubt Is
cast on her like a pan. in such a way
that she cannot reply 10 his inuendoes
and her defamer Is under cover. Like
the coward ne IS. he shoots his poison
ed arrow from cover, and skuIks away.
Such a man would not have the mauli-
ness 10 defend his own home. and
would be the first TO denounce the man
who did The anonymous ubeler Il
one OF the most dangerous members
OF the community.
The Washington times., 1906-12-16

thing like this "Unwritten Law" dis
ease. There are those who tell you
that You can find anything you want
10 find in the Bible. And, true. YOU
can find many strange things. You
can find almost anything. But / defy
you 10 find anything Ike this I'm
written Law in all the lessons. laws.
procepts. and examples 10 be found
between the lids OF the Book OF Books.
l confine you let us live bv the sacred
Decalogue. There is all the law. Ac-
cept the sermon on the mount the
holy lesson OF our Saviour, who
prayed. Forgive US. as We forgive
others
The Washington times., 1906-12-16

There is literally nothing of the sort
outside Of America, and there is really
nothing Of the sort here except a sort
OF subterfuge for law, used by dema-
gogues. And the sin of il al is the
misleading of silly people who mock
at the laws that have cost So much
toll and are costing SO much Ia MAIN
tain them franks seeking uJtorieJy
Trough the newspapers.
Aad oE. the pity of .t, Pity for liv-
ing and dead! But p.,y most for this
deadly disease spreading over the land
like a plague. which laughs at the
DecsloEte, The holy lessons and the
life and death of Jesus Christ, invok-
ing the hideous and defiant plea of
THE Higher Law"
The Washington times., 1906-12-16
Wore Atroclous Than Murder.

y young woman went 10 city to
support herself. uBwarued. incxperi-
cnCed, her faith and her affections
found an unworthy object Too late.
she found the man was already mar
ried and I'm wild moment she shot
him fatally. IT the man had boldly
threatened her life. If she had re
treated to the wall to eIuEe him. it
would have been a case of JusunabIe
homicide. But his crime against her
was more atrocious one than muir
der II took away her good name.
the love and affection of her friends
and relations. her future. her faith I'm
and respect for herseIf-and her trust
in Goo and man.
And again, the man takes. under
the unrighteoua laws Of certain States.
his child away from its mother
" hich law comes first-that written
The Washington times., 1906-12-16

in the statute books or that written
in the heart or every mother by the
pangs Of childbirth? So sure as she
lives. that mother viii ebey the un-
written law and the child she viii
have. II is only ten years since there
was taken from our own statute book
the law that "A man could By VIII
give even his unborn child 10 whom
he pleased, without reference TO the
paramount claim, by affection and suf-
ferlng. Of its mother.
The Washington times., 1906-12-16

of this "UnwrItten Law nonsense7
Who viii be the ext man or woman
10 shoot some one in the back or belly,
ana plead the "Uuwritten Law"
say and YOU know that had il not been
for the noisy ana foolish fop In the
Iombs with his plea about the I'm
written Law this poor woman out
of the far West would be at home to-
day with her children and her victim
on his feet about his business.
The Washington times., 1906-12-16
Family as a Unit
Ignored BY the LaqU
BY ELLEN SPENCER MUSSEY.
IL. NJ.
Dean Washington College of Law.


He unwritten law might be
defined 20 he the right To
defend the integrity of fam
iy life agains, all invasion
and invaders. While the
family has no dist.nc, legal
entity apart from the persons who
compose it, yet, in the interest of So
ciety-. the law holds tie more intimate
family relations as sacred and not tu
be inquired into ny "a court Of justice.
Il is on this grounl thdt communicd-
tions between husband and wife are
privileged. and they cannot testify as
10 confidential comma 4ications made
by one to the Other during the mar
riage.
Marriage is a civil institution as well
as a contract and il should be a re-
ligious sacrament Law cannot make
or unmake thr true marriage relation.
but SO far as the relation concerns 81
c.ety and the state, il must control it,
rosJerity has rghts OF primary im-
portance. The laws Of fnherit tance are
involved IN the purity of the fam Is
ancestry The old maxim taar 1T is
wise child that knows It's own father
has a deeper significance than is
usually imputed To IL. 1t is that very
The Washington times., 1906-12-16
Two Cultured Victims.

Both the Young men in4tn.s very
first 'Unwritten Law" tragedy were
men of fortune. culture, and position.
The Washington times., 1906-12-16

truth that has laid upon the potential
motherhood the necessity Of unques-
tened virtue
The Washington times., 1906-12-16

Mrs. MusSey says
who has ever heard
the action Of General Sick
les condemned? X y
THE written law fur
nished no adequate protec-
tion or remedy-the un-
written law was invoked. "
The Washington times., 1906-12-16
Bible Acknowledges
No UnGDrdten Lap
By MRS. JOHN A. LOGAN.

T II r almost innumera bra
tragedies that are reported
In the papers have reached
an alarming stage, espe-
& pecially those that are sup
posed to be jusudable un-
der the ''unwritten law" whatever
that code may be.
The laws OF Holy Writ, beginning
with those received by Moses. and by
him given to the people OF the era in
which he lived, are compreh hensible
and explicit for the government OF
mankind They are Ia no sense oner-
Gus or hard TO obey. if there is any
disposition on the part of individuals
10 be law-abiding and self-respecting-
y x
The Written Law.
In the New Testament. Paul. in his
Epistle TO the Galatians, enumerates
Continued on Fifth Page)
Dece mber 10, 1900
The Washington times., 1906-12-16
Plainly DenOunces
Mrs. BradJey's S Plea
By JOAQUIN MILLER.

WOMAN. good or bad. shot
n a man. good or bad, in his
hotel here in our National
a Capital. the other day She
stands, she says, in
Jrenched behind the I'm
written Law She claims TO have
chased this man from Utah to Wash
ington and shot him TO death here IN
his hotel. because he refused 10 pro-
vide for her and her two children;
that she has twice been made
mother. that one OF the children bears
his name.
We have. up 10 date. been pretty
tolerant of the woman who takes
babe on one arm and a pistol in\ the
other hand and pursues a man 10 his
death But when there are two chill
dren. as in this case, one may well
ponder a bit before he gives her the
tears and tenderness so generously
given 10 a guueless. misguided girl.
The Washington times., 1906-12-16

Mrs. Logan Says:
"She has added murder
Gus intent to her manifold
transgressions and should
be tried according to the
law in her case and pun
ished as any other like
criminal" "
The Washington times., 1906-12-16
Joaquin Miller Says:

simply bunty and plainly denounee all this sent
about the socaed Unwren Law For there moth
of this lawabiding
undertakes there thing Unwritten
IS lot a la,vabiding citizen. ="
The Washington times., 1906-12-16

iaisoR Begun Between Former Senator Brown
Of Utah and Mrs Anna Bradley While
Mr.. Browns Second Wife Still Lived Re-
suited in the Shooting, a Week Ago Yes
terday. in a Washington Hotel, Of the
Ex-senator by the Woman He Had
WroRged, Who Had Trailed Him Across
the CoRdnent-TheT Children Are Street
Waits and Mrs. BradIeys Husband Is an
Ex-CORviCt and WandeTeT. ~ ~
The Washington times., 1906-12-16

Protect my innocence or 1 faI
Into the trap that Is laid for me.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-15
CHASED OVER HOUSEHOLDS
Thrilling Capture of Hennig, a
: Noted German SWindIer
and Murderer.

Berlin. March 14-Henning, the mar
rage broker, whose swindling, murders
and other acts of violence and his bold
escapes have given the Germans many
thrills during the last three months,
was captured at Stettin today after he
had shot a policeman. The capture
was made by a butcher, who will be
made well to do, owing to the aggre-
gate Of rewards offered for Henning's
capture Henning is accused, among
other alleged crimes, of having de-
coyed bartender named Gierneth to
the forest of Grunenwald, near Ber-
lin and there murdered him Afterward
he is alleged to have fmpersonated
Gierneth and hypOthecated his prop
erty. Henning is also charged with
having shot a Berlin policeman When
arrested today he was fleeing over
house tops while being chased by the
police and others who were trying to
capture him for attacking an aged and
wealthy landowner, Baron Sitwiz, in
a railroad car. He shot the baron six
times, without killing him, however,
and escaped from a moving train.