New-York tribune., 1909-02-20
FOR A WOMAN'S COURT
Cftv Fed Committee ErpldtnS
TVhv One Is Needed

NJ. -.-,. ,ror,s, believe 10 be a long step tow
ard the establishment of a separate court io5
women was taken yesterday when oeiegaoIon 'e+
nv Mrs Gabrielle Stewart MuIlneT' chaii NJ -.
he legislative committee OF the New Aorh 0'@1e
T7sasr.r,or of Vomen's Clubs, had q chance 10
explain the need for TO the Page Co1nIhlsSoi'
appointed By Governor Hughes 10 inquire INTO llo
local inferior The hearing was heio at lily
Hall ,.,
The city should eerct a new courthouse with
detention rooms and prison. 10 which All women
arrested should be taken" said Mrs MuAheI'
.-be officers should be women and where the pris-
oner is arrested for disorderly conduct there should
he q ,,hvsical examination by a woman physician
Mrs. MuIner said she thought the present sSs-
TEN Of dealing with prostitute women very lheL-
fective In answer to questions by julius M
Never attorney for the commission. she declared
that she had known women discharged from the
night court leave to keep appointments WIN
men made right there in the court; that women
fined and released would be brought up frequently
in the dav court a few hours later for a similar
offence.
Women convicted Of the social evil she saio'
must be regarded IA one Of two ways Efher
:hey are criminals-in which case they should be
Put where they cannot -depredate-or they are pur-
suing work they rrlus- do earn their living
You believe the present method of dealing with
them a mere makeshift?" suggested AssenpiyIhAn
James a. Francis.
Il 90 ~ sid Mrs NuIliner. She added that many
ro-oen on +he street were there because they had
no chance ir the woTId-had been brought up 10
do nothing: and she believed that. in connection
with a vomans court. there should be a plan Tor
teaching useful trade to every woman sentenced
for 3 lcne enough time 10 admit Of #.
''H1o woman prostitute she said al anotner
point IN the proceedings. should be allowed pan
Til she comes before the Judge
Why. that is putting the offence on a par Win
homicide said Chairman Alfred r Page
1T is worse than homicide" said Mrs Muihher-
still though woman criminal should be treated
as a criminal. primarily she is g woman don
l,vrth object of the law
is to uplift and I believe that object can best be
attained in the case Of women b. segTegatlng then
n court OF their own. by letting them feel that
the law has that much consideration for theHl'
and spar4ng them the degradation of coming into
q general court This is especially important IN
the cases Of minor offences ard Of young girls
woman arrested for drunkenness-perhaps her hrst
offence-could IN a building such as nave oe-
sc-ibed in a clean cell in charge Of women Off
Gers. he sobered up and put into condition TO re-
her home
This whole thing 10 question not Of
sentiment. hut Of expediency. The city must bear
the expense Of caring for women offenders II
would cost no more TO segregste them. OF course.
thu wonlan's court would deal only with the so
called minor offences. Women accused OF felonies
would tried in a higher court Domestic rela~
.ions cases should be tried in civil courts Non
support on the part of a husband is a breach Of
contract, and should be treated as such
Miss Alice c Smith. head probation officer Of New
York city, said believed wou1an's court
would be "a long step toward progress.
Women prisoners then" she said, could be
given decent and humane treatment impossible un-
Der the present system believe the people IN
charge Of the places Of detention now do their best
but our prisons poor excuses for housing peo-
PIE In the night feel that We have gone
hack \ step Old offenders and girls are brought
together and older women VIII advise the girls
Pay your fne and go out again The courts are
not conducted with dignity The rooms are too
small. Prisoners must stand in line TIL they are
exhausted Sending prisoners TO the workhouse Is
largely farce. because there IS no cooperation
between the magistrates and the workhouse
Mrs Rose ". Chapman. national superintendent
Of the purity department of the Womans Christlan
Temperance Union. put the question OF woman
court On grounds Of national expediency-
It is difficult" she said. 70 persuade woman
who he's started the downward path that she
can reform and live right life. or that other peo-
rle believe she can. To give her von1an's court
protect her from the necessity of appearing In a
-oo,, crowded with meu-would. think, make her
feel that the law was ready 70 give. her helping
hand
Mrs CorneIia X Hood. formerly connected with
.be Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn. testified that
conditions in some New York courts. among others
.ba Jefferson Market court, "a shame and a
disyrsce--pgholly inadequate to the accom1nooa-
zion Of prisoners I have women packed so
closa together in the pen she said. that there
r-ssn,+ room for them sit down Then some of
,,r magistrates machine appointed politicians
have no feeling for women, and honor. In a case
he+z-ee7 a wife and a cruel 3 delinquent hus-
hand the magistrates very contempt for women
ms yes it impossible for him TO be just to the
wife"