The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1909-02-11
Mrs. Leonard Says He Knock
ed Out Her Teeth and Threw
Her Down Stairs.
DRAGGED HER BY HAIR.
Mother of Fifteen Children in
Separation Suit Tells Hor-
rible Story of Brutality.

A grSy-haired, ollow.cheeked v!sp OF
. woman, Weighing less than ninety
pounds, Mrs. Mary Leonard. began
suit for separation from her 3oo-pound
husband. Patroman Matthew Leonard,
OF the Rockaway avenue station, before
Justice Thomas In the Brooklyn SUI
preme Court to-day. alleging cruel and
inhuman treatment.
The detailed specifications OF the al.
legged acts OF cruelty on the part Of the
huge policeman contained In his tiny
wife's complaint have few, II any.
parallels IN court records.
To begin with, Mrs, Leonard says she
mothered fifteen children In the course
OF her miserable marital career Five
Of these lived, and will be called to
testify to their fathers violent acts and
almost unbelievable brutality.
After stating In general terms that the
tiny woman's existence following her |
marriage to Leonard In 1881 had been
one long career Of misery and pain
caused by his inhumanity. tho complaint |
goes on to state specific acts.
knocked Out Teeth.'
A year ago. 1t alleges. when Leonard
was unable to find his revolver no
struck his wife in the face, knocking
out two OF her teeth and throwing her
across the room. Her tweve-year.old
girl Mathllde ran to her mothers as
slstance. whereupon Leonard, It is
charged thruss tha Skl1H nj
q heavy piece OF ornamental rock from
the mantelp!ece and hurled II at his
wife's head. The rock opened the flesh
OF her forehead In deep wound and
rendered the little woman unconscious.
a deep scar testitieS to this assault
On a later occasion, the papers de-
clare, when the policeman developed
one OF his savage RACES he seized his
wife by the hair and dragged her
through the house from room to room.
and at last. after kicking and beating
her, he cast her down flight Of steps.
~ that time his tu.nty-cnc -ycar-o;t
son, Frederick, a cripple, lay sick In
bed In an upstairs room. The boy was [
suffering from appendicitis and had
been attended by two physicians. When
ne heard his mothers screams, II ia
alleged. as she was being dragged about
by the hair, he cried out to his father
to have mercy.
Beat Crippled Son."
His appeal only served 10 fan the I
flames, alleges the complaint. FOR after Il
throwing his wife down the stairs Leon. A.
ard rushed UP to the bedroom where the
invalid boy lay Dragging his crippled b
non out OF bed by the feet, It !s charged.
10 beat the boy with his n!ghtstick and y
threw him downstairs. h,
This incident was followed by still an. y
'ther in which the father attacked the q
crippled boy. The mother few 10 hi, ie
assistance, whereupon she was beaten
Town again caught by the hair and 81
ragged around. After dragging her W
nfough the house, alleges the y!tes M
complaint, her husband kicked open the q
rom dooF and dragged her down tho II
'teps 10 the street. g.
Raging and cursing her, the police.
nan. II Is declared, dragged her along III
ne pavement while a great crowd col. IN
eCteh win the crowd cane another 81
policeman, former station comrade o, pr
Leonards. This policeman, ignoring the OF
sroanS and misses Of the horrifed spec. az
.ators, snapped pair Of handouts on "a
he only partly conscious little woman 70
and was dragging her 70 the notice STA.
ION as a disorderly person when the az
OF the pursuing crowd ?.
frightened him into releasing her. !,
Driven From House. n
The complaint goes on to saw tina, fol. 10
men were brought M on charges AZ mo
Brooklyn HEADQUARTERS and each snaS "
No. ''''N ~
But the fine did not have sof,a,i,u to