The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-05-29
CHILD Wife WAS
SOLO As SLAVE
Husband Bought For Thirty
Dollars and a Silk Dress
Money to Father

ping eyes and her childish voice
shaking with emotion, Mrs. Julia Hab-
bit, the 15-year-old bride who swears
that she was sold into marriage bond
age in return for $50 paid to her faith
er and silk dress given to her
mother, told Magistrate Scott the pitt
full story Of her wedding. her brief
married life and her dash for free
dom when the life became unbearable.
| In the prisoners pen opposite the
pretty Greek girl, sat her husband,
David Habit, twelve years her se-
nior, though only % years old. He
was charged in the warrant which
the child caused to be sworn out
against him, with nonsupport. Mag
istrate Scott, after hearing the pitt
full details of the girls story, held the
young husband in $4O0 bail for court
| Mrs. Habit will not return to her
husband. She has learned that she
can be Independent of both her fami-
ly and her husband, yet earn an hon.
est living, and the girl has decided to
support herself. Recently she has
been employed as domestic in q pri-
vate family in Germantown and she
has a sufficient number Of good
friends among the mission workers In
her neighborhood to see that she gets
fair treatment and an opportunity to
earn living for herself.
"He Is Brute" Says Child
"He is brute, said the child aft
er the hearing, speaking of her hus-
band. HE is brute and will new
err go back to him. l never liked him
and shan't go back to him. would
rather far earn my own living and
would work ever so hard. know
that could not be worse off than l
was and / could live and not lose
my self respect
The girl has every appearance Of
being straightforward and honest.
Though she is not pretty, she has
we'll molded, attractive lace. with
black hair and eyes.
Her father is a Greek and she has
all the characteristics of her people.
She is sharp and ready with an an
swer and on the stand repeatedly dis
played unusual fortitude and pres
ence of mind in the face Of grill
| ing examination given her by her
husbands attorney.
| She blames her parents more than
her husband for her plight and Of
her parents blames her stepmother
the more.
Blames Her Stepmother
II don't blame my father as much
as my stepmother," explained the
girl. my stepmother is the cause Of
all this. She got my father to give
his consent to my marriage and then
made ME get married against my will
She made me marry the man,
though l never liked him. She made
me do it by threatening that she
would take my food away from me,
starve me and deprive me of my
clothes and that she would turn me
out of the house onto the streets to
earn living for myself.
| II was fool, but l was afraid. I
was afraid to go out into the world
alone, and l felt that the only way to
avoid it was to do what she said. So
l married him. But l never will live
with him again. He is brute"
Until four weeks ago the young
bride lived with her husband at his
present home at 1176 South Tenth
street. Then she ran away from him,
| ECchluS WOlh oo uOiACoAtS. oAC
declared today that she stood the in
dignities which she alleges he heap
ed upon her as long as she could then
fled from him when she felt that she
could no longerslive with him safely.
Orders Out on Street
She openly accused her husband.
after he had made her keep the
house on the sum of fifty cents day
and go out on the streets to peddle
silks, of having tried to make her
take up the trade of the abandoned
woman of the streets and earn their
living at the price of her virtue. This
was one of the crowning indignities.
she said. which made her leave her
husband.
AS the girl tells the story. Ha bbit
who lived only a, few doors away from
her own home at 1172 South Tenth
street, had often seen her and knew
her. Last November the girl declares.
he began to poster her father and
stepmother for their consent to his
marriage with her.
At first they refused. He exhaust
ed every plea and argument. He did
more, according to the girl. offering
to give her father the sum Of $50 and
Continued on Page 2D