New-York tribune., 1912-04-06
KIND MAN. OPENS JAIL
Woman Held for Failure to Pay
Judan1ent for S|ander Released.
PAPERS TELL HER PLIGHT
LAWYER Reads, Thinks Applica
ton of Law Rather Harsh and
Surety Company Does Rest

"one touch Of nature makes me N""'e
world kin"
Tv.o ner.ons whose social spheres are tar
apart were joined yesterday IN me Nh9hiP
Of humanity The one, the Nictlm oi '"'
| enhcre i'm which she moves "here ven
geance and vindctiveness are among lhe
accepted theories Of social amenities WAS
temporarily Hfted from her Surr"uhnlhsS
bv the touch that Joined ter I'm kinship WIN
one who gave A practical proof OF the ABOVE
! quoted proverh.
Ordinarily William Grecnough would
! never hear of our Mrs. ldnocenz% 'lrot''
Parlagrerco. or know of her doings' nor
! in fact. OF her existence Their Socla'
spheres are as different as could he I'm 's-
! lned i'm this great city's many-sided fanny
Of human beings. Mr. Greonough Is a cor
poratlon lawyer at 30 - Wall street.
| Up to yesterday morning he never knew
/ OF the existence Of Mrs. ParlaGrecco. lheI'
was absolutely nothing they could nave III
, common He learned of her being IN the
! newspapers yesterday by reading the Stoty
! OF her suffering and of the suffering that h"T
own would entail on her four chiIdrei' 'S-
| pecially her youngest. thirteen months oId'
Mr.. Greenough read that the mother Had
been sent To Ludlow street jail because
young woman who. like herself, Is natl'e
of Sicily had declared that she had sian
dercd her. Mrs. Parlagrecco would have
to remain in jail with her youngest chill
six months unless she could give bond
for S2l0O, and that was out of the queSt IN.
There was another possible opportunity
for her release from prison, but that was
even more remote than tie other; that was,
if Miss Fannie Sammarco, who caused her
arrest would accept an apology and with
draw her suit. But that contingency never
| received consideration. Miss Sammarco is
younger woman than the prisoner, and
also now a little higher I'm their own
| sphere perhaps, because Of her better fnan-
cial position, for Miss Sammarco manu-
factures pumes and Mrs. Parlagrecco's
| husband lacks even a job. Also she is a
determined woman. and that, with the feel
| ing of bitterness that she felt for the poor.
| frail prisoner because Of the alleged SIAN
der against her good name. made it mpos-
sible for. any one to succeed with an appeal
to her heart
She had said. NO; | will not free her;
| she has spoiled my good name, and she
must suffer for it If she stays in prison
twenty years. All, the baby. Yes, ii must
stay with her. | suppose"
That was the situation when Mr. Green
ough read Of the plight of Mrs. Parlagrccco.
| 1T was an opportune day for an act Of hui
| manity, and the lawyer acted at once. lie
did not know the woman, but he knew that
fellow being was suffering who could be
| relieved by an act Of kindness. He called
Sheriff hamburger on the telephone and
| their conversation resulted in a promise oy
70 Io
"A surety company bond for the necessary
amount for the release OF Mrs. Parlagrecco
and her baby. Acting on this promise, the
| Sheriff in turn telephoned to Warden john
| son OF the Ludlow street jail to produce at
once the prisoner and child in his office.
Warden Johnson and his charges arrived
about the same time the bond With
them was the woman's husband Mrs Par
| lagrecco showed the effects Of the night IN
| prison. Her eyes were red and swollen,
and tears also stood in the eyes Of the
| husband and Of some others who saw the
| family group. The bright faced youngster,
| in his childish innocence, at first had cried
| at being separated from his brother and
sisters. but he soon made friends in Jail
with the wardens puppy ana amused him
self
After a brief wait all the necessary for
maties were fulfilled, including the dp-
proval Of the bond by Justice PlatzeS. for
! practically the entire STAFF Of the Sheriff
worked for the release Of Mrs. ParlagreccO,
and then she was free TO go home to other
| "bambnos." Before leaving his office the
Sheriff warmly congratulated the woman
and told her that she must not leave the
| County of New York while she was under
| bail Mrs. ParlagrecCo and her husband
tried 10 thank Mr. Harburger but their
! Latin emotion oyerCame them and they 'ust
wept in gratitude
| Mrs. ParlagrcccO has never yet met Mr..
Greenough Probably she never will She
does not know that there is such person
| she knows only that some kind man" has
| helped her to rcjon her family. Miss Sam
marco. the relentless plaintiff withheld her
| consent to the release Of her fellow woman
and fellow Sicilian TO the end. Mr. Green
ough said last night at his home, No. l2S
| East 56th street: II read about the woman
and ! thought it was a rather harsh APP
pication Of the law, 50 | helped her Tina.
| is all"