The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-02-05
THE CASE OF
MARTHA RODGERS
Dayton, Ohio Judge Suspends Sentence
Of Offenders Providing They get Out
Of Town. PenniIess Uufortunates
Buffeted From Pillar to Post.

Buffeted From Pillar to Post.
NO QUALITY OF MERCY
! Civilized man can he shockingly
cruel at times, says the Dayton News.
A few evenings ago an item in the
paper told of the mercy that was ex-
tended by the police court to a poor
erring woman who had been convict
ed of having stolen goods from the
store where she was employed.
Owing to the desire of her late
employer that she be not sentenced
to the workhouse, she was told to
leave Dayton forever, and on those
conditions the sentence would be
suspended. Then, according to the
story, the little woman was pushed
out of the courtroom, and apparent
ly lost in the crowd, driven from
the city to make her own way, help
less and alone.
1t is hoped there was sequel to
the story before she was driven from
the borders of Dayton. 1t is to be
hoped that there was by chance, some
kindly disposed person who saw the
forlorn little creature stink away
from the courtroom, and who would
help to ge, her started right toward
another city. 1t is to be hoped that
in some way she was put in touch
with the Y. w. G.. A. and that that
big organization would be able to
send its representatives to watch her
and care for her when she reached
that other city" to which she had
been sentenced.
But it was only chance, if indeed.
anybody came to her and spoke
cheer to her aud helped her, even
to the slightest degree, to get start
ed again IN the world. We don't
know Martha Rodgers she may be
bad through and through, but again
she may have only been weak, or
erring in small degree. She was
friendless and alone, it was said.
We don't know what it cost her to
live, or what wages she was paid.
1t is conceivable that even with a
living wage" there might be cir
cumstances which made it impossible
for her to live on this amount. 1t
may be that she was facing the al
tentative of stealing or doing some
thing worse. If a woman steals to
avoid having to sell her body, or to
keep from starving, we are here to
state our belief that stealing would
be a virtue.
But all this has really nothing to
do with the case. The facts are
that Martha Rodgers confessed to
having stolen goods worth some $40
from her employer. and instead of
being sent to prison was mercifully
ordered to leave Dayton forever.
No matter what became of her after
that, Dayton had washed her hands
of her! Dayton, in SNUG righteous
ness, could hold up her hands in
horror at the deed of this young wo-
man, who had come from the other
side of the world to be deserted by
a faithless lover. And so we osten-
tatiously thank God that we are not
as that sinful woman, and go about
our business, and our card parties,
and our church affairs, with the ut
most composure and thoroughly
satisfied with ourselves. And our
courts and lawyers, and all our safe,
conservative men and women, would
plume ourselves on the admirable
provision Of Jurisprudence whereby
this poor creature could be spared
a prison sentence, by the simple
device of driving her out Of
sight.
The court has no responsibility
here, No. no, mercy tempered
Justice" She was not sent 10 prison.
but she might wander through the
rain-sodden fields and die OF expo
sure and starvation, or give up hope
and kill herself, or get to the next
town someway and sell herself to