Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-27
Mrs. Whitney Warren's Five Trunks

f,T~@ WELNE men of the United States
Grand Jury in New York have dc.
cided that Mrs. Whitney Warren,
q wealthy woman OF excellent social DO.
sition, is probably guilty Of smuggling
five trunks full of fashionable dresses
into New York. After hearing an ex
parte statement from the custom house
officials, the Grand Jury indicted Mrs
Whitney Warren and accused her Of
four separate infraCtious of the law.
Whether the Grand Jury used good
Judgment, ana it turns out that Mrs
Whitney Warren is really "A criminal will
not be known until the accused has been
tried, and Judge and jury have decided
her guilt or innocence. In fact at the
moment this is being written. il is pos.
sible Mrs. Whitney Warren's lawyers
may be arranging q compromise with the
Government authorities and that some
settlement Of the case may he made
without Mrs. Whitney Warren being
compelled TO sit i'll The criminals pen and
endure the unpleasant experience of a
criminal trial
Whatever may be the final outcome of
the Indictment OF Mrs. Whitney Warren.
society leader and woman of wealth and
position, the interesting question arises
as 10 whether any Judge would probably
ever sentence woman Of wealth and
social position TO any considerable term
III jail
Nowhere throughout The United States,
from Maine to California is there any
soca! leat.sr of wealth sitting in prison
cell. II il g.ri 10 recall any case where
woman OF millions and social proml.
nence ever did go TO Jail Is il an i'm.
pos 'hle and prepOSterous idea?
what would society woman do in
jail? There IS nothing in the prison life
which she is al all fitted for
In her narrow little cell there IS no on
portun!ty for holding receptions. Every
woman of position OF course has her "at
hone some day each week II a society
butterfly goes 10 jail, she would he
strictly confined TO her temporary home"
every day in the week But while she =
would always be "at home" every dav
during her term OF Imprisonment, her
homo would be of such narrow propor.
lions that it would be Impossible to VOL
come any considerable number OF guests
Therefore IL would he impracticable for
society woman 10 continue her Gus.
tomary weekly at homes" in Jail
OF course. a society woman IN prison
could sleep late iii the morning probably.
as she does at home unless she was
sentenced to term al hard labor"
which would he unlikely She nigh,
sleep until noon every day, which would
not upset her customary habit OF life in
that respect
But what about her evenings? How
she would miss The theatre. the opera.
dances, receptions and dinner parties.
i is customary in prisons 10 nut the
llghts out at nine O'Clock This would
ne d great hardship for a society woman
There rs no visiting between cells during
the evening SO tnat The society woman
serving her sentence could not look for
WarG to any callers IN the evening
very few soclo'y women ever read anv
thing and The reason for this is tha, they
are 700 busy 10 have any time for read
ing therefore not having The habit Of
reading he long noufs OF The evening
won!d drag tediou-ly IN her cell.
Having no maid 20 give orders 10. no
ioolman or butler to scold. no opDortu.
nifty TO DO shopping 10 bridge parties il
would be q dreafy prospect
EVEN u e society woman prisoner had
q ceIinatc there would be no real omar
tunjiy fof dancing because Tho space is
so limited in III on coll that dancing is
impossible
What, then would society woman do
10 amuse herself during the long hours
and days and, perhaps. weeks. Of her
sentence II would seem rs If there was
nothing left for her to do but dress
by giving the whole morning to doing