Omaha daily bee., 1916-02-27

TWELVE men of the United States
Grand Jury in New York have de-
cided that Mrs. Whitney Warren,
a wealthy woman of excellent social po-
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 infractions Of the law.
Whether the Grand Jury used good
judgment, and II turns out that Mrs.
Whitney Warren is really 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, II ia Dos
sible Mrs. Whitney Warren's lawyers
may be arranging a compromise with the
Government authorities, and that some
settlement OF the case may be made
without Mrs. Whitney Warren being
compelled to sit in 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 TO whether any judge would probably
ever sentence woman Of wealth and
social position to any considerable term
in jail.
Nowhere throughout the United States,
from Maine to California, is there any
social leader of wealth sitting in prison
cell. 1t 10 hard to recall any case where
a woman Of millions and social promi-
nence ever did go TO Jail. Is 1t an inn
possible and preposterous idea?
What would a society woman do In
jail? There is nothing In the prison life
which she is at all fitted for.
In her narrow little cell there Is no OPP
portunity for holding receptions. Every
woman Of position of course has her at
home" some day each week. II a society
butterfly goes to jail. she would be
strictly confined to her temporary home"
every day In the week. But while she
would always be "at home" every day
during her term of Imprisonment, her
home would be Of such narrow proper
tons that It would be impossible to well
come any considerable number Of guests.
Therefore, it would be impractioable for
a society woman to continue her GUS
tomary weekly at homes" In Jail.
OF course, a society woman IN prison
could sleep late in the morning, probably,
as she does at home, unless she was
sentenced to a term at hard labor"
which would be unlikely. She might
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!
II is customary in prisons TO put the
lights out at nine o'clock. This would
be a great hardship, for a society woman.
There is no visiting between cells during
the evening, so that the society woman
serving her sentence could not look for.
ward to any callers in the evening
Very few society women ever read any
thing, and the reason for this is that they
are too busy to have any time for read
ing. Therefore not having the habit OF
reading the long hours of the evening
would drag tediously in her cell.
Having no maid to give orders to, no
tootman or butler to scold, no opportu-
nifty 70 do shopping. no bridge parties, IL
would be dreary prospect.
Even II society woman prisoner had
a cellmate there would be no real oppor-
tunity for dancing, because the space is
so limited In prison cell that dancing is
impossible.
What, then, would q society woman do
10 amuse herself during the long hours
and days and, perhaps, weeks, Of her
sentence? II would seem as II there was
nothing left for her 10 do but dress.
BY giving the whole morning 10 doing