New-York tribune., 1921-06-30
Shining Wife
Brands Breast
With Hot Iron
Mark of Penance Made at
Demand of Husband, TO
Whom She Confessed Be-
fore Wedding, She Says
Forgiveness Is Withheld
''Cannot Believe. Her, Is
His Reproach; Court I'm
able to Bring About Peace

Before Magistrate Francis x Man
cuso in the West Side Court yesterday
Mrs. Vera Hojnowski, twenty-one years
old, the mother of two small children,
exposed livid burn upon her breast.
After confessing unfaithfulness to her
husband she had tried to brand herself
with the sign of the cross, the price
of forgiveness fixed by him.
Benjamin Hojnowski, the husband,
works by day in a piano factory in
Forty-t third Street, where his fellows
refer to him as "The Polak." Vera, the
wife, by scrubbing the floors of an
Office building at night manages to con-
tribute $48 each month toward the
family budget.
After the magistrate had failed to
solve their triangular problem for them
yesterday by giving the husband a sus
pended sentence on the charge of dis
orderly conduct, and some advice, as
well as placing him under bonds to
keep the peace, the couple returned to
apartment at the rear OF the second
floor at 534 West Fiftieth Street, which
is beyond Tenth Avenue and near the
North River.
Rooms in Disarray
The walls are hung with priced litho-
graphs that testify to their Catholic
faith. There is silver crucifix sus-
pended over the mantle. The gas
H.f in
and orange tissue paper for the sum-
mer. But yesterday the beds and
cribs were unmade and the floor was
Uttered.
Unshaven and in his bare feet, the
young husband sat upon a couch and
endeavored to control his shaking
limbs as he talked.
"I've been good to her and now she
has wrecked my life" he said. "She
had no reason to do this thing. can't
tell when she is lying and when she is
telling the truth. | have tried to for
give her, butt
at was his fault" interrupted the
wife, fercely. She sat by the window
tapped slippered heel on the floor to
still the plants of eighteen months
old Stanley, who bestrode her knee.
every day he called me name. He
said | was no good. Then other times
he would say that no man would want
me. Before we were married | had told
him how | had been i'll treated by
man | had never seen before. How l
had been dragged into an automobile.
Then he said he would marry me if
there had been thousand other men.
But since then he has rememb bered only
the one man"
"My fault, was it?" Indignantly ques-
toned the husband. "Did l tell her
to take up with this man? For two
months this had been going on. Each
having come home from my work,
would tend the children There are
two. Joseph is out walking with his
grandmother. He is nearly three. If
it wasn't for the children''-
Last Thursday they went to sleep
early, and walked to the corner to
meet her and she was with this man.
When we got home | made her tell me
all about it. She said she was sorry"
TIE woman put the child on the floor
and rose to her feet. Her pink ging-
ham house gown was not fastened at
her throat, and with tense fingers she
lerked it open, revealing a bandage
held in place by adhesive tape.
IellS or Branding Self
'"This I did for him. I was sorry.
l am so1ry!" she exclaimed. What
more can l do? | pleaded with him to
forgive me. He said he would if |
would brand cross on my breast. /
began without waiting. l heated the
can opener on the gas stove. He went
into the other room and shut the door
when I began. The pain was so bad I
thought couldn't. l held it against
myself three, four times. Then |
called to him that it was hurting. He
did not answer me. l tried again.
"You see, l am thin. The burn hurt
very quickly. Then I tried to put it
on my arm. See"--
Mrs. Hojnowski rolled up her sleeve
to the shoulder. At the roundest por-
tion of her arm was red scar, the
shape of can opener blade. The hus-
band turned his head away. Then he
spoke again.
81 did forgive her, yes. ] am almost
crazy from thinking"
"Benny flor the first time the
woman spoke directly to her husband
/ have told you and told you. mean it.
l am sorry. Get detectives. Watch
me. 1t won't ever happen again"
Glow can l tell when she's lying?"
asked the husband, and gripped his
hands together.
When the police came the other
night at the instigation of neighbors
Benjamin hid his razor in the sink.
He was getting ready to shave. But
his beard was still uncut yesterday.
He has had the razor out several times,
hut he has NOT shaved