The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-03-23
RELEASE URGED
FOR MOTHER Of
CONVICT BABY
Case Of Woman Under SEN
tence for Murder Divides
Nebraska Sentiment.


lvict mother?
Should maternity condone crime?
All Nebraska Is agitated by the
case Of The Baby versus The State.
Three weeks-old Betty June De
Hart is the daughter OF woman
who was temporarily freei from
Jail to give her birth in normal sur
Iroundings.
But Nebraska does not permit the
Incarceration of child. And since
Mrs. Rolla De Hart Is under a ten.
year sentence for murder, II looks
as IL 1t will be necessary to separate
the two.
Must the State tear this baby from
her mothers breast?
| Should Mrs. De Harris maternity
lcondone her crime?
| Murder in this instance had little
glamor about 1t. The crime was
not romantic one OF passion. Cheap
covetuousness melted Rolla De Hart
and his wife last summer 20 kill old
John Miz, owner Of The horses and
wagon which carried the three
through the northern part of Ne
braska.
| They wanted the team AID wagon,
so they took the owners life. DE
Hart got a life sentence: his wife.
ten years.
Relatives in Prison.
The baby's uncle. William De
Hart, is serving time for theft. and
another relative is also in Jail.
Poor Betty June Is woefully lack
ing in back ground about which
we hear so much these days.
Jail sentences. while they do not
oil u1 90 NJ Int -
ment, are supposed to act as a de.
terrent to crime and thus benefit SO.
ciety.
But will society be benefited by
this woman's Imprisonment and her
separation from her child?
or will the State. by imprisoninG
Mrs. De Hart in this case. merely
take revenge for murder? Would re
venge be more important to the State
than to set the woman free under
parole?
We put these questions to a woman
interested in legislation and the prob
lens of her sex, Mrs. Olive SLOT,
Gabriel.
Love for children. of course" Mrs
Gabriel said, lis one of the most bene
fetal influences in reforming a
woman who otherwise might not care
to do right.
yet believe that everyone should
be punished for crime.
THE woman who commits murder
is guilty of murder and should be
punished the same as a man.
II do not believe that society would
derive any benefit by letting the
woman out of Jail on parole. She
might reform and she might not.
II l.. 49,,
one who cruelty deserted her, II
would be entirely different. But she
murdered man outside her init
mate life. who had done her nc
harm"
Pearl Odell's Case.
In New York there was a some
what SASar case which, on account
of having as its feature a baby born
in jail, proved of engrossing interest
to the public.
Pearl Odell and her husband killed
a man who had betrayed Mrs. Odell.
They tied their victim to a tree in a
remote spot, tortured and killed him.
A baby was born to Mrs. Odell in
jail and in accordance with the law
remained with her. to the delight OF
her e!low-prisoners, who enjoyed
New York has since provided
against such contingency. Nc
child hereafter will be allowed 20 re.
main in Jail with a convict mother.
The Senate of New York has just
passed a bill especially applying TO
baby Gloria Odell which will relea Sc
her to be placed in the care of rela'
| tives in Rochester, y. Y.
This baby Is more than a year
old, believe, and Jail is surely not
the place for her." Mrs. Gabriel con.
linued.
Dilemma Of Nebraska.
I'm the first place Jail is not the
proper environment for a prospec-
tive mother If We are to believe
scientists. Certainly a woman who
expects TO have a child should be
placed elsewhere, at least temper
arily, for the baby's sake.
But in the case of Mrs. De Hart
! woul not recommend parole.
1T is a great mistake to try to
argue that a woman is not respon-
sible for her acts. She has always
been held, morally, more RESPONSE.
BILE than man. Now we want man
equally blamed in a woman's trans
gressiC s. If we have equal laws,
| we must take equal blame.
women must be self-determining
human beings and should be taught
that they must take full RESPONSE
bility for all their acts"
Meanwhile Nebraska is worrying
about the mother and her mite now
in tho State Orthop1 edic Hospital in
Omaha. Mrs. De Hart is being kept
there so she may care for her baby.
If Mrs. De Hart goes back to Jail
Betty June will be ten years old
when her mother Is free. This WON.
an will be sufficiently punished II
she must miss the joys Of caring for
her child through those brief days
of babyhood.
But what would DC best for Baby
Betty?
Parole and pardon for Mrs. De
Hart, who, without funds. would
have to try to support herself and
baby?
To put the baby in a founding
home; to have her adopted; or to
keep Betty in a school till her moth.
er comes out of jail?
That's what Nebraska must de.
eide.
| X1T1V.S2