The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-30
BRINGS UP NEW
UJNWRITTEN Law
'sSanctity of Motherhood"
Law Seen as Result
Of Murder.
WILL JURY CONVICT

Chicago. (By Roy Gibbons)-Anoth
er unwritten law may be added to the
one now recognized that has prompted
scores of American juries to free slay-
ers, legal experts here believe. The
present unwritten law protects the
sanctity of the home. 1t holds man
is justified in killing to protect the
honor of his wife.
The new unwritten law, it is be-
lieved, will protect in the same way
the sanctity of motherhood. Whether
this new law will be recognized hangs
on the answer to one question:
The Question at Issue.
Is woman justified in killing her
husband after he repeatedly has tor
tured her because of inability to bear
children when she herself has ardently
wished for children?
A Chicago jury will answer that
question when it finds in the case of
Mrs. Rosa Abrahamson, aged 80, who
has admitted, police say, that she shot
her husband, Louis, aged 43, to death.
Mrs. Abrahamson charges that in four
years of married life her husband con-
tinually reproached her for failure to
bear children and scoffed at her be-
cause of the birth of one child, brought
into the world dead. She has surrend-
cred to the police. A coroners jury
has recommended she be charged with
murder.
Tells Life Story.
II want women to judge me as they
would like to be judged under similar
circumstances" Mrs. Abrahamson said,
as seated on her cot in a cell at the
Cook county jail, she told me the whole
story of her life and it's tragedies.
From my earliest days l was used
to hard work." she said. "I was sent
to work in factory as a child.
knew little of pleasure. AS grew to
womanhood l met few young men.
Working at my machine in the factory
or riding to my home at night in
crowded streetcar dreamed of the day
when I should be someone's wife
someone's mother.
A1kCS HAS 1NdHtCs
Seven years ago at little party
met Louis-how hate that name now!
He won me with his smile. Four years
ago we were wed. Now my dreams
were to come true! Now little baby
hands were to be pressed to my breast.
A little baby voice was to call me
mother But months went by and no
baby came. My husband began to re-
proach me. You're bad woman he
would say. You don't want children
But finally ] knew a baby was coming.
knew I should have an answer to his
scorn and jeers42 The baby came--it
was born dead. syGod alone knows the
torture underwent when I learned
that. M 13y
Keeps Up His Taunting.
"All this time I was still working in
factory to helpekeep up our little
home. I'd come5home tired at night
and listen to my husbands never end
ing jibes and Insults. We separated
several times! Then we would return
to each other again. But he never
ceased his torture:
Finally bought revolver. Then
that night placed it under the mat
tress. My husband went to sleep. Six
long hours lay awake thinking. Then
| drew out the revolver, pressed it
against his temple and pulled the trig-
ger. The sound wasn't as loud as l
had expected He didn't even moan.
lighted match. Yes, he was dead.
A little, stream of blood was trickling
down on the sheets. I dressed and
went to the nearest policeman. There
gave myself up. Yes, I'm glad, happy,
that killed him. have no regrets"