Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-20
WIDOWS Mother
prefers OLD LIFE
Present Pace Too Swift, With
Many Temptations for Young,
Says Mrs. Reid
RAPS EASE OF DIVORCE
BY PEGGY LUKES

BY PEGGY LUKES
Mrs. Sue Reid. mother of Catherine
Rosier, sat in the little anteroom OF
Judge Barratt's court today and talked
at length concerning this new genera :
ton of young people.
The last few untried veniremen filed
b and out past us in the little hallway.
In far corner of that important
courtroom sat William q. Reckitt,
father Of the girl for the murder Of
whom Catherine Roster now stands
trial.
"Old fashioned days were best,
Mrs. Reid said quietly" these times
are too swift for young people. There
II too much dancing, too much going
to the movies, too much time spent
way from the home. There is too much
temptation. 1t is not the young peo-
pies fault 1t is the fault of the times
in which they live"
Mrs Reid is tall, stately, yet mother
like. In her pretty brown fur cape
and smart little toque-surely any one
would have been proud TO have her
Tor a mother. She paused and looked
st Inc thoushtfully.
Young Carve Out Own Lives
"Old fashioned days were easier for
mothers too. II was the style then
to let mothers decide things. but in
this new age there is new philosophy
preached. 1t IL the thing for young
people to carve out their own lives. y
Again came q pause. Catherine Ros-
ier's mother listened.
us the court opening again?" she
asked.
But once more the clatter in there
reassured us. She continued
Take divorce: Why it is as easy
to get married and divorced now as it
u to 20 in department store and buy
a new piece of jewelry."
Catherine eloped," | suggested
Yes" came n slow. thoughtful re-
ply. ''es-that alone, suppose. could
b a lesson to other girls. But this
must be remembered, dear Oscar Ros-
isr begged for long time before she
would marry him. In fact. he begged
for an introduction months before he
met her. Why. l remember the day
after this fearful tragedy occurred the
girl who did finally introduce them
called me up, broken heartedly, because
it was she who had brought them to-
gsther.
rearS Jury NOmpletlOn
'There are eight jurors in the box
now" she added irrelevantly, after q
moment. Isn't that the right mum
Der? Sometimes l get u little mixed
up--and before the days over there may
be twelve?'
1t wns hard to nod my head--to own
up that then the prologue would all be
over.
A sudden quictness fell in the hall
way. There was no shuffling of feet
There were no voices. Mrs. Reid went
back to the afternoon session of her
daughters trial.
Within, at the end Of the counsel
table, Catherine Roster still sat in.
scrutable. The impending completion
Of the jury brings no different expires.
sion TO her lelicately featured face
Only once during the morning had sh,
looked up with little light of interest
in her eyes. when Edward Moore, q
cause he said he would hold a woman
as responsible as n man for her crime
he was the first man examined who had
felt that way about women
stood back of small group OF
women waiting in the corridor during
the noon recess today.
Like no many women who have not
taken into account the battling and un
swerving processes Of the law, three OF
them were betting young Catherine
Roster would 60 free.
'.The unwritten law, you know
said one quite sagely.
A fourth and younger woman with
little contrary steel in her eye spok,
Say, what is this unwritten law o.
The other came back without hesita
tien:
why, the unwritten law is" she
stopped. The unwritten law is JUS,
- There was anothe. pause
Why, IT'S when, it's when q
For the sake Of this harrassed youns
woman l stood guard ut the door OF
the courtroom stalking for the first lega
authority who might chance to come
unwarily out. He CHANGED TO be a
prominent lawyer who because of the
reticence Of the defense on It's method
OF Ntal refused to let his name be used
~ but, carefully choosing his words, gave
the following information.
There crux of It is this The un
written law holds that. up and oven
any man made rulings to be found in
INV books, there is higher law found
ad on higher justice. This attempt,
10 say that when the law does NOT vet
forth proper punishment for WON
ans wrongs, 1t lies within her right tc
executive vengeance
1T Is he exact opposite of the hold
ing that the worst thing that can occur
ts to have a member OF society take
the law In his or her hands even tc
avengc wrong