The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-12-17
District Lunacy LalUs
Hard on Victims
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Marbury in jig-time on habeas
corpus writ.
Cost to the Family
In addition to the distress and sor-
row inflicted upon the Marburys by
its mistake in locking Mrs. Mar
bury up, the District government
put the following obstacles in the
way of getting her out:
Habeas corpus docket fee. SIS 90
Marshslps fee sf66 h bond 25S 0
Total cost 4IOO
Besides this, Mr.. Marbury lost a
days pay, or $40, and but for the
kindness of the lawyer would have
found himself face to face with d
500 to $50 attorneys fee-the
usual charge in such cases.
In view of the distressing circum-
stances in this instance the lawyer
donated his services.
Otherwise Mrs Marbury would
probably have remained locked up
until the little bungalow could have
been mortgaged-at still further
cost of title search fees, recording
fees, attorneys fees, etc.
And it was only six months ago
that Mr.. Marbury finished paying
for it. The 81 wasted dollars will
mean so much less food on the
table for the coming winter, so
much less clothing. so many fewer
toys for Santa Claus to bring down
the chimney to little Annabel and
Tommy.
And Mama Marbury won't get
over the shock and the humiliation
and the smouldering anger for many
a month to come.
On the Other Side
And her family and friends and
PEOPLE who know about the happen
ing will get the United States Con
stitution and Joe Miller's Joke Book
most aWfully onfused. A bad state
of affairs, you say. Bad is right.
On the other side of tie news
paper clipping that carried the ac'
count of the Marbury incident this
writer found the following item from
Luther, Iowa:
INSANE MOTHER KILLS
CHILDREN AND SELF
Husband, on Watch. Went to
Sleep and Woman Yields
Razor and Takes Poison
LUTHER, Iowa.--A sleepiness which
he could not throw off brought death
yesterday to three members Of the
Injuries to the other two.
While he dozed Clarks wife killed
two of her three children with a
razor. sIashed her husband and the
other child, and committed suicide
by drinking poison.
Her peculiar actions had aroused
Clark's suspicious and he had deter
mined to remain awake all night.
After midnight, however. he fell
asleep in his chair and Mrs. Clark.
with insane cunning. seized his razor,
slashed him and went after the chill
dren.
Blame ON Neighbor
And that's considerably worse,
isn't it, and gives us an inkling of
what the policewomen had in mind
when they arrested Mrs. Marbury.
They knew nothing about rs.
Marbury, had never heard Of her In
all their lives before, any more than
the Luther police had heard~of Mrs.
Clark-until a certain spiteful neigh
Dor las it was learned later) called
the precinct station and recited a
blood-curdling tale about Mrs. Mar
bury chasing her baby daughter into
the street with butcher knife.
The police couldn't pass up a story
like that without investigation. And,
arrived at the bungalow, they could
not tell by few moments Of casual
observation whether Mrs. Marbury
was in her right mind or not.
Even the experts - doctors who
have specialized for years on the
subject - can't always tell without
several weeks careful examination
what the patients mental condi-
ton is.
How could the policewomen be ex-
,pected to decide such life-and-death
question on a few minutes backyard
diagnosis?
At GalIinger, the doctors who re-
ceived Mrs. Marbury on the police
order reported that they could see
nothing unusual in her conduct
she appeared like anyone else to
them. Under the exciting and dis
tressing circumstances she acted
with more propriety and dignity than
the majority of women could be ex-
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