Evening star., 1939-03-11
Destitute
As Father Is Jailed
For Beating Child
Court Turns Problem
Of Support Over to
Probation Officer
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.

Mrs. Norah Poff, 26, pretty mother
OF five children-the oldest 10, the
youngest 6 Weeks-faced a cheer
less world today in a two-story
shack at 619 I street SW. without
the familys only means of support,
the laborer's wages which the father
John Poff, 36, has been providing
with fair regularity.
Poff was sent to Jail for a year
yesterday. He got drunk and beat
up the 5-year-old daughter, Mar
garet Ann, and choked her sister,
Betty Lou, 7.
Judge Edward NJ Curran, who
passed out the sentence with
blistering denunciation of the de-
fendant in Police Court, turned
the plight of mother and children
over to Probation Officer Joseph
Sanford, who was to arrange for
their support.
Poff was arrested on complaint of
his wife Mrs. Poff said she was i'll
in bed Tuesday when her husband
struck Margaret Ann, blackening
her eye, and choked Betty Lou. The
other children fled in terror. The
blond 5-year-old girl told Judge
Curran tremblingly: "He struck
me-"
The judge turned to the father
Indignantly and told him he was
mot fit to be called man." To
strike a defenseless child, Judge
Curran exclaimed, is "a crime
against decency and humanity" He
said he was sorry he couldn't give
Poff two years at hard labor, aod-
ing: You ought to be sent down
to sweat and suffer and blister"
When the father mumbled
promise to swear off liquor, the
judge retorted that he didn't believe
such a man was capable of reform
ing.
Although Mrs. Poff understood
the court was to look out for the
destitute family, she hadn't heard
yet exactly what was to be done.
Friends Come to Aid.
She said she spent yes
terday afternoon with welfare
officials, but doubt was ex-
pressed whether anything could
be done for her unless she could
prove that her husband had worked
in Washington for at least a year
and half. They've lived here since
1885, she said, but she hasn't any
list of his various employers. Late
ly he's been working at Fort Belvoir
in Virginia.
There was nothing to eat in he
shakily timbered house when Mrs.
Poff got home from court last
night with Betty Lou and Mar
garet Ann, except a few potatoes
and about cup of flour. There
was no fuel for the stove, either.
Friends provided a little money to
tide the family over until the pro-
baton ofdcer-or mebody-could
make permanent plans.
Paul, a sturdy boy of 10, was left
at home to look after mischievous
2-year-old Johnny while the mother
went through the court ordeal. The
baby, 6-week-old Bennie, was left
with neighbors.
Reluctant to Appear.
Margaret Ann had a discolored
eye, but she played contentedly,
unaware of the tragic circumstances.
Mrs. Pof explained that she had
been reluctant to appear against
her husband. For one thing, she
felt that he had been out of his
head when he attacked the chill
dren.
1T had never happened BEFORE"
the young mother said. Hes al
ways been kind to us, and he'd worked
hard. He just got hold of the wrong
kind of whisky"
1t was, she added, the species
known as smoke" He took two
drinks, she said, and he was crazed.
He lost his wages in a dice game
and then came home and began to
beat up the family.
In the second place, she didn't
want him to 60 to Jail, because
she didn't see how the family would
get by.
II don't see how I coulr,, work."
she pointed out. 1--WE got the baby
to look after"