Milford chronicle., 1955-11-11
Sentenced For
Welfare Defraud
lContinued from lrgt 10


children involved who would other
wise have to become wards Of the
state.
81 have spent more time and
thought on the sentence III this case
than on any other case that has
come before me-" he said
As he addressed Mrs. Irving at
the time Of sentencing, he told her
that he had no sympathy with her
but that to send her to prison
would break up the home where
she presided as wife and mother.
He said that he could not even
make restitution to the welfare de-
partment a part of the sentence
because she had no income of her
own and the repayment would hare
to come from her husband and so
make it impossible for him to sup
port his children.
In outlining the conditions Of her
probation, Judge Short mentioned
that she could not leave the state
without the permission of the pro
baton officer. Mrs. Irving apparent
ly misunderstood what he said to
mean that she could not under any
circumstances leave the state.
She began to weep and said, you
might just as well have sent me
to jail"
Then she said hat people had be-
gun to "pick on me- since the de-
tails Of her fraud had become
known and that she didn't believe
she wanted to remain in Delaware.
Il hope you realize that you
brought all this on yourself" Judge
Short told her. I'm not putting
you on probation through any SYM
pathy for you. have done so only
because Of your children"
The story as UnfOlded from time
to time by those conducting the in
vstigation, including State Detec-
tive Myer Dimes, ST., Bridgeviile,
and Detective Allen Wentz Of the
Bridgeville State Police, showed
not only the surprising cleverness
Of Mrs. Irving but also a series of
condolences that worked in her
favor.
Meyer Ableman, assistant deputy
attorney. general, in outlining the
case to Judge Short, explained that
the actual total obtained by Mrs.
Irving from the welfare department
was greater than that charged in
the information but because Of the
two year limit in such cases, the
full amount could not be entered.
Mr.. Ableman read papers show
ing that Mrs. Irving had received
as high as S15550 for a single
month on the claim that her hus-
band had been deported to Jamai-
ca, while the facts were that he
had been continuously employed at
Newton's in Bridgeville for sums
ranging from $45 to $50 week,
that the family lived rent free on
Newton property and some other
items of living expense were pro-
vided them.
Mr. Ableman explained that Mrs.
Irving's husband, Moses, came to
this country in 1945 under an
agreement with Jamaica to supply
labor. He remained and in 1853,
he received a letter stating his
time had run out and he would have
to go back to Jamaica and re-enter
the United States.
Mrs. Irving took the letter to the
welfare department and asked for
aid. A thorough investigation was
conducted at that time and it was
found that what she had claimed
was true.
! She then became recipient Of re-
lief for her dependent children.
However, at the last minute, ar
rangements were made through
Canada 50 that Irving did not ac-
Asrn11wr horrn 70 I.Nfvr4sr, fr TorV1nsrra
Mrs. Irving, according to the
charges made against her and to
! which she pleaded guilty, continued
to seek relief each month, and gave
various excuses as to why her hus-
: band had been unable to return to
! America. First, it was to wait for
: a quota, then his mother died and
he had to stay in Jamaica, accord
ing to her story, to settle her es-
tate. Both the letters which were
introduced in court and telephone
conversations reported; detailed one
excuse after another as to why his
1 ficticious return to this country had
been delayed.
Since welfare investigators called
at her home only during the day
her husband wasn't there.
She was caught in her own
scheme in two ways at almost the
same time. When she called one
day at the welfare office in
Georgetown, coming on foot after
having been brought to town, sup
posedly, by a friend, a worker,
leaving the building at about the
same time, saw her get behind the
wheel of a 1854 car. The license
number was checked and found to
be in her name Then another
worker, calling at her home, was
told that she had moved to another
place on the Newton property.
Asked when her husband was ex-
pected back from Jamaica, the
worker was told by the neighbOr
l | that the husband hadn't been away
and had been seen daily.
Mr.. Ableman explained that the
money obtained by Mrs. Irving
came from the Federal government,
the state and from Sussex County.
nj In asking for a stiff sentence, he
remarked, 1.-THE program Of aid for
children Of the poor is a good pro-
gram, but in this case it has been
abused"
Present in the court room were
Il I Charles Sigler. Milford county well
fare supervisor and Frederick p
Whitney, local attorney, who is a
member Of the state welfare board.
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