The Work of the New York Legal Aid Society. I
thought this was a free country." A very delightful case, one that showed the better side of life, was that of an Irish woman who was the wife of a drunkard. She was a quiet little woman, with a singularly soft voice and a gentle manner. She was penni less. In reply to a letter, the husband came into the office, drunk. Apparently he had no redeeming feature. He insisted in his maudlin way that has wife had deserted a good home. To get rid of him, it was almost necessary to kick him out of the office. When told about the interview, his wife said in her quiet way, "Yes, it was too bad that he drank, for he was a splendid husband when he was sober, and one of the best machinists in New York. Even now, drinking as he was, his employer allowed him to work at his job whenever he was sober enough." The attorfriey in charge told her that the Society would be glad to get support for her, and that he had no doubt but that they could do it. "But suppose that he doesn't pay when the court" orders him to?" "Oh, he'll pay, all right—or go to jail." "They don't treat them very well when they put them in jail, do they? And he has a weak constitution, particularly since he has been drinking so much." No, she did not think that she wanted him to go to jail. She would do the best she could, take in washing, scrub floors, or do anything rather than have him go to jail. The attorney remonstrated, but she was firm. She refused positively, if quietly. And curiously enough, she was right. She got her hus band's employer to pay her his wages, she got her husband to decrease his drinking, and now she seems actually happy in living with him again. One of the most spectacular pieces of work that the Legal Aid Society has ever done was the crusade conducted against the installment dealers. Their practices caused widespread injustice and distress among the poor. This case will illustrate the nature of the transac
tions carried on. An Italian on the East Side had built up a prosperous shoe business, in a small way. An installment dealer ap proached him with the assurance that he could not maintain his position in the world unless he had a gold watch. The Italian insisted that he did not want the watch, but finally gave in, being persuaded that after he signed the installment contract he could pay at his convenience. The price of the watch was $45; it was worth almost nothing. After $42 had been paid, the installment dealer sued on the contract for $20 more. Upon the day when the case was to be tried, the dealer had the Italian engaged in conversation on the outside of the court room while the case was being called. He was then told that it had been adjourned to a day later than in reality it had been. Of course, he was not present at the trial, and the case went against him. Judgment was entered, and a body execution issued. The Italian was thrown into jail, and forced to pay $26 in addition to the $42 he had already paid on the watch. The Society has had the judgment reopened, and is now endeavoring to have the installment dealer indicted for perjury in swearing that there were $20 due him. Several of the city marshals were in the pay of the installment dealers. When a man who bought property on an installment contract was sick in bed or in great distress because of the death of his wife or a child, a marshal would be sent around by the installment dealer to demand more money, on a threat of carrying the man off to jail. Sometimes, even when the price had already been paid, a mar shal by a judicious use of his badge could get more. The Society became thoroughly interested in breaking up such practices. Charges were brought against several of the marshals, public hearings were held before Mayor Low, and the dismissal of the mar shals was secured. Furthermore, at the in stigation of the Society, the district attorney has had a number of the installment dealers
