Woman's World Column - April 16, 1885

In 1885, Catt (Carrie Lane) resigned from her position as superintendent of schools in Mason City, Iowa, and married Leo Chapman, editor of the Mason City Republican, a weekly newspaper. She became co-editor of the newspaper and started the column “Woman's World,” which she wrote would be “devoted to the discussion of such questions as purport to the welfare, the social, political and intellectual position of women.”

The next woman’s convention will meet in Des Moines. For many years these conventions have been held annually, always with an attendance of the most intelligent women in all the Union. The object of such association is the educational, industrial and political advancement of women. Papers and lectures are read or delivered and free discussion entertained, upon the various phases of these questions and methods are proposed for the further advancement of women.

The ladies of Des Moines are already making preparations to receive the large number of expected visitors. It is suggested that instead of the usual banquet, it would be appropriate for Gov. Sherman to give a reception the new capitol.

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The Women’s Journal gives a number of interesting sketches, taken from a Russian paper, which illustrate the condition of women in that country. Wherever there is ignorance there is woman constantly the object of abuse, and nothing more could be expected of Russia than that her women should be abject slaves. Divorces are almost impossible to obtain there and abuse of wives but feebly punished, the result is therefore plainly evident. The following extracts from these sketches are specimens:

Marva Tushilova, the wife of a peasant in the village of Lipofka, left her husband, whose treatment she could no longer endure, and went to her sisters to live. She had been there about a week and for once began to enjoy existence. One night, when Marva and her relatives had long retired, there was heard a knocking at the door. It proved to be Tushelova, who was begging to be admitted. No sooner was he admitted, than he called out to his wife, “Come down and bow down to my feet, for I have brought you a present.” The unsuspecting woman arose, approached and bowed herself to the ground. It was then that the present became visible. He seized her by the hair, and dragging her over the floor, flogged her with a knout which he had brought with him. As if his own abuse were not enough, he went out and called three other peasants to help him, two of whom lent him assistance, one with a club, the other with his heels. Though the month was January, and the frost intense, the three dragged her through the snow and ice—half dressed as she was—to his house, where the torture began again. When the case came before the court, the loving husband was sentenced to two years in prison. But what would become of the poor wife after his sentence had expired, since it was impossible to secure a release from the husband, it is difficult to tell.

Basil Krukof was soldier. On returning home from service he found unwelcome addition to his family in shape of a son, which his wife Thecla meanwhile had borne him. Wroth at this, he dragged her to the cemetery, threw her in a ditch, and began to belabor her with a wooden cross from a neighboring grave. This cross, a fit tool indeed for blows! After awhile, more weary of giving blows than she of receiving them, said, “No, ‘tis not time to relieve thee of sufferings.” With these words, he took her home. Here the beating began again, and finally he hung her by the hair to the ceiling-beam.

Thecla was half dead. The doctor came and found her exhausted, covered with blue spots, her shoulder-bone broken, but her life, now worthless was still left her. The matter came before the court. All the witnesses, even the defendant’s own father and sisters, agreed in describing Basil as a cruel man,—terrible in anger. Even since her marriage, they testified, she had not known a peaceful day when with him, as the violet spots on her body silently but most eloquently proved. Defend the wretched woman no one dared, as her mighty master threatened murder and fire to her defenders. And when once, while belaboring his wife’s head with a large bottle in the presence of his father and sisters, they begged him to desist and forgive his poor wife, the answer was a threat that if they persisted to take Thecla’s part, he would burn their house and roof over them. And father and sister left the pair to their fate, and went to live by themselves. The wife, a wreck of the former fleshy, strong woman, for life. And the husband? Justice in Russia is great. One illegally-printed paper, distributed by a youth of nineteen brings down upon him twenty years of hardest labor in the mines; but the wife-tormenter gets off with eight years imprisonment.

Chapman, Carrie Lane. 1885. “Woman’s World.” Mason City Republican, April 16.

PDF version, courtesy of Mason City Public Library