i J ie o 0 rr Tr r ry I J n fj W 4 5 i t 1 s i r w ri SO SOONER ONE It than Pay Wife Alimony f ty 7 Amazing Ca Vase Case e o of 01 the Red Headed World War Veteran Alimony Sam y Who Has Spent Three 1 a y Years Behind ln i California Prison Bars W 1 7 for a Principle II v 1 4 and arid Will Return T J t R for Life if sl fit I 1 1 4 I Courts So Y r Decree T YIN Y Y f 4 4 i 4 is 9 J F t ni NC Y r T s 4 t r A k i Sky 4 e I J rr J If i i. f 4 4 Sam Sari Reid veteran of the Infantry In In- In J l. l j I ran fantry fintry ry who languished in in jail for Cor t tr i s v Yf C. C C more than three years ears rather than thans s t l pay alimony which he believed to be s grossly unjust By Maurice A. A Raiser it A SAM REID World War WarI t I- I hero spent more than three years In la jail jaU rather than pay alimony The red-headed red veteran who went through the blazing hell of ot the Argonne and St St. has just been released from rain his cell at Willows Calif through the aid of his former buddies Reids Reid's former comrades with whom he spent eight months on the battlefront chipped In and paid his back alimony and Reid walked from the jail a free man But not before he had put up heated arguments to his ills buddies against surrendering surrendering surrendering sur sur- rendering to a principle Im fighting lighting for a principle Reid de de- I 1 sp spent nt eight months In France with with the Infantry fighting for far a principle and now I am fighting g for another another another an an- other one one Reid believes the alimony system Is wrong and he thought his self imposed prison sentence might do something to change It The story of Samuel Reids Reid's unique case began shortly after atter he returned from frem overseas Reid had been a prosperous roS' roS erous young farmer before the United States entered the conflict for tor democracy and he at once answered tr t-e t e call to arms After Arter eight month mont the thickest thickest thickest thick thick- est of the fighting rr I n German bullet carried carried carried car car- ried his name and Add Id came back safely to San Francisco There he met hoebe f-hoebe Stuben and his romance began It ended on the rocks of the divorce court Reid and his sweetheart after atter a ro romantic romantic ro- ro mantic mantle courtship were married at one of ot ofSan ofSan San Francisco's most prominent hostel- hostel ries His bride had been married previously This had a bearing later on the case of or Alimony Sam Reid who was to become known throughout the country for his determined stand against alimony f THE Reids' Reids marriage lasted Q only oaly Y a short ort 4 time tt the birth t t e melr daughter Zada May and then Mrs Reid sought the recourse of ot the divorce court A charge of ot cruelty and nagging was preferred against Reid who countered with the accusation that his wife was ad addicted ad- ad dieted to drugs Mrs Reid was granted a divorce and with it the small alimony of ot 22 23 2 a month for the support of her child Reid refused to pay It stating that ne lie thought his former fonner wife unqualified to bring up the child chUd In the proper home surroundings As usual In such cases Judge C C. C F F. ordered Reid brought Into court and gave the former soldier a warm lect lecture lecture lec lec- t ture re and admonished him to pay the alimony alimony ali aU mony a at t once Reid again refused to pay the alimony 1 am willing to be the first martyr to toa toa a a. great cause he declared Then you must stay in jail until you your r agree agree to abide by the order of ot the Court to pay the alimony ruled the Judge perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps thinking to himself that a few days of confinement and prison fare would break Reids Reid's spirit and cause him to pay the alimony But the Judge didn't know Sam Reid All right Ill I'll go to jail and stay there the rest of at my life Ufe declared Reid I 1 have the money and I will wiIl gladly pay for the support of my daughter But 1 will not pay alimony till hell freezes over So Reid was led to jail and his case was destined to attract wide attention through the efforts of ot his former buddies to free him and through his appeals to two Governors of California against the alimony law Reid was committed to Jail on July 27 1925 Days turned into weeks and weeks ran into months until a year and two months had passed Reids Reid's determination remained unshaken As a protest against his sentence Reid let his beard and hair grow until he looked like Uke a son of ot Rip Van Winkle The alimony martyr refused to see any anyone one and this led to the report that he had become insane Meanwhile his former buddies paraphrased paraphrased paraphrased para para- phrased a wartime slogan to Out of the alimony cell before Christmas and tried their best to liberate Reid but without success for Reid continued his refusal to pay one cent of ot alimony Then an insanity complaint was filed against the bewhiskered Reid by John Thomas foreman of the Glenn County Grand Jury Reid laughed He thought the complaint complaint com cam plaint a huge Joke Let them go to it it he ho said chuckling Why they can never prove me Insane I am personally acquainted with most ot of the members of ot the Grand Orand Jury and Im I'm Impure sure pure Ive I've got more sense than they have L Then en en Reid was found sane A commission commission commission commis commis- sion of ot four lour re reputable physicians named at the r J invest r of at the county taxpayers ey erv Mined lined the alimony martyr and reported re reported re- re ported him to be thoroughly normal WHEN HEN he was returned to his cell ceIl Rein Reia Issued the following statement I 1 am perfectly sane I will stay in Jail the rest of my life before I will wUI pay this money I will gladly contribute to the support or ot my daughter as soon as she Is placed in the proper home surroundings surround surround- ings not ings-not not before Reid suffered The other prisoners shunned the long-haired long and bewhiskered man who had elected to stay In Jail jall rather than pay 5 a week to his divorced wife But the war veteran ignored his Jail Jail- mates and spent his time with with his radio making toys for children of ot the neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighbor neighbor- hood and in to studying law particularly the civil codes that relate to alimony H A 4 o w S r rt t qa i M His monotony also was relieved by a deluge of man mall from persons who had read of ot his unusual case Strange as it may seem many women wrote him letters praising his stand Excerpts from a letter letter letter let let- ter received by Reid from Eva M. M Bryan of ot Los Angeles read You are a man among men Dont Don't weaken You certainly have backbone S So many are cowards The girls of today are usually looking for a meal ticket and when the one they choose gets old they get another but not before they try to get so they can keep the second meal ticket Remember there are not many good girls like Uke our old-fashioned old mothers ot of yesterday esterday left I hope you ou come out with flying colors Dont Don't weaken at the last You have gone this far and the battle is almost won OFFICIALS and organizations also took an Interest in Reids Reid's case Adolph J. J Mende deputy registrar ot of vital statistics at San Diego wrote rote to Reid I wish to express to you my high regard and appreciation of ot a man who is willing willingto to suffer as you have for tor helping to abolish abolish abol abol- ish some ot of the great wrongs of ot the alimony alimony ali aU- ali ali- mony system as It Is being practiced in California and which is making many men reluctant about getting married I 1 do not believe that the woman wor- wor it ik A AJi Ji h. h it r rp p a 1 r-ii r e t I After the war Sam Sant Reid returned to California and ing a abri r bri brief f courtship married Soon after alter the Lh th of their daughter Zada May 1 at left left Mrs Reid secured a and was awarded custody of Zada and alimony Then he appealed to Governor Friend W. W Richardson of California Califor nia In 1926 to Intervene in his case The Governor Governor Governor Gover Gover- nor turned a deaf ear to Reids Reid's appeal In August 1927 1927 Reid re reopened reopened reopened re- re opened hIs Ills crusade for freedom without concession concession concession conces conces- sion in an appeal to Governor C. C C. C Young who had r-ad succeeded Richardson and demanded demanded demanded de de- de- de a full fulI pardon It Is time California makes an investigation of my case before my board bill mounts to the size of ot the war debt Reid argued But Governor Young also ignored the plea a A Ai i ts u o 0 r rV V 1 W j i T LT 3 A In a spirit of protest Sam Reid let his beard grow row while he was i. i r N in prison This and his general aloofness were responsible for lor s authorities having him brought before a sanity commission which reported him perfectly normal ship that we have in this country especially especially especially espe espe- else in inthe inthe inthe in California exists anywhere the world to the degree that it does here I believe that If a commission were ap appointed appointed appointed ap- ap pointed to study these matters in foreign countries with a view of ot proposing absolutely absolutely absolutely Just laws to both men and women much good might result from it it And a letter signed Alimony Payers Protective League e of ot New York brought this tills query Should Reid be Imprisoned fora longer term than the average served by murderers murder murder- ers the tho country over Punishment for contempt of ot court cannot consistently be bemore bemore bemore more severe than Is the punishment for murder The League coupled its query with a adamand ada- ada de demand demand de- de mand that the Legislature make a a. rigid investigation of the Reid case To all this outcry the former Mrs Reid who now was remarried to her first husband husband hus bus band Walter Stuben calmly replied So Reid is holding out for a principle Well so am I. I That's all there is to it I I may be as stubborn as he Is but I 1 feel that it is his moral obligation to pay a certain non nominal nal sum to his cl child ld so solan lon lonas long longas as he Is able to That is my belief bellet and Ill I'll stand by it it Meanwhile the alimony martyr be believing believing De- De lieving that perhaps his shaggy hair and beard might lead many persons and officials om- om to think him Insane cut off oS his hirsute adornments I Reid Is defying constituted authority and he must remain In jail decreed Judge who ho had sentenced the alimony martyr I have bave the money and can pay but butI I 1 will not do so countered Reid My case alone is not at stake The whole alimony system is wrong and I propose e eto to do what I can to right it it AT Tins THIS time plans were being made for the tenth annual reunion of Reids Reid's former overseas outfit the 36 d Infantry Joseph M Cahen of San Francisco president president president pres pres- ident of the Infantry Association thought it would be a good idea to have the popular popular popular pop pop- ular Sam Reid present at the parade and the banquet that was to follow So Cahen went about with plans for tor obtaining Reids Reid's release from jail so the former soldier could come to San Fran Fran- cisco But Judge refused the pleat pleas that Reid be bo granted temporary freedom to attend the Infantry reunion He re remained remained remained re- re adamant and no plea could move him A final telegram was dispatched to the jurist the day before the reunion Meanwhile Reids Reid's former buddies had appealed personally to Sheriff Shena Roy Heard In whose custody Reid had been for more mare than three years ears Heard liked Reid and apparently sympathized with the former fonner soldier So Sheriff Heard took the responsibility y t f upon his own shoulders and decided to take Reid to the reunion Of ot course Sher Slier Sheriff Sheriff iff Heard trusted Reid and knew that th the prisoner would not try to escape At the the height of the reunion merriment merriment merriment mer mer- there came a climax that sent the former soldiers into gales of ot laughter The climax came in hi the form of ot a telegram from Judge who had sentenced Reid to jail jaU for contempt of ot court because Reid had refused to pay alimony The telegram which was In to answer to the one sent by Reids Reid's buddies appealing to Judge to permit the alimony martyr to attend the Infantry reunion read Under no circumstances can Reid be permitted to attend the reunion The telegram was read at the banquet where Reid sat as the guest of ot honor It was Reids Reid's attendance at the reunion that set the machinery Into action that eventually was to liberate the tho alimony martyr When Judge learned of ot Sheriff Sheriff Sheriff Sher Sher- iff Heards Heard's action In taking Reid to the reunion the Judge caused Heard to be charged with contempt of at court That placed the Sheriff in the same boat as sa Reid Then the former members of ot the infantry in infantry infantry in- in fantry regiment went into action for both Reid Recd and Heard On October 10 1928 Just three years yean and sixty-nine sixty days from the da day daj Reid Held had gone to prison a a. dramatic scene was staged in the courtroom at the little town of ot Willows Shops shop were closed and men and women drove in from frum thirty miles around to see Sam Reid For Reid had been persuaded to permit his buddies to pay his back alimony so he could go free But be he had bad hadnot hadnot not given in until after an night all-night ar ar- ar When Reid was brought Into court there were cheers and for the theman theman theman man who had fought for a principle GAHEN CAHEN Informed the Judge that the J would pay Reids Reid's back alimony The Judge nodded and Informed Cahen that a fine would be slapped on an Sheriff Heard for contempt of ot court because the officer had taken Reid against Court or orders orders orders or- or ders to the infantry reunion in San Francisco Fran Fran- cisco All right responded Cahen Caben The will be proud to raise the money and pay Sheriff Heards Heard's fine also There Isn't a man In the outfit who wont won't go gothe gothe gothe the limit to vindicate Heard and to have had Reid one of ot the most beloved buddies of ot our outfit missing from the reunion reunion- would have taken all the pep from it it Every one In the courtroom beamed and there was considerable applause as Reid walked from the building a free man He was met with a deluge of stage of offers offers offers of- of fers by promoters who saw a a. harvest of ot dollars through the attention Reids Reid's case had attracted But he emphatically turned down all the offers Its great to be out again he remarked re remarked remarked re- re marked as he left for San Francisco to take up the interrupted course of his life Ufe and to b begin gln a court fight for tor the custody of his daughter Zada May now 5 B years yeara old And Glenn County breathed easier for tor forIt forit It had cost the taxpayers considerable money to pay the board of a healthy ma max man for more than three years But nut the case is not settled definitely yet Reid hopes to obtain custody or partial custody of his child who now Is in ip the care of his former wife vile Falling Failing in t the this he will wUl ask the Court to excuse him from further alimony payments for the chUd childs support In In accordance with the tho principle principle principle prin ciple for which he went to Jail jall for tor more than three years There Is this possibility The Court may refuse to modify the decree ordering Reid to pay alimony Mrs Stuben Reids Reid's former former for tor- mer wife may Insist upon his paying the alimony Reid may again refuse to comply comply comply com com- ply with the Court order with the result that Reid may be returned to his cell And if It Reid