DASTARDLY DADS FROM THE ARCHIVES (New York, New York - 1881)

In 1881, the press didn't automatically glamorize a single dad. Especially when he was obviously a drunken brute like PATRICK SHERIDAN.

From the archives of the New York Times, March 24, 1881.

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9F04E1DE133FEE3ABC4C51DFB566838A699FDE

A HEARTLESS FATHER.

Some three months since the wife of Patrick Sheridan, who keeps a small tinware shop at No. 403 East Seventeenth-street, died, leaving five children, whose ages ranged from 3 to 13 years. Since her death the care of the household has devolved upon Mary, the oldest child. Her father has been almost constantly under the influence of liquor, and frequently beat and abused his children. On Sunday night he came home, and in a drunken frenzy began to break the furniture, and threatened to kill the little ones. Mary fled to the house of her uncle with the two youngest children, the remaining two crawling under the bed, from which place they were dragged by their father, who was about to beat them when they made their escape and went to the aunt's house, at No. 192 First-avenue. This woman called an officer and Sheridan was locked up. He was arraigned before Justice Kilbreth, at the Yorkville Police Court, yesterday, and held in $300 to be of good behavior for one month.