DASTARDLY DADS FROM THE ARCHIVES (New York, New York - 1911)

To me, history is like tortilla chips and salsa. One I get my hands in it, I can't stop. So of course, we must search through the archival dust for another story. This one involves dad JACOB GREENBERG, a Russian immigrant to New York. Six years after immigrating, Greenberg left his wife, and disappeared with their daughter. The abandoned wife was ordered back to Russia.

Like abusive fathers to this day, Greenberg's custodial intentions had everything to do with coercive control and nothing to do with affection, since he beat the girl (in fact he was arrested on the complaint of women neighbors). But we know that this story has a happy ending, since Ida is ultimately reunited with her mother after she returns to New York.

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B01EEDC1E3EE033A2575BC2A9609C946096D6CF

From the New York Times, June 28, 1911

CRUEL FATHER REARRESTED.
Greenberg Loses Daughter and Is Accused of Abandoning his Wife.

Jacob Greenberg of 392 East Eighth Street, who was acquitted in Special Sessions on Monday of cruelty to his little daughter Ida, was rearraigned before the Justices yesterday and pleaded not guilty to a charge of abandonment made against him by Agent Hyland of the Children's Society.

Greenberg was arrested on the complaint of women neighbors. He was held in $1,000 bail for trial by Magistrate House, and the next day his wife, who had not lived with him for three years, appeared at the District Attorney's office and asked to see her child. The child threw herself in her mother's arms and told her how her father and beaten her. But when the case came to trial in Special Sessions the child refused to testify against her father.

Agent Hyland learned that Greenberg had married his wife in Russia nine years ago and had come to this country a month later. Three years ago Greenberg left his wife, taking with him his daughter. He did this by telling his wife to return to Russia taking with her two of their children.

Greenberg's wife never heard from him, and returning to this country she was unable to find him until she read of his cruelty to the little girl in the newspapers.

Ida has been turned over to her mother.