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Supreme Court — Part 6
Page 86
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2 Gebardi et al. vs. United States.
should transport the woman from one state to another for pur-
poses of prostitution. In holding the indictment sufficient, the
Court said (p. 144):
“As the defendant is the woman, the Distriet Court sustained
a demurrer on the ground that although the offence could not be
committed without her she was ne party to it bnt only the vietim.
The single question is whether that tuling is right We do not
have te consider what would be Recessary to constitute the sub-
stantive erinie under the act of 1910 [the Mann Aet], or what
evidence would be required fo convict a woman under an indiet-
ment like this, but only te decide whether it is impossible for the
transported woman to be guilty of a crime in conspiring as al-
leped.’’
The Court assumed that there might he # degree of cooperation
which would fall short of the commission of any crime, as in the
case of the purchaser of liquor illegally sold. But it declined to
hold that a woman could not under some cireumstances not pre-
cisely detined, be guilty of a violation of the Mann Act and of a
conspiracy to violate it as well. Light is thrown upon the in-
tended scope of this conclusion by the supposititious case which
the Court put (p. 145):
“Suppose, for imstance, that a professional prostitute, as well
able to look at for herself as was the man, should suggest and
carry out a journey within the act of 1910 in the hope of black-
mailing the man. and should buy the railroad tickets, or should
pay the fare from Jersey City to New York, she would be within
the letter of the act of 1910 and we see no reason why the act
should not be held to apply. We see equally little reason for not
treating the preliminary agreement as a conspiracy that the law
ean reach, if we abandon the illusion that the woman always is
the victim.”
Tn the present ease we must apply the law to tte evidence; the
very inquiry which was said to be unnecessary to decision in
United States v. Holte, supra.
First. F ! aged in United
States v. Holfe, supra, as possible instances in which the woman
might violate the act itself, are clearly not present here. There
is no evidence that she purchased the raitroad tickets or that hera
was the active or moving spirit in conceiving or carrying out the
transportation. The proaf shows no more than that she went
willingly upon the journeys for the burpeses alleged.
Gebardi et al. vs. Untled States. a
Section 2 of the Mann Act! (18 U. 8. C. § 398), Violation of
whieh is charved by the indictment bere as the object o e
. penalty upon "Any person who shall know-
spiracy, umposes the pall |
naely th ase to be transported, or aid or assist in ob-
intly ASport ar ¢ ; Lor
cane oe eramepuetetion for, or in transporting in es oe
foreien commerce any woman or girl for “ aes
of prostitution or debauchery or for any other hiore I re
1? ‘Pransportation of a woman or girl whether wi , or ith
ont her consent, ar causing or aiding HW, oF furthering it " any et
the speciied ways. are the acts punished, when done wn te
pose which is immoral within the meaning of the law. See
vy. United States, 227 UL 8. 308, 320. ae herself:
The Act dees not punish the woman for transporting HPT Se ie
it contenplates bro persous—one to transport and the woman or
girl to be transported. For the womin to fall wi hin the a a
the statute she must, at the least, ‘aid or assist someone ¢
transporting or in procuring transportation for herse uated
such aid and assistance must, as in the ease supposed in U .
States vo Wolfe, supra, 145, be more active than mere anreenent
on her part to the transportation and its immoral purpose. a
the statute is drawn to include thase eases i whith the woman ¢or
i » transported,
Any person who shall knowingly transport or cause to be po '
ini i j ting, in inter-
ai masint i ‘Aining dransportation fer, or in transpo é
or nick or nssiat in obtaining po eee piste of Columbia,
tate or foreign commerce, OT it any Tet :
any woman or pitl for the purpose of prostitutien oF ‘eboney ane
other immoral purpase, or with the intest and purpage to in ney wp e
compel such woman of girl te become a prostitute er te an et keow.
dchauchery, et to engage in any otter immora? prag tice; or wi ae naist
ingly procure ar ebtain, or cause to be procured of Plane oe iteesparta:
ju procuring: or obtaining, any oe a ie tee any Sean or git! in
i it evidence of the right thereta, te as " aD
interstate or foreign commerce, of in any Territory or the aie cohory
lumbia, in going to any plice for the purpose of Promitation or mare ae
or for any other immoral Porpose, or with ve ore berelt wp to the
ch persan tb
orartien of prostitution, or toe give herself up to irene uaennanenre
immoral practice, whereby any auch woman OF Birt sha! the Dy snap rte
interstate or foreign commerce, oF in any Territory or 7 oe anal
lumbia, shall be deerued guilty of a felony, and upon convie 0 ae nore
punished by a fine not crceeding $5,000, or by imprisonmen| 0 pam
years, of by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discre
ee. opothes GF
duce, ontiqe, oF
be y
thea five
of the euurt,’”
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