Translating Budapest Prisoner Books

Andrew Spitzer · April 15, 2022

I found 6 records in the Budapest digitzed archives for my Great-Great-Great-Grandmother Borbala Satek - the spelling of Satek changes between records but she was married to Karoly Varosi and all 6 documents correctly identify her as Varosi Karolyne.

These 6 documents are all from the archive's documents from the criminal justice system -"Budapest Főváros Levéltára. A jogszolgáltatás területi szervei. Budapesti Királyi Büntetőtörvényszéki Fogház iratai. Fogolytörzskönyvek" against which my ancestor seems to have transgressed. The documents are:

You can see the digitized prison record by clicking on the image in the top right corner on each page.

I tried my best to transcribe and paste into google translate the first record (which was the first one I found) but found I was not up to the task before I even found the other documents. I will paste my attempt at the bottom of this post.

I would love a translation of (any of) the above documents, or maybe someone could answer the following questions.

What were the details of Borbala's crimes? They are translated by google as defamation, property damage, and breach of public order. Are there any details what she actually did and to whom?
Do these documents correspond to 6 distinct events or do multiple documents relate to the same event(s) as Borbala moved through the criminal justice system
What was here punishment? Did she serve a prison sentence, and if so where and from what dates?
Are there references to other documents related to Borbala's crimes? For example, if these are just documents related to Borbala's incarceration will there be documents from her actual criminal court case or arrest and would it be possible for me to find them?

Thanks in advance for your help,

Andrew

My transcription attempt

1. Vezeték és keresztneve: Városi Károlyné




2. Netaláni álneve: szül. Satek Borbála




3.

Személyleírás: 

    Nagysága: 154

    Testalkata: 

    Arczsine:

    Haja:

    Homloka:

    Szemöldöke:

    Szeme:

    Orra:

    Szája:

    Fogal:

    Bajasza:

    Álla:

    Kulönös ismertetö jelei: n/a




Személyi viszonyai:

    Szülohelye: Ledisz Nyitra

    Utolsó lakhelye: III Lajos u 60

    Törvény es: telen:

    Életkora: 53 éves

    Anyanyekve: Magyar

    Nyelvismeretei: ?????

    Értelmisége: n/a

    Hitvallása: rk

    Családi állapota: férjezett

    Szülöi: nem élnek:

    Hivatása: mosónő

    Bir-e vagyonnal: ???




4. Volt-e elöbb kihágás miatt fenyitve?




5. Mily büntényekét vagy vétségekért büntettetett elöbb? ugyanazon büneselekményekért hanyszor? (visszaesö) most általában hányadszor büntettetik?




6. Azon büneselekmény, melynek vadja miatt letartoztattatott, vagy a mely miatt vád alá heiyeztetett? rágalmazás




7. Hol tartóztattatott le, mikor (év, hó, nap, óra) és ki által? ???? 1898 november 7.




8 A fogházba való felvétel (év, hó, nap, óra): 1898 november 7 ??? 11 o'.

Google translation of the above

1. Wire and first name: Károlyné Városi




2. Netalani's pseudonym: born. Satek Borbála




3.

Personal description:

     Size: 154

     Testalkata:

     Arczsine:

     Haja:

     Forehead:

     Eyebrows:

     His eye:

     Nose:

     Mouth:

     Fogal:

     Bajasza:

     Status:

     Special features: n / a




Personal relationships:

     Place of birth: Ledis Nitra

     Last place of residence: III Lajos u 60

     Law and regulations:

     Age: 53 years

     Mother tongue: Hungarian

     Language skills: ?????

     Meaning: n / a

     Creed: rk

     Marital status: married

     Parents: not living:

     Profession: washerwoman

     Do you have property: ???




4. Have you been convicted of a violation before?




5. What crimes or misdemeanors did you punish first? for how many times for the same offenses? (recidivism) now how many times are you usually punished?




6. The crime for which he was arrested for the game or for which he was charged? defamation




7. Where was he arrested, when (year, month, day, hour) and by whom? ???? November 7, 1898




8 Admission to prison (year, month, day, hour): November 7, 1898 ??? 11 o '.

Julia Szent-Györgyi · April 17, 2022

They all appear to be separate crimes, judging by the dates and sentencing decree numbers.

-----

Criminal record number 386.

1. Surname and given name, 2. alias if any: Mrs. Károly Városi born Borbála Sáfig

3. Personal description: height 157, build stocky, face longish, complexion healthy, hair brown, forehead normal, eyebrows brownish sparse, eyes yellow, nose normal, mouth normal, teeth gappy, mustache --, chin pointed, distinguishing marks --.

4. Birthplace: Nyitra county, Ladicz

5. Last residence: Budapest, Akademia street 21

6. Of legitimate or illegitimate birth? Legitimate

7. Age: 42 years

8. Mother tongue: Slovak

9. Languages known: Hungarian, German

10. Can read, write, count, or only which one? No

11. Higher education? No

12. Religion: RC

13. Marital status: married, 8 children

14. Parents living? No

15. Calling (craft, occupation): around her husband

16. Property? No

17. Sentenced for prior crimes? (blank)

18. Nature of priors? none

19. Crime for which arrested or accused: (see 20 - written across both fields)

20. Current sentence based on what crime: disturbing the peace (ish. More literally "infraction against the public quiet".)

21. Extract of the last sentencing. 18 June 1884. District court sentence number 9893, counting from the current day and 12 noon, sentenced to 6 hours incarceration in lieu of 1 forint main and 1 forint secondary fine.

22. Start of arrest and duration: 18 June 1884 12:00 noon

23. Start and end date of declared sentence: {18 June} 1884 {12 noon begin, 6 p.m. end

29. Clothing and other items in possession: (dunno what Sz. stands for here) journal number 629

Criminal record number 1701.

Mrs. Károly Városi born Borbála Sadek

Height 156 cm, build strong, fat, face round, full, complexion brown, hair brown, forehead medium, eyebrows brown, eyes gray, nose thick, mouth normal, teeth gappy, mustache -, chin round, identifying marks -

Birthplace Lédicz, Nyitra c., last residence BP. Csemete street 3, legitimate, age 41 years, mother tongue Slovak, languages known Hungarian, education -, religion RC, marital status married, 8 children, parents not living, calling washerwoman, property (blank)

Priors -

Current crime: slander/libel/defamation (see below)

Where and when arrested: Bpest 23 June 1897

Date and time of jailing: 23 June 1897 10:30 a.m.

Extract of sentencing: dated 9 June 1897, court decree number 42197 for the crime of libel/slander/defamation, in lieu of 10 forint fine, one (1) day inprisonment

Loss of freedom in place of uncollectable fine: June 1897, begin 23rd, free morning of the 24th

Objects taken from arrestee and placed on deposit: bottle of medicine

Behavior during arrest: good

Provisions provided by: state

Discharge: freed on 24th June 1897

Provided with: clothing: own

Where and how intends to support himself/herself: reverse page

Criminal record number 242.

Mrs. Károly Városi born Borbála Schadek

Height 136 cm, build short, face round, full, complexion healthy, hair brown, forehead medium, eyebrows light, eyes brown, nose normal, mouth normal, teeth gappy, mustache -, chin round, identifying marks -

Birthplace Légyitz, Nyitra, last residence III. Csemete street 3, legitimate, age 53 years, mother tongue Slovak, languages known Hungarian, German, education -, religion RC, marital status married 8 ch., parents not living, calling washerwoman, property per decree unpropertied

Crime: defamation/slander/libel

Arrest: Bpest 12 February 1898

Jail: 12 February 1898 12:15 p.m.

Extract of sentencing: dated 12 February 1898, district court decree number 1639 for the crime of defamation/slander/libel from today in lieu of 10 forint fine 2 two days inprisonment.

Start and end of declared sentence: February 1898 starting 12th, ending 13th, freed on the morning of the 14th.

Behavior: good

Provisions: state

Discharge: freed 14 Feb 1898

Provided with: clothing: own

Criminal record number 812.

Mrs. Károly Városi born Borbála Schadek

Height 158 cm, build medium, face round, full, complexion brown, hair brown, forehead short, eyebrows brown, eyes brown, nose normal, mouth normal, teeth gappy, mustache -, chin round, identifying marks -

Birthplace Negyicz (Nyitra c.), last residence Bp. Csemete street number 3, legitimate, age 55 years, mother tongue Hungarian, languages known German, Slovak, education -, religion R. Cath., marital status married, m. of 8 ch., parents not living, calling washerwoman, property per decree, expenses irrecoverable

Arrest: in Bpest, 14 March 1898 9:30 a.m.

Jail: 14 March 1898 10 a.m.

Health at arrest: good; prone to mental illness, suffers from epilepsy or inherited ailment: no

Extract of sentencing: dated 10 March 1898, court decree number 19106, for the crime of destruction of property ("damage to foreigner/stranger's moveable property"), in lieu of 10 forint fine, (3) three days inprisonment.

Start and end of declared sentence: March 1898 {begins 14th, ends 16th, free morning of 17th

Objects taken and put on deposit: 1 handbasket

Behavior: good

Provisions: state

Discharge: freed morning of 17 March 1898

Provided with: clothing: own

Intends to support self: see reverse

Criminal record number 1515.

Mrs. Károly Városi born Borbála Satek

Height 154 cm, build medium, face round, complexion healthy, hair brown, forehead medium, eyebrows brown, eyes brown, nose normal, mouth normal, teeth has 1 tooth, mustache -, chin round, identifying marks -

Birthplace Ledic Nyitra c., last residence III. Lajos street 60, legitimate, age 53 years, mother tongue Hungarian, languages known Slovak, German, education -, religion RC, marital status married 8 ch., parents not living, calling washerwoman, property unpropertied

Crime: libel/slander/defamation

Arrest: Bpest 7 November 1898

Jail: 7 November 1898 11 a.m.

Health: good, mental illness, epilepsy, inherited ailment: no

Extract of sentencing: dated 7 November 1898. Per B(udapest?) city(?) district court decree number VI 9. for the crime of libel/slander/defamation, from today's date (10) ten days incarceration, of which 2 days are in place of 10 forint fine.

Start and end of declared sentence: November 1898 {begins 7th, ends 15th

Period of sentence in place of unrecoverable fine: November 1898 {begins 16th, freed morning of 17th

Behavior: good

Provisions: state

Discharge: freed 17 November 1898

Provided with: clothing: own

Intentions: vers.

Criminal record number 1133.

Mrs. Károly Városi born Borbála Sáti

Height 155 cm, build short, face round, complexion healthy, hair brown, forehead medium, eyebrows brown, eyes l. brown, nose snub, mouth normal, teeth has 1, mustache -, chin round, identifying marks -

Birthplace Nyitra c., last residence Hajós street 60, legitimate, age 55 years, mother tongue Hungarian, languages known Slovak, German, education RC, religion RC, marital status married* 8 ch., parents not living, calling washerwoman, property (blank)

Crime: disturbing the peace ("infraction against the public order")

Arrest: Bpest 3 August 1899

Jail: 3 August 1899 12 o'clock (presumably noon)

Health: good, mental illness, epilepsy, inherited ailment: no

Extract of sentencing: dated 3 August 1899. B(udapest?) VI. district court decree number 263-98, for the crime of disturbing the peace, from today in place of 3 forints main and 2 forints secondary fine, (1) one day and 12 hours inprisonment.

Period of sentence in place of unrecoverable fine: August 1899 {begins 3rd, freed 4th 8 p.m.

Behavior: good

Provisions: state

Discharge: freed 4 August 1899 8 p.m.

Provided with: clothing: own

Intentions: vers.

*[They used the wrong "married" word: nős is literally "with woman, woman-y". The feminine equivalent is férjezett "husbanded, husband-y".]

-----

There seem to be three words in English (slander, libel, defamation) and two in Hungarian (rágalmazás, becsületsértés) covering various nuances of the same thing. I think I'd need a law degree to figure out which words in which language mean exactly which nuance, so I've basically just listed all three.

Andrew Spitzer · May 4, 2022

@Julia Szent-Györgyi Wow! That's a lot of information/translation you've given me. Thanks for all your help

Austro-Hungarian Empire Research

Translating Budapest Prisoner Books

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