Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-07-13
A BRUTAL HUSBAND.
A wife Killed by Cruelty and
Neglect.
Crocodile Tears.

One OF the most appalling snd out
rsgeous cases of brutality, cruelty, and
criminal neglect that has ever come
under our notice, was related to us yester-
day, and that from source that leaves
no room for q doubt of the perfect accu-
racy Of the statementin every particular.
We have withheld names on aceeHnt of
the high standing of the relatives of the
parties, but the following are the out
lines of the story as it was related to US /:
At the close of the war, the nephew of
prominent merehantof this city returned
from the army with very dissipsted
habits, and acted In such manner as to
be thrown eff" to a certain extent by
his relatives. In the spring Of 1856, be
fell in love with and married a very
nice and pretty girl, who was only four
teen years old-he being some twenty
four or five. In hopes that he had re-
formed, his relatives established him in
a small dairy farm, some two or three
miles south Of Memphis, where for a
time he and his little wife seemed to en-
Joy the utmost happiness. AS is usual,
however, In such cases, the infatuation
which led them to rush into matrimony
so hastily, soon were OF, and they began
to live very unhappily together. He
coon again took to hard drinking, which
he had In measure left of, and when
in his drunken fits was In the habit Of
abusing, and even striking her. The
poor girl, so rudsly awakened TO the
stern realities Of the life of misery which
she had entailed upon herself, endured
all Of his brutslities almost without g
murmur, AMI, though urged to leave HIM
by his and her relatives, refused to do SO.
ThiBgs went on in this manner until
The 4th inst, when be came to the city
and, as usual, got drunk. Returning
home late in the afternoon be was
thrown from his wagon snd his face and
head seriously cut and bruised. His
wife WIS waiting for his return, and
when she saw him Keeling towards the
house, with his head and face all covered
with blood, she imagined that some
thing terrible had happened to him,
whom she still loved, though so eruelly
deceived and msltrested by hiR, and
she tainted away. When the drunken
brute entered the house anu saw the
servant chatting her lifsless hands and
trying to restore her to consciousness, be
asked what was the matter, and on be-
ing told, said he would " id soon bring
her tor and gave her several kicks,
leaving her there to revive as best she
might.
The shock and brutal treatment car
ried the poor young thing to her sick
bed, which she only left as q corpse, four
days afterward. During her illness he
would not allow physician to be called,
and when she begged him for one, re-
piled by saying she did not need any
thing but castor oil, and he could give
her that himself. OF course the poor
sufferer could not take the nauseOus
dose, and her refusal only made the bru-
tai fend more savage. he would leave
her for nearly the whole day completely
alone, with no attendance whatever, and
when she died, was asleep in the room,
and could with difficulty be awakened.
As soon as she was dead he sent for 8
physician, and seemed to be perfectly
heart broken. The physician, know
ing nothing OF the circumstances,
Of course, gave him credit for being q
devoted husband. Not 50, however, the
whom be now annoys with
bis means, and grosns, and crocodile
ears, one of whom detailed this story
to Us.
Taking 1t all in all, it is piece of IN
Daralleled brutality, and the wretch de-
serves the scorn and indignation Of every
decent man, woman and child in the