The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1868-08-06
A Wife Whipper Mobbed by Women.


Last evening one Mr.. Downer preferred
a charge Of assault, with intent to kill
against number of his neighbors.-
Downcr was a sorry looking object = hi.
looks giving the truth to the assertion
that he had suffered some hard usage
His clothes were torn, and thoroughly
soaked with water; his face was scratch
ed, and he held in his hand bundles o.
his hair and whiskcrs, which he said haC
been pulled out.
lie was sitting in his house, down OF
the beach, quietly, doing nothing at al
to break. the peace, when, who should
come in, but all the women that lived
about there, and, before he said a word
they assailcd him with clubs, sticks, guns
and brickbats, and beat him to Jelly
He knew all the women, and he wanted
them arrested and punished
\ well known citizen came in, and told
the story in manner which did not add
much to the credit of Downcr.
The gentleman had been on the beach
for an evening promenade, when his at.
tention was attracted by loud cries which
came from knot of shantics some dis.
tance away. Upon going to them he
found that Downer was indulging in his
usual amusement, whipping his wife, and
the woman, suffering from the blows, was
uttcriug most heart-rending cries. The
gentleman, well aware of the danger OF
interfering between husband and wife,
when quarrcling, nevertheless was about
to interfere, when his attention was called
to the actions Of woman, who looked as
though she had the strength Of q young
Samson in her limbs. She ran from
sbanty to shanty calling out the women,
who suddenly responded, and it did not
seem TO be more than ten seconds before
a dozen were sscmblcd, each armed with
a mop, broom, a fire shovel, or pair of
tones
The band marched directly to the house
from whence came the cries, and, without
the ceremony of knocking, entered.-
There was sound of voices, as if some
body were ordering somebody else out of
the house in very coarse language, sadly
mixed up with oaths. Then there was a
general onslaught upon the wife-whipper.
Mops that had been soaked in dirty wa
ter swabbcd his face; blows from brooms
came thick and fast upon his head. The
astonished wife-whipper dropped the sub
jcct of his blows and looked to his own
safety. lie struck at one Of the women
with his fist, and thus brought up the rear
guard of fire shovels and tongs. On his
head came the blows thick and fast.
He grapplcd with one of the women.
The rest Immediately dropped their weap-
ons and grapplcd with him. Strong they
were, their union perfect, and their cause
just They fairly scratched Downer up
on the floor, and scratched him up again.
They left the inprints Of their nails upon
his face, and hands, and neck. They
pulled out his hair. Resist he tried to,
but he was child in the hands of the
strong earned women, and he soon found
it out. Cowed, beaten, demolished, he
beloved like mad bull, and begged
that they would not kill him.
A pailey followed "a truce they call
it in war times. The PROSTATE, thor
oughly cowcd individual was told that
his abuse of his wife "a poor, sickly
woman = had grown to be a nuisance
which could no longer be sub mitted to.
They had complained of him, but his
wife refused to appear against him, and
he had gone unpunished. If he would
promise never to strike his wife again
they would let him go; if not, they would
punish him until there was not breath
of life left in his body.
Downcr was ready for any thing; he
was already the worst whipped mau to be
found. lie promised promised faith
fully as a man could promise = but they
brought cross, and made him swear
He rcbellcd at this; but the upraiscd
mops, and brooms, and shovels, and the
clauking pair of tongs, brought him to
his senses, aud never did man take an
oath more earnestly.
er