The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-07-31
A Wife-Whfpper MObbed by Wemen
From the Milwaukee Wisconsin July 90

Last evening one Mr. Downer preferred
q charge of assault with intent to kill
against number Of his neighbors. Downer
was sorry-looking object--his looks giving
the truth to the assertion that he had suffer
ed some hard usage. His clothes were torn
and thoroughly soaked with water, his face
was scratched, and he held in his hands bun
dies of his hair and whiskers, which he said
had been pulled out.
He was sitting in his house down on the
beach quietly, doing nothing at all to break
the peace, when who should come in but all
the women that lived about there, and be-
fore he said word they assailed him with
clubs, sticks, guns, and brickbats, and beat
him to jelly. He knew all the women,
and he wanted them arrested and punished.
A well-known citizen came in and told
the story in manner which did not add
much to the credit of DoWner.
The gentleman had been on the beach for
an evening promenade, when his attention
was attracted by loud cries, which came
from knot of shanties some distance away.
Upon going to them he found that Downer
was indulging in his usual amusement,
whipping his wife, and the woman, suffer-
ing from the blows, was uttering most
heart-rending cries. The gentleman, well
aware Of the danger of interfering between
husband and wife when quarrellipg, never
theless was about to interfere, when his at
tention was attracted to the actions of 8
woman who looked as though she had the
strength of q young Samson in her limbs.
She ran from shanty to shanty caliing out
the women, who promptly responded, and
it did not seem to be more than ten seconds
before dozen were assembled, each armed
with mop, a broom, fre-shovel, or a pair
Of tongs. The band marched directly to the
house from whence came the cries, and
without the ceremony of knocking, enter
ed. The gentleman followed, deeply inte-
rested. There was o sound of voices,
as if somebody were ordering somebody
else out of his house in very coarse language
sadly mixed up with oaths. Then there
was general onslaught upon the wife :
whipper. Mops that had been soaked in
dirty water swabbed his face blows from
brooms came thick and fast upon his head.
The astonished wife-whipper dropped the
subject of his blows and looked to his own
safety. He struck at one Of the women with
his fist, and this brought up the rear-guard
of 'fre-shovels and tongs. On his head came
the blows thick and fast. He grappled with
one of the women. The rest Immediately
dropped their weapons and grappled with
him. Strong they were, their union per-
feet, and their cause just. They fairly
scratched Downer upon the floor, and
scratched him up again. They left the i'm.
prints of their nails upon his face and
hands and neck. They pulled out his hair
Resist he tried to, but he was as child in
the hands of the strong armed women, and
he soon found it out. Cowed, beaten, de-
molished, he beloved like mad bull, and
begged that they would not kill him.
A parley followed-a truce they call il
in war times. The PROSTATE, thoroughly
cowed Individual was told that his abuse OF
his wife-a poor, sickly woman-had grown
to be nuisance, which could no longer be
submitted to. They had complained of him
but his wife refused to appear against him
and he went unpunished. If he would
promise never to strike his wife again they
would let him go if not, they would pun,
ish him until there was not q breath Of life
left in his body.
Downer was ready for anything; he was
already the worst whipped man to be found
He promised, promised faithfully as man
could promise, but they brought cross and
made him swear. He rebelled at this, but
the upraised mops, and brooms, and sho'
vels, and the clnnking of pair of tongs
brought him to his senses, and never die
man take an oath more earnestly.