The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1868-08-19
A Wife-Whipper Mobbed by Wo.
..r men.

,...r men. ....-. 49,
Last evening one Mr.. Downer prefsr-
req charge Of assault, with intent IN
Kill, against number of bis neig hbors.
Downer was sorry looking Object
his looks giving The truth to the ssser,
ZION that he had suffered some hard
usage. His clothes were torn and thor.
oughly soaked with water, his face WA.
scratched. and he held In his hands
bundles of his hair aud whiskers, which
be said had been pulled out. -.
lie was sitting in his house down ON
the bench quietly, doing nothing at ali
10 break the peace, when who should
come in but all the women tha. hved
about there, and before he said a word
they assailed him with clubs, sticks.
guns and brick bats. and beat him to a
jelly. He knew all the women. and be
wanted them arrested and punished.
4. A well known citizen came in and
told the story in manner which did
not add much to the credit Of Dowuer.
The gentleman had been on the
beach for an evening promenade, wheh
his attention was attracted bv loud cries.
which came from knot of sbsbties
some distance away. Upon going to
them, he found that Dowher was ~.
dulging in his usual amusement
ping his wife and the woman, suffer.
ing from the blows, was u,teriue mose
heart-rending cries. The gentematI.
well aware of the danger of interferinss
between husband and wife when nuafs
reling, nevertheless was abou, TO inter.
fere, when his attention was attracred
to the actions Of woman, who loohed
as though she had the strength of A
young Samson in her limbs. She ran
from shanly to shanty, calling out tire
women, who promptly responded. and
1t did not seem to be more than ten az.
conds before dozen were assembled.
each armed with mop, a broom, a
hre-shovel or pair of tongs. The
band marched directly 10 the house
from whence came the cries, and, with
out the ceremony of knocking, entered.
lhe gentleman followed. deeply inter.
ested. There was a sound of voices. A
II somebody were ordering somebody
else ou: of his 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 water swabbed his
face; blows from brooms came thick
and fast upon his head. The aslonish.
ed wife.whipker dropped the subiec, Of
his blows, and looked to his own safe.
~. He struck al one of the women
with his fist, and this brought up the
ar'guard Of fire shoveis and tonga
On his head came the blows, thicE and
fast. He grappled with one of the wo-
men. The rest Immediately dropped
their weapons and grappIed with him.
Strong they were, their union perfect.
and their cause just. They fairly
scratched Downer upon the floor, and
:c'atched him up again. They left the
'mPrin's of their nails upon his face
and hands and neck. They pulled ont
his hair Resist he tried to, but be was
as child in the hands of the strong.
armed women, aud he soor found Il
out. Cowed, beaten, demolished. he
beloved like mad bull, and begged
thai. they would not kill him.
A parley followed-a truce they cab
1t in war times. The prostrate,, thors
oughly cowed individual was told that
his abuse Of his wife-a poor, sicklv
woman-had grown to be a nuisance.
which could no longer be submitted TO.
They bad complained of him, bu, his
wife refused TO appear against him, and
he went unpunished. Ifhe would prom.
ise never to strike his wife again, they
would let him go; if not, they woulf
punish him until there was not a breath
Of life left in his body.
Downer was ready for anything; be
was alread the worst whipped man to
be found. He promised, prorhise,, faith
fully as a man could promise. but they
brought a cross and made him swear.
He rebelled at this, but the upraised
mops, and brooms. and shovels, and The
clanking Of pair of tongs, brough,
him to his senses, ~ d never did mar
take an oath more earnestly.
o.. 1HatWaukie Wisconsin.