Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-07-25

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by that unnatural parent, and 90 afraid tc
remain indoors, that time after time he has
spent the long nights in the open air with no
protection save an old coat, in the morning
dragging his weary and stifened limbs to
school with no breakfast save what was given
him by kind neighbors. Both parties are ad-
dicted to the use of intoxicating liquors, and
exceedingly quarrelsome when under their
influence, and the scenes that house has wit
messed can scarcely be imagined--only the
Police, who have often been called in BY the
neighbors, can give a faint sketch of their
horrors.
But the browning horror was reserved for
Saturday last. Early in the morning Hig-
gins began his debauch, and his wife, who had
taken no liquor, was the victim of the most
shameful abuse. A slender woman, with
racking cough that indicates the near ap.
proach OF the fell destroyer, consumption,
she was unable to resist or avoid by fight the
savage attacks of her brutal husband, who
commenced by beating her about the head
and shoulders with stick of wood, as she
lay in bed so entangled in the clothing that
she could not arise. He then went away.
leaving her in a helpless condition, but re-
turned at noon more ferocious than ever, and
commenced his abuse, as she still lay on the
bed As soon as she was able, she broke
ioOse iTOul anu TdH Oub lDtO siie kltcQeny
when Higgins caught up a heavy chair and
struck her three blows upon the head, each
time cutting CHASTITY cash in the scalp. She
fell senseless to the floor, when Higgins col
lected all her clothing tore it into strips and
! threw it into the woodshed. The police who
had been sent for by the neghbors arrived at
this juncture, and arresting Higgins, took
him away to the lookup where he now lies,
awaiting trial. ala $50
A reporter for this paper visited Higgins
house soon after the arrest, and the sight that
met his eyes was fairly sickening. The walls
of both rooms were bespattered with blood,
while pools of gore lay on the floor in many
places. The poor woman lay on the only bed
in the house, bleeding from countless wounds
on her face, head, shoulders and arms, so
that the bed-blothing, (torn to rags) was
soaked with blood, which had penetrated
through the bed and dripped upon the floor.
Blood flowed SO fast from cuts on her head
that she could ring it out OF her hair. Her
arms were cut and bruised in numberless
places, and one hand was useless, from the
effects of blow with club which she ward
ed off from her head. There was no food in
the house save about one-third of loaf of
dry bread and a small piece of salt fish, and
Higgins had smashed all the crockery and
cooking apparatus except the stove.
Application was made to one of the Over
seers of the Poor to take Mrs. Higgins to the
Aims House, but he declined doing anything
in the matter, as she was not in his district,
even after being taken to the house by the
City Marshal. On learning this, Mayor
Dale. (who CHANGED to be riding by when
Higgins was arrested, and was informed of
the facts in the case) declared that the poor
woman should not be left in such q pitable
| condition, sent for a nurse to attend her, left
a liberal donation of money to be expended
for food, and went himself for physician to
dress her wounds. City Marshal Bolton and
| Officer Sweetser returned to the house i'm
mediately after they had put Higgins in the
lookup, and did everything in their power to
make the dwelling habitable once more.
Mrs. Higgins will probably recover from
her injuries, though the treatment she re-
ceived from her brutal husband would have
killed most persons She says herself: II
believe have nineteen lives, or I'd been
dead long ago." Higgins has been arrested
many times before this for beating her, but
on being brought into Court, she has inv aria
bly, refused to testify against him. 1t is to
be hoped he will get his deserts this time, for
to have such man at liberty is a disgrace to
the civilized community.
The Portland Regulator of last week had
an exuberant puff beginning Higgins
that's the man we meant Higgins of Ban
gor." If this Higgins is the man 90 fondly
addressed as "Oh, 'Hig' you are brick" we
heartily wish the editor of that paper would
come over here and CIRCULATE" his eccentric
and sprightly friend 81