Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-30
BRUTAL TREATMENT OF A WIFE.
A Man Chains his Wife to a Heavy
Weight, and BurRs Her Mouth with
a Poker to Prevent her Drinking.

A Man Chains his Wife to q Heavy
Weight, and Burns Her Mouth with
a Poker to Prevent her Drinking.
From the Pittsburg Leader, June q.
Last night one of the Mayors patrol had
his attention drawn to bare-headed, light
ly draped woman, who had a heavy chain
padlocked to her neck, and large metal
weight, weighing fully thirty pounds at
tached thereto. Thinking she was an es-
capped lunatic, be at once took her into Gus
tody and lodged her in the lock-up. She
gave her name as Eliza Martin, and stated
while they were relieving her of her bonds
that the chain and weight had been placed
on her by her husband, and that his cruel
treatment had been such that she left home
with the intention of drowning herself.
She was met on Market street BY a couple
of young men VINO dissuaded her from the
rash act, and she was when captured wan
dering about the streets in an almost ex.
hausted condition.
This morning Mayor Blackmore institu-
ted an investigation, and there she inform
ed him that her husbands name is Arthur
Martin; that he had been in the habit of
treating her in the way that was seen the
night before. She also said that on last
Friday night he had deliberately heated
porker red hot, and burned her with it, and
that his object in doing so was to prevent
her from drinking liquor. The Woman's
appearance was miserable in the extreme,
and if her statements are correct, we have
here sample of cruelty in our midst hardly
second to that practiced by the most savage
barbarians. Martin was arrested this
morning.
His statement is briefly this: He is a
draynlan for s. P. SILVER & Co., and with
his earnings supports family including
himself, wife, and eight children, at his
house on Seventh avenue, near the foot of
Prospect street. For long time back Mrs.
Martin has been 80 addicted to drinking
that eIe has not only been perfectly useless
in taking care of her children, but has
made away with considerable of his money,
and brought reproach on his good name. In
order so stop this he concluded to take the
law in his own hands, and in order to do so
effectively, purchased chain and secured
her to a bod every morning before going TO
his labOrs. 1t did not appear to work well,
however, for nearly every time she man
aged to break away, and would
be absent when he returned to dinner-in
short, would not be at homo again until he
would send tia children skirmishing
around the neighborhood for her, when she
was generally picked up in some out-of-the-
way place in an intoxicated condition. He
had applied this treatment for several days
back, we don't know how long, as he will
not state the length of time, But last eve
ming she broke loose, and was locked up.
He says the injury on her mouth was oc-
casioned by a fall; though in relation to his
burning her on the mouth with poker he
is reticent.
A hearing wee given the prisoner this
morning and the information having been
read to him, he acknowledged he had chain
ed her, and detailed the reasons be had for
doing so, as given above. Ee attempted to
Justify himself because of the trouble the in
temperate habits of his wife had given him,
and described at some length how she stole
money from his clothes wherewith to salts
fly her cravings for liquor. No longer ago
than Monday, he says he missed ten-dol-
lar note from his pocket-bool;. When asked
whether he Lad burned her mouth with a
pOGer, he equivOcated, and said he did not
remember having done so. The Mayor
held him in $1,000 bail to answer a charge
of aggravated assault and battery, and at
last accounts he was in search Of the requi-
site bOndsmen.
The chain with which Le secured her is
heavy enough to mold a d".s-S5n women. 1t
is just long enough when doubled, as he
wac IN the habit Of rigging it, and being
attached to her neck, and the weight to
hold her in a very uncomfortable STOPPING
posture while sitting down. The outrage
in thus binding her was one that not even
the serious cause which he alleges can ex-
cuss, and it is more than likely that justice
will make such an example of him that sim
ilarly inclined individuals will adopt some
other method of family discipline.