National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-07-12
Governing u Wife,

A Pittsburg paper has the follow.
ing One Of the mayors patrol had his
attention drawn to bare headed, lightly
draped woman, who had heavy chain
padlocked to her neck, and large metal
weight, weighing fully thirty pounds,
attached thereto. Thinking she was
an escaped lunatc he ut nee took
her iuto custody and lodged h in the
lookup. She gave Der name as Eliza
Martin, and stated while they were re-
lieving her OF her bonds that the chain
and weight had been placed on her by
her husband, and that his cruel treat
ment had been such that she left home
with the intention Of dro wing herself.
She was met on Market street by II
couple OF yonng men who dissuaded her
from the rash act, apd she was, when
captured, wandering about the streets
in an almost exhausted condition.
Mayor Blackmore instituted an in
vestigation, and then she informed that
her husbands name is Arthur Martin !;
that he had been in the habit o treat.
ing her in the way t at was seen the
night before. She also said that he bad
deliberately heated poker red hot, and
burned her with it, and that his object
in doing so was to prevent her from
drinking liquor. The woman's appear
ance was miserable in the extreme, and
if her statements are correct, We have
here a sample OF cruelty in our miust
hardly second to that practiced by the
most savage barbarians.
Martin wa arrested. A reporter visit
ed him in his cell at the 10 -k-up, to see
what manner OF man 1t was that could
chain his wife and abuse her as he is
alleged to have done. We found him to
be rather large, respectable. looking
individual, of probably fifty years Of
age, and giving no outward signs OF be
ing such brute as was supposed. be.
in short, looks like sober, well to-do
drayman-that is we understand his
business and one not likely, 80 far as
We could Judge, to be guilty of the con
duct presumed against him. But, new
er,hless, appearances in this instance
were deceptive,
His statement is briefly this : He is n
drayman, and with his earnings sup
ports family including him self, wife
and eight children. For a long time
back Mrs Martin has been so addicted
to drinking that she has not only been
perfectly useless i'll taking care of her
en- ldren, but has made away with con-
siderable Of l4is money and brought re-
proach on his good name. In order to
stop this he concluded to take the law
into his own hands, and in order to do
so effectively purchased n chain and Sc
cured her to a bed every morning be-
fore going to his labors. 1t did not APP
pear to work well, however, for nearly
every time she managed 10 break away,
and would be absent when be returned
to dinner--in short, would not be at
home again until he would send the
around the neighborhood for
her, when she was generally picked up
in some out of-the-way place in an in
toxicated condition. He had applied
this treatment for sevt al days back
we don't know how long, and he will
not state the length OF time. He says
the injury on her mouth was occasioned
BY fall though in relation to bis burn
ing her on the mouth with poker he is
reticent.
The chain with which he secured her
IS heavy enough to hold a dozen women.
1t is just long enongh when doubled. as
ne was in tho habit of rigging it, and
oelng attached to her neck, and the
weight to hold her in very uncomtorta-
de stopping posture while sitting down.
The outrage, in thus binding her, was
me that not even the serious cause
hich he alleges can excuse, and it is
more than likel, that justice will make
uch an example of him that similarly
Inclined individuals will adopt some
,ther method of family discipline.