The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-07-02
Claiming a Wife.

..,u Claiming vile.
A Pittsburg paper of recent date tells
the following horrid story:
Last night one of the Mayors patrol had
his attention drawn to a bare-headed lightly
draped woman, who had heavy chain
padloclSed to her neck, and large metal
weight, weighing fully thirty pounds, at
tached thereto. Thinking she was an es-
capped lunatic he at once took her into Gus
tody and lodged her in the lookup. 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 her.
self. She was met on Market street by a
couple of young men who dissuaded her
from the rash act, and she was, when cap
tured, wandering about the streets in an al
most exhausted condition.
This morning Mayor Blaclsmore institu-
ted an investigation, and there she informed
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 he had deliberately heated a 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 ap-
pearance was miserable in the extreme, and
if her statements are correct, we have here
a 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
drayman for S. P. Shriver g. 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 so addicted to drink
ing that she has not only been perfectly
useless in taking care of her children, but
has made away with considerable of his
money, and brought reproach upon hisgood
name. In order TO stop this he took the
law in his own hands, and in order to do
SO effectively, purchased a chain and secur-
ed her to bed every morning before going
to his labors. 1t did not appear to work
well. however, for nearly every time she
managed to break away, and would be alb
sent when he returned to dinner-in short,
would not be at home again until he would
send the children skirmishing around the
neighborhood for her, when she was gener-
ally picked up in some out-of-the-way
place in an intoxicated condition. He had
applied this treatment forseveral days back,
we don't know how long, and he will not
state the length of time. But last evening
she broke loose, and was locked up. He
says the injury on her mouth was occasion
ing her on the mouth with poker he is
reticent.
A hearing was given the prisoner this
morning, and the information having been
read to him, he acknowledged he had chain
ed her, and detailed the reasons he had foI
doing SO as given above. He attempted to
| justify himself because of the trouble the
incorporate habits of his wife had given
him, and described at some length how she
stole money from his clothes wherewitl
to satisfy her cravings for liquor. Nc
longer ago than Monday he says he missed
ten dollar note from his pocket-book
When asked whether he had burned hel
mouth with poker, he equivocated anG
said he did not remember of having done
SO. The Mayor held him in 1000 bail tC
answer a charge of aggravated assault and
battery, and at last accounts he was il
search of the requisite bondsmen.
The chain with which he secured her il
heavy enough to hold dozen women. i
is just long enough when doubled, as he wal
in the habit of rigging it, and being attach
ed to her neck, and the weight to hold he
in very uncomfortable STOPPING posture
while sitting down. The outrage in thu
binding her, was one that not even the Sc
rious cause which he alleges can excuse
and it is more than likely that justice viii
make such an example of him that simia
inclined individuals will adopt some othe
method of family discipline.
Mysterious Disappearance.