The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-04-08
A STRANGE AFFAIR.
Shocking Treatment of a Newly-Mar-
ried Woman I'm Massachusetts.

Shocking Treatment OF a Newly-sIar-
ried Woman I'm Massachusetts.
A brutal manner of Initiating novices in
a peculiar religious belief has come TO light
in Charlestown, Mass, and the parties in
terested are under arrest. According 10
the Boston Nelos, couple. apparently OF
German extraction. called upon Erdix L.
Swift. a Justice of the Peace, on the %
instant, and were by him united in the
bonds of matrimony. They gave their
names as James NJ. Wenzell and Augusta
Lothrop. On Thursday morning, 18th
instant, the Justice was startled by the APP
pearance of Mrs. Wenzell at his residence,
dressed in short bloomer clothes of large
and fantastic prints, her hair closely crop
ned. and her face, breast, and arms COM
pletely covered with bruises, and present
ed terrible appearance. She told story
of treatment, which, for brutal fanaticism,
can hardly be surpassed in modern ciylll-
cation. After the marriage, she went with
her husband to board with couple by the
name of Manchester, also German, in -
Street, Charlestown. Mr.. WenZell and the
Manchesters professed a peculiar faith,
into which they attempted by brute force
to initiate Mrs. Wenzell. They stripped
Other clothing, and dressing her as already
il in pieces, and attempted the publication
process, as they called it, which consisted
in beating the victim in a most shocking
manner, for the purpose of destroying
the lust of the flesh.o Next they COM
PEELED her to kneel before her husband and
worship him as her God. She rebelled.
but received only more brutal treatment.
Once her mother succeeded in releasing
her. and conveyed her to the hospital,
where she was under treatment for few
days, but, by some means, she was
brought back to her husband. Thursday
morning she succeeded in again escaping,
and when the matter was brought before
Captain Ayers, he had WenZell and tn
Manchesters arrested. Mrs. WenZell is
represented to be apparently not over
twenty-five years of age, and quite good
looking, though not remarkably lntelll-
gent. She was taken to her sisters house,
in Cambridge. Manchester is ferocious-
looking individual, who PAGES up and
down behind. the iron bars, waiting for
bail, whistling and singing TO keep his
spirits up, while WenZell, of phlegmatic
temperament, sleeps in cell near by. Mrs.
Manchester also enlivens the situa-
ton with music. and looks fit
companion for her husband. These par
ties have previously been under arrest,
but escaped punishment, as they claimed
that their proceedings were religious
rite.
On Friday the case was tried in the Mu-
nicipal Court. The defendants pleaded
|" Not guilty.' and it was shown that they
believe in the doctrine OF "mOrtifying the
flesh" by abstaining from the use of tea,
coffee, meat, and all stimulants, and in adj
ditiOn to this have peculiar ideas concern
ing the manipulation cure, and this latter
seems to have been the cause of the
trouble. To keep the passions under re-
straint they administer beatiDgs to each
other daily, and this practice is continued
until the patient is thoroughly converted.
Mrs. Augusta Wenzell, the complainant,
testified as follows: | was married to
James NJ. WetZell two weeks ago last
Wednesday, and was taken to his house in
Cambridge; did not at that time know
what their theories were; after the first
week at his house they cut my hair off and
put it into the stove. They took all my
clothes and dresses and gave me bloom
er costume. They took all my jewelry
and have not since returned it. They
said | must kneel down before my
husband and acknowledge no other God
but him. They pounded me until | did it,
and was sick. Since that time have
knelt before him every evening and called
him God. They pounded me until my
bones ached all over and my skin was
black and blue. They said they pounded
me to drive the devil out of me, so that |
shouldn't have love for the flesh, and
should have no children. They told me
to believe in free love, and wouldn't. |
went to the hospital in order 10 see my
sister. had before that tried to get away
from the house, but could not. They
kept the door locked. My sister came to
the heUse once, and they wouldn't let her
in unless we promised to talk in English
while there. promised, and they let her
in. | was afraid they would kill me. The
woman put her hand over my mouth
when | screamed while they were pound
ing me. In the crOss-eXamination, which
was conducted by Manchester, she stated
that she went to Manchester's house once
or twice a week for treatment, before her
marriage. and to investigate the theories.
Did not promise to sacrifice all her ''false
gods" such as jewelry, dress, etc., and did
not know that her hair was to be cut of.
Was never pounded before she was mar
ried.
The defendent admitted that her back
was discolored, but said that the treat
ment had been pursued with no malice.
All were found guilty Ofassault. WenZell
and Manchester were each fined $40 and
half the costs, and ordered to recognize in
$500 to keep the peace for six months.
Mrs. Manchester was placed under bonds
of 5000 to keep the peace for the same
period.