Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-14
JOHN JEFFEBsON'S NARROW
ESCAPE.
His wife struck Him on the Head With
an Az aud Buried Him in a Pie OF
Fodder.

an Az aud Buried Him in a Pie OF
Fodder.
F,.om the Ns,0 York sun.
WILMINGTON, DEL, April l0.-Three
weeks ago to-day John Jefferson, small
farmer, living al Crotcher's Ferry, Boches-
ter county, Md, was murderously as
saulted by his wife. The natives Of Lower
Delaware and those portions Of Maryland
and Virginia which 20 TO make up the
peninsula between the Delaware and
Chesapeake bays are a peculiar class OF
citlZens-that IS, the ignorant ones, and
tuey are the larger portion. John Jeher-
son and bis wife are good specimens OF
the natives who flOurisIed Ia The days OF
Patty Cannon. Their nome at Crotcuers
Ferry is only eight miles southwest
Of JohnsOn's cross roads, where
Patty conducted her Kidnapping business,
so graphically set forth ia !ownsend's
"Eltaiicd Hat Jefferson had not been
living very tremendously with ais wife,
and ON Saturday, March 20, while be was
seated on the doorstep OF ms house put
ting on his shoes, bis wife seized an AK
ana dealt HIM sudden and stunning
blow on the back Of mis- head. He fell
forward unconscious into the yard. The
woman deait MIN two other blows on the
head. As be lay mOtiOnless and bleeding
prolusely. the woman. imagining that
he was dead, seized him by the arms and
dragged him 10 The bare, 100 feet distant.
There he was thrown upon a pile OF iOd-
der. portion of which was hurriedly
scattered over the body. Sue then re-
turned 10 the house. In about an hour
be Iega.ned bis senses, and, although suf-
iering greatly from loss OF blood, managed
TO drag nimseifto the house OF a neighbor,
a mile away. There he told his story. A
doctor was summoned and the wounds
were dressed. TWO large cuts were found
on the back OF tetfersOn's head, and Il
small cash in the throat showed that the
sharp edge of the AK had struck him
there
soon after he had been cared for his
wife, who had missed him, arrived at the
neighbours house and inquired for her
husband. She at first lei sned insanity,
but when she saw that her murderous in
tent was well known she bOastfully ad-
mitted what she had done and left. JEFF
. ersOn refused to have her arrested prOYid-
ing she would leave him forever. lie re-
manned with his neighbOr until mis- wife s
brother arrived and took her TO his home,
near Georgetown, Del. Jefferson is now
| living on his "iarmY with his daughter.
Jefferson married the woman, whose
maiden name was Bryan, about fourteen
/ years ago. Since then she has always
/ been the boss. She not only drove and
/ ordered her husband about the house but
watched him like hawk as he worked in
! the field, iorbidding him at any time to
4 talk to nelghbor. She compelled him
to account for every moment spent away
from her, made him wash dishes, sweep
the house, make beds, bake bread, do the
milking, and, as a neighbor remarked,
''do all such feminine chores as self.
respecting men would scOrn to do at the
command of a helish woman"
Jefferson saws that his wife's brother
tried 10 Kill him with a shovel several
years ago, and tnat his vile threatened
| on several occasions to Kill him. He
says that he never expects to live with
the tyrant again, and that If she comes
back to Mary land he will have her ar
rested He is now out of danger, but
SAYS he does not feel at all well, the cuts
on the head bOthering him considerably
| One OF the faVOrite methods his wife
adopted to annoy and worry him was tC
make him always remove his shoes before
entering his house, no matter how colo
the weather.