The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-10
HUSBAND BEATER FINED.


Tor husband beating yesterday. The woman
was Amelia Rylin. OF So South First street,
Williamsburg. and 1t appeared from the evil
dence that for the year during which they
had been married she has been in the habit
Of giving her husband a good humping on
an average Of three times week. Rylin is
sugarhouse worker, and looks like man
who would be able to take care of himself.
His wife is no larger thar he, but every time
she looked toward him in the Lee-avenue
Police Court room yesterday bis knees grew
wabbly under him. 1t was evident that he
was thoroughly cowed, and, from the story
he told Of his welded life, he had reason
to be.
Judge" he said, with tears in his eyes,
"as there's God in heaven, If don't get
away from her she'll kill me YETI
"Oh, guess it isn't as bad as that" said
the Justice. soothingly. what has she been
doing to your"
What hasn't she been doing to me?"
groaned the downtrodden husband. 81 can't
begin TO tell you all of 1t, burt I'll tell you
what 1 can remember. 1t began about a
month after we were married. One night
l came home and found no supper. / asked
her what was the matter and she said she
didn't feel like getting supper. l said that
was no way to treat husband, and she
said if / talked to her she'd show me how
to treat husband. Your Honor. if ia a
known all 1 know now I'd a-swallowed my
tongue sooner than talk back, but didn't.
said something, and the first thing knew
she was sitting on the back of my neck
pounding my face against the floor.
"I'll learn you to talk to me, she says, ]
amt any animal for you to treat like you
want to- she says. You can't take advant-
age of your being a man to act like BRUTE
she says, and she jumped up and down on
me till l could feel every crack In the floor
how long it lasted, but after while / got
out doors some way and ran away. The
last thing l heard was her Yelling that shed
have me arrested If tried any of my rough
ways with her."
Couldn't you defend yourself against
herr asked Justice Goetting, much inter-
ested.
II thought could. Judge, but was way
off. She'd got taste of hckin' me, and
she liked IT. But she didn't go for me again
right away. She waited for an excuse. A
day two later 1 dropped a plate and
smashed IT, and she run me into corner
"Melia, says I, if you don't leave me
alone III forget you're woman and do you
The complainants voice was choked with
emotion.
We'll. go on said Justice Goetting en-
after that warning did she?'
You're right, she didn't, Judge" whis-
pered the unfortunate Rylin. "She got the
poker and damned me with that. I've got
some bumps on the back of my head your
Honor. that would surprise an unmarried
man. They come of my defending myself
AFTER that it got so that she'd do me up
for any reason, and If there wasn't any
wanted TO go out she'd take it out of me,
or If the millSman didn't come on time or
Sne re w ge ID rght in yhe necR
didn't get up Ia, :. the morning she'd pour
hot water over me, and when I'd get home
at night and say Good evening to her-for
/ was always polite to her, your Honor
like as not I'd nave to dodge the teapot
before 1 could get in, and then If it broke
I'd catch hell for that, begging your Hon.
or's pardon"
Don't apologize; go on said Justice
G0etting.
You don't know what 1 suffered, Judge.
lid?"
mot that 1 can remember" replied the
Court.
You'd remember 1t If she had" said Ry-
lin, with deep sigh. But there's worse
than stove lids. Our lids are so heavy she
couldn't throw 'em very good, and I'd get
a chance to dodge; but the people that
talks about women not knowing how TO
throw straight had ought to see my wife at
work on me. Still I'd rather she'd throw
than not. for there's a chance she might
miss. A CHINA cup hurts like blazes if you
it a5 fors Is on No a1a e s IF
you, Judge, it's the coal scuttle that does
the business. If you ever have any trouble
with a lady, Judge, and she picks up a coal
scuttle you want to get out. If you can't
get out the door get out the window. Don't
make any difference If it's the fourth story;
you get out and take your chances of the
jump. 1t was the coal scuttle did me the
time they thought my skull was fractured
and l vas going up. ! wish | had. That
scared her and she quit the scuttle. After
that it was mostly something light and
easy, like the wash board or the mop or
frying pan. You ought to see her handle
don't hurt much when you get the fiat of
1t, but 1t makes terrible racket, and that
sort. of soothes her down. When she got
terrible mad she'd take the furniture.
That's an awful expensive way of lickin'
man, for she'd spoil chair most every
time ,-
ssShe took to reading the papers to find
out cases where men licked their wives, and
shed read 'em to me and say:
women. That's the way you. YOU'D ike to treat Pea
me. amt It. you coward?"
Then she'd kick me on the shins. If you
never had a lady kick your shins, your
Honor you don't know how it hurts They
don't use their toes like a man. They have
sharp heels and they jam those into your
shins and take all the skin off. used to
blow in half my wages on piasters, and
then she'd lick me for not bringing home
more
fnalpy?" asked Justice Goetting.
81 twas afraid she was going to starve me
to DEATH" replied poor Rylin. Some of the
fellows told me what fool / was to stand
that from my wife and said that l ought
to lick her, but when 1 asked 'em to come
home and hep me lick her they said they
didn't want to put their noses into another
mans family affairs. That's where they
knew their business, for they'd got 'em
smashed IL they'd put 'em into any Of her
affairs. got spunky and put some barrel
slaves UP my pant legs and some padding
over my ribs, and / went home and says:
"sMelia' says. I've had enough of this
and you amt goin' TO lick me any more
Il don't know what / said next. but
think / must have followed murder or
help or something, because when 1 was
falling down STAIRS one of the neighbors ran
out and said, She's dom him again. and
then ran back. 1 got into the yard, but
she chased me up and banged me In the
eye with paraSol. / fell down on my
knees and began praying TO God to make
her let up, and while l was praying she
got a broom and soaked me with that
Judge, it's a wonder i amt dead, and It's
a pity. too. She got me By the ears. dragged
me upstairs and locked me in the room.
There was company In the evening, too. and
they had things TO eat, but didn't get any.
When asked for some she came to the door
and says in a whisper:
IF you don't shut up Ill tend to YOU
After q while / saw policeman going
by. and yelled for help, and he came up
and arrested her. Didn't seem q bit scared.