The Washington bee., 1911-11-18
THE HENPECKED CLUB.
Curious Demonstrations of a Queer
Society In Lancashire, England,
Often Lead to Trouble.

OF all the queer clubs that exist in
The world you will find some of the
queerest in Lancashire, England. One
Of these is called the Henpecked club.
As the title indicates, its members are
all males, and you can come across a
club in almost every Lancashire town
Of any size.
The meetings are held, as a rule, in
some bar .parlor, and the discussions
are about members and often nom
members who have the reputation OF
being henpecked. When evidence has
been brought to show that a particular
man has allowed himself to come un.
der his wife's thumb they tax him with
1t in the place Of meeting. The presi-
dent delivers a lecture on the danger
Of husband permitting his wife to
usurp his position as master, and when
the others have indOrsed his remarks
the person to whom the speeches are
addressed is warned that if he con-
tiuues to stand the henpecking he will
be made the subject of a demOnstra-
ton.
The announcement that "henpeck-
ed" club demonstration is to take place
is received in the district with mixed
feelings. The men applaud if, and the
local police, recalling similar displays
that led to trouble, become little
anxious. On the evening appointed
the members of the club meet at a
public house, where they arm them
utensils; then, led by concertina play
ers or a tin whistle band, they start
out and march along the crowded
streets of the district
One man carries a broom, another a
swab, a third q shovel or a coal
scuttle or a fender or poker. Fire
tOngs, blacklead brushes, washtubs,
buckets-everything used in the home,
in facts carried shoulder high. As
they march along to the music in front
and the discOrdant changing Of their
baggage they sing snatches of songs
In which the name of the victim oc-
ours often.
The mission of the verses, which
| have been specially composed for the
| occasion by local poet, is to hold up
| the henpecked one to ridicule, the rea-
son for the demonstrators bearing the
| household goods being, of course, to
remind him that, having fallen under
| petticOat government, he will quickly
| become the slavey.
| When they reach the cottage where
their victim resides they form a circle
| in front of the door and sing and
clang their tenders and coal scuttles
more loudly than ever.
The man inside is invoked by the
president during a halt in the pro-
gram to 'be a man" and join his
! brethren. Sometimes if he looks upon
the affair as more of joke than any
thing else he does their bidding, and
they reform and march to headquar-
ters with him at their head. Usually,
however, his wife appears instead
with a bucket of soapy water, which
she promptly throws over the demon
stratOrs, or she quickly causes a clear
ance with a hose pipe.
To the OnlOOker it is just an exhibi-
ton for laughter and nothing more,
but behind the scenes there is general
Iy lot of trouble and heartaching.
A good number of these ''henpecked"
demonstrations have sequels in police
courts Sometimes it is an enraged
victim being charged with assaulting
a demonstration, but more often than
not the sequel shows u wife appealing
to the magistrate for a separation or
der.-LondOn Tit-Bits.