Year: 1869

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The DiversIons Of n Vvife-beater-The Marital


Bond In Kentucky.


A man named John Weismer was presented
before the City Court yesterday, for abuse of
family. The case, as developed by the evidence,
is most aggravating one, and one in which the
man and womahare equally blamabe. 1t APP
pears that they have not been living together
for long time, and that the husband has been
in the habit of going to the house of the wife ut
the peaceful hours of the night, bursting open
the doors, and sometimes throwing rocks into
the windows, to the great terror of her and her
little daughter.


The family before The war was in good cir
cumstances, he an industrious and hardworklng
man, and she a loving and dutiful wife, But
when the war broke out he was carried away by
the general excitement and joined the army.
He was away for years together, fighting under
the banner of the North, and she seldom re-
ceived any news from him or of his wherea-
bouts. During one of these long absences she
became short of means, and was driven almost
to beggary. Nothing but absolute starvation
seemed to be the fate of her and her child. In
one of these days of destitution and distress,
tempter worse than the famine came and she
fell. He enticed her away, and leaving her only
child i'll the family of neighbor, she went with
him to some town up in Minnesota, where they
lived together over year, when he left her,
alone, friendless, and fallen from honor and Vir-
tue, in strange country.


The war closed and the husband returned. In
place of finding his once happy home with wife





nothing. His little cottage was built up story
higher, and strangers, who never heard of him,
lived in it. Even his child could not be found.
and the neghbors could only tell him the dis
graceful story of his wfes disappearance. The
effect of this sudden and shocking intelligence
upon the mind and character of Weismer may
be imagined. He was no more the steady, indus
trious man of few years ago, but quickly
squandered his pay in drink.


The wife managed to get back to the city, and,
procuring her daughter, who was then about
eleven years of age rented room. in a dilapi-
dated old house that stands in the alley between
Second and Third and Market and Jefferson
streets. Here her husband happened to find
her out, but not, it is said, before she had COM
menced to lead disreputable life. OF course
there could be no reconciliation, and the hus
band procured a divorce. Already debased and
debauched, he was not satisfied with separa-
ton, but became intent on seeking revenge.
lie would carouse at the bar-rooms till after
midnight, and then so to the house of his for
this, throw brickbats in the windows, and in
dulge in other acts Of violence till frightened
away by the approach of the police.


Early yesterday morning, about 2 o'clock, he
went there, and bursting in the door, pulled the
woman out of her bed and beat her terribly with
the heel of an old boot, after which he threw
her down on the floor and stamped her SO that
it is feared she has received inward bruises
which will prove fatal. She was cut severely in
several places on the head. The child screamed
for help, and walked up the whole neighborhood.
Officers Slater and Meagher arrested the man
and put him in jail The officers say the woman
was one clot of blood from her head to her
waist. She was not able to be in court yester-
day morning, and the man was held to answer
for an assault and battery on the testimony of
the officers. His shirt was all bloody when he
was brought into court.-LOuisoiLLe Journal