Hide Article Text (OCR)
When the Roll was Called at Madison this Wife-Beater was not PresentTail WIFE-BEATER,His Latest Court Record.—Fined for a provoke on Hon. Asa Elliott, Monday, May 15th, 1899.Fined for public intoxication, Friday, May 19th, 1899.Fined for assault and battery on his wife, May 19th, 1899.A preliminary examination only could be heard by the Justice in two of the cases, one tor assault and battery with intent and the other on a peace warrant sworn out by his wife. In both these cases the accused waived examination, gave bonds and the causes will be certified to the Circuit court.It has kept the now notorious wife-beater quite busy the past week answering calls to police court, continuing the search for ‘‘wifey,’’ nursing those mortified molars and working the sympathy racket. As a last recourse criminals resort to the sympathies of the people and to systematic lying. As an instance of the latter, attention is called to the publication of an item that Mr. and Mrs. Jennings had gone to Madison to attend the editorial meeting. At that time the wife-beater was bobbing around the Falls Cities in search of his wife. At this writing,(Tuesday) Mrs. Jennings has not been in Salem since her memorable flight to Borden last Saturday week, unless, indeed, she is quietly secluded in the home of some Salem friend, who will see to it that she is protected from her wife-beating husband.In the write-up last week The Democrat failed to mention the fact that Mrs. Cora Plews was the first one to interfere and come to the rescue of Mrs. Jennings when her husband was so crueily punishing her in front of. the Jennings residence. A large number of the neighbors, including many ladies, witnessed the heroic struggle of Mrs. Plews to release Mrs. Jennings from the clutches of the monster and some ef them have asked us to give the brave little women due credit for the act. After she had interfered, the aged Ezra Davis and Lafe Massey came to her assistance and by their united efforts Mrs. Jennings was enabled to escape and sought refuge in a neighboring home.Jennings now has troubles of his own and they are accumulating at a rapid rate. His wife, at this writ-I ing, is still in hiding. His continued brutal treatment of her, and his threats on her life, as she alleges, have so alarmed her that she fears to meet him. Where she is, is a matter of conjecture only, but it is a fact that up to the present time she is not at her late home on North Main street. It is hinted occasionally that she is the guest of a Salem family who will see that she is protected from the cruelties of her tormentor. It is also said that the monster cast foul-mouthed reflections on the chastity of his wife, but when it is recalled that he has attacked the private character of many innocent mothers and women of Salem, without cause, this cowardly attack on his wife’s virtue, will not surprise people who know him so well. He has invaded the sacred precincts of the homes of manv Salem people, as the papers before us bear awful testimony. Here, for instance, is a cowardly attack on the Berkey family, and in another of his mad frenzies here is a cruel stab at Ed. G. Berkey whom he calls a drunken, crazy man and broadlv hints at what he (the wife-beater) would have doDe had the opportunity offered. Other members of the Berkey family are attacked in cowardly articles, not even the women of that excellent household being spared.And here, again, is a scurrilous, cowardly write-up of the Lingle’s and Uppinghouse’s. The Rudder’s are made to feel the weight of his j caustic pen and come in for a roundof abuse. The Rhetts’ and the Pace families do not escape his foul work, while the families of Reid, Voyies, Garriott, Zaring, Motsing-er, Alspaugh, Hobbs, Stevens, Kyte. Medlock, Paynter and others have all come in for a chapter of abuse from the poltroon and heartless wretch.Here is an article that holds up to scorn a pure, virtuouswoman and devoted mother. Here is an article that attacks the daughter and other members of a prominent Salem merchant. Here is another article that invades the sacred precincts of a Salem home and holds up to scorn pure, virtuous women. A drunkard himself, as proven by the Justice’s record, here are articles condemning honest reformers, while he was filling his foul carcass with mean rum. Here is another article, which opens .afamily closet and drags forth afamiljr skeleton, parading it before the puolic with all the devilish gleeof a ghoul! Even county officials and earnest members of the churches have not escaped his poisonous, slanderous tongue. Here are attacks on some of our best exofficials, and vile items about some of our most consistent and earnest church members. And this excuse for a man, this wife-beater, this drunkard, has dissipated in every conceivable wav. He has associated with the lowest dregs of society and holds a corner on all manner of vices. He has attempted to coerce and blackmail officials by threats ifthey did not accede to his demands.- / ...Had he iived in a less refined community his diseased and loathsome body would long since have been the target for a well-directed pistol ball, and his impure remains would now be furnishing food for grave worms. As it is, Salem people have foreborn to inflict injury on the human cur. They have suffered in silence from his cowardly assaults; and when some one, driven to desperation by his unwarranted attacks, has attempted to hunt him down, the drunken, cowardly whelp has secreted himself behind petticoats or hid among the loathsome surroundings of his dismal den. The Democrat, under his management, became a hiss and a by-word to honest men because he used it to coerce and blackmail officials and honorable business men. He is a moral and intellectual bankrupt and sinks his newspaper enterprises to the levelof unattractive hand-bills. Hisbrain for newspaper articles is as enfeebled as the brain of a cayote while the body that holds the brain possesses all the cowardly attributes of that despised animal. The time was when he had friends here, but he has driven them away, one bj one, until he can now count them on his fingers. The last to desert him, or rather, the last one he drove awav was his faithful wife, who was not only faithful and devoted to him, but a kind and attentive mother to his first wife’s children. For the future welfare and happiness of these children every Salem heart beats in unison.Col. Sayles—“I picked up a copy of the Farm Journal the other day and find it an excellent paper. It has many ideas that are advanced and Iwant you to send it to me for fivevears.”
Newspaper Details
Salem Democrat
Salem, Indiana, US
Wed, May 24, 1899
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Vigo C.
IN, USA 29 May 2019
Other Publications Near Salem, Indiana
Salem Annotator
Salem Washington Democrat
Salem Democrat
Salem Leader
Salem True Blue Republican
