Horsewhipping by a Woman
A mother-in-law's blacksnake whip and a forced marriage collide in this small but colorful Indiana courtroom item — a vivid slice of everyday violence long since forgotten.
NewsPipe summary
The Cairo Bulletin · July 11, 1873 · Page 2
1 min readThe town of Port Fulton, above Jeffersonville, was considerably torn up on the evening of the Fourth by a genuine case of horsewhipping, the active party being a large muscular woman and mother-in-law to the passive individual. It appears that one George W. Owens fell in love with a Miss Ridge, and on Wednesday last they were married. This union was against the wishes of the mother of the girl, Mrs. Nancy Ridge, and she was determined to take her revenge on Owens. Providing herself with a blacksnake horse-whip, she and her husband went to the house in which Owens and his wife were living. As soon as she got sight of Owens she made a dexterous movement, drawing from beneath the folds of her garments the blacksnake and proceeded to lay it on the shoulders of Owens with a will, lashing him furiously over the head, neck, and shoulders. Owens tried to make his escape, but could not, as he was held by Terry Ridge, the infuriated female's husband, who held him firmly by the hands while his wife beat him with the whip. The lashing created quite an excitement, and attracted quite a crowd, and with it came Constable Frame, who took the offenders into custody.
Yesterday afternoon the offenders had a hearing before Justice Dorsey, at Jeffersonville, and as Terry Ridge testified that he held Owens because he thought he intended to strike his wife, he was discharged. In the case of Mrs. Nancy Ridge the fine was $11, with costs. Owens and his wife, although subpoenaed, failed to appear as witnesses. — Louisville Commercial, July 7th.
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