A Brutal Husband

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 113, 4 March 1886, Page 3

A Brutal Husband

♦ At the Eichmond (Victoria) Police Court the other day Michael Eyan, a carter, was charged with savagely assaulting his wife. She appeared in court in a fearful condition, and then told the story of her husband's treatment. He arrived home from his work somewhat ill-tempered, and shut himself up in the front room for upwards of an hour, when she called out to him to take his tea. He got up and walked out into the back yard, when he seized hold of a yard broom, and, returning to the kitchen whilst she was engaged serving up his meal dealt her several heavy blows across the head with the broom handle, and inflicting seme severe wounds, from which the blood il o w ed profusely . He threw her on to the iloor, aud savagely tore the clothing from off her body. She struggled with ali her strength for some little time, and subsequently succeeded in escaping, but could venture no further than the back yard, as she had nothing with which to cover herself. At last she stole back into her room where, after remaining for a few minutes, he again attacked her with the broom, laying her helpless on the floor. He then caught up a knife off the table, and said " I will do for you now," at the same time placing one foot on her breat and the other on her leg. Before, however, he had time to carry his threat into execution, her screams attracted the neighbours to the place, three of whom rushed into the house and dragged her from his grasp Prosecutrix was covered with blood, and was very exhausted. Yet this much-suffering wife — for it was proved that these assaults were of frequent occurrence — besought the Bench, 'with tears in her eyes,' to allow her to withdraw the charge, as her husband, when sober, was kind and attentive to her, and if he were sent to gaol her five children would starve, as she was too ill to work for them. And the Bench granted her request, ordering the brutal husband to find two sureties for keeping the peace for twelve months.