The following news clips are from the archives at the The Newton County Appeal and the Newton County Historical Society.
116 Years Ago-Horsewhipped by the Brother of the Girl
A somewhat sensational affair happened here (Newton) last Friday morning about half past nine o’clock, when Ray Hart, a young man about grown, employed in Longshore & Co.’s cotton brokerage office, was horsewhipped in his own office by Olin Ferrer, the 18-year-old son of Mrs. Emma Ferrer, while Mrs. Ferrer held the young man in subjection at the point of a pistol, the cause for which being alleged insult to the 14-year-old daughter of Mrs. Ferrer.
The evening before, Hart and the girl left her home ostensibly to go to the skating rink, but instead the young girl was persuaded to go to the office of Longshore Co., in the C.R. Hoye building, where the offensive words are said to have occurred.
On learning of the occurrence, the next morning Mrs. Ferrer, the widowed mother of the young girl, armed herself with a pistol, and accompanied by her son, who had a good buggy whip, went to the office of Hart, where he was given a thrashing and ordered to leave town on the next train. The affair was done in a very quiet manner, after which Mrs. Ferrer and her son returned to their home, and Hart, who is from Chicago, left town, and will not likely return.
All are prominent people, Mrs. Ferrer being proprietress of the Central Hotel, and being a widow with six children, of whom her 18-year-old is the eldest, the sympathy of the public is naturally with her. No undue excitement was caused and no further trouble is anticipated.
