"She swung a handsome unbrella in one hand with an air of quiet determination." (Image by Amelia Van Buren.)

A willowy widow who was wronged wickedly wielded an umbrella to gain a measure of revenge against a pair of railroad executives in Brooklyn in 1889. The Daily Eagle provided a blow-by-blow account in its March 31 edition (and the Times also provided a report of the unusual confrontation.) An excerpt:

“A tall, thin, willowy blonde woman, elegantly attired in a black dress, a black hat, a close fitting green tailor made coat, with a fur boa around her neck, walked uneasily back and forth in front of the entrance to the offices of the Union Elevated Railroad, 31 Sands street, on Friday morning. It lacked a few minutes of being 9 o’clock and it was apparent that she was expecting some one at that hour. She swung a handsome unbrella in one hand with an air of quiet determination.

She had not long to wait. Presently a carriage drove up to the curb and out stepped Major Stephen Pettus, the secretary andf treasurer of the Union Elevated Railroad, and Mr. Joseph Elliott, his brother in law and one of the directors of the road.

‘You scoundrel! You deceiver! You heartless betrayer!,’ screamed the tall, thin woman, as soon as she caught sight of Major Pettus and Mr. Elliott.

There was a tremendous scene forthwith and a crowd of people, who had been hurrying toward the bridge, paused and gathered around to listen. Messrs. Elliott and Pettus made some rapid and vehement remarks, and the tall young woman lent emphasis to her derogatory statements concerning the two railroad magnates by brandishing her umbrella and whacking and thumping Messrs. Elliott and Pettus with it as fast as she could. She first directed her attack against Major Pettus, and when Mr. Elliott stepped between she turned her attention to him and he had to put up his arm to defend his head and shoulders from the shower of blows she rained upon him.

"He had to put up his arm to defend his head and shoulders from the shower of blows she rained upon him." (Image by Jean D'Alembert.)

The street was full of people and a big crowd collected in a twinkling. There was a great deal of excitement. An officer was close by, but did not interfere and no arrests were made. Messrs. Elliott and Pettus escaped upstairs into the railroad offices and the woman went away.

In the afternoon when the reporter called he was informed by a servant that Major Pettus was not at home and that Mrs. Pettus was entertaining company in the parlor and could not be disturbed. In the evening Mr. Elliott was found at the house. He said that Major Pettus had been sick all day and was lying in bed asleep. Mr. Elliott was asked to relate the particulars of Friday’s sensational occurrence. He said:

‘Major Pettus and I are the persons who were assaulted. This woman was waiting for us and when we reached the sidewalk in front of 31 Sands street she applied every conceivable derogatory epithet to us.’

‘What is the name of the young woman?’

‘She is Mrs. Hannah Martin Southworth. She is a widow, I believe. I do not think she has any children. I do not know whether her husband ran away  or is dead. If he is dead he is probably in heaven.’

‘You know her?’

‘Oh, yes. I have known her for several years.’

‘Did Major Pettus also know her?’

‘Yes, he knew her well.’

‘What was the nature of her charges against you?’

‘That is a private matter which I do not propose to discuss.’

He positively refused to discuss the nature of Mrs. Southworth’s charge against Major Pettus, on the ground that the Major was a married man, whose domestic affairs ought not to be dragged into the newspapers under any circumstances.

‘This woman merely wants the earth. She is a holy terror.'”