A man named John Slaven who rotates continually between the poor house, penitentiary, and county jail, and who manages to be an almost constant inmate of one or the other of these institutions, was up before Justice Calahan, this morning, charged with assualt and battery on Mary Branney, who swore that John had kicked her in the mouth and knocked three of her teeth down her throat, and besides the uncomfortable sensation produced by such a sudden and unexpected removal of her dental formations, she felt the loss of them severely, as they were the only ones left, and being front teeth, their absence was not calculated to improve her appearance, which wasn't anything to brag of before. Mr. Slaven stated in defense that his wife and Mrs. Barney (sic) lived together in a cellar on North 6th street, E.D., that having returned from a protracted visit to Flatbush, went night before last to see his wife and found Mrs. B. there. The woman, instead of being glad to see him, went to work and beat him badly. The defense was all susceptible of proof, but the Justice thought it didn't justify Mr. Slaven, even though the women were as bad as himself. He therefore sent him to the penitentiary for couple of months.
Brooklyn (New York) Daily Eagle, September 14, 1860.
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