Madame Bridges House of Ill-fame Drama 1822 Massachusetts

According to Boston newspapers Captain J H Berry of Newbury, Massachusetts pressed charges of assault against Mary Bridges, aka the "Madam" in 1822. Bridges ran a “house of ill fame” in Marblehead, Massachusetts and Berry was told on good authority he would receive a satisfactory, warm welcome. Berry did not get that lucky. Bridges stabbed him and he almost bled to death in a snow bank. The police rescued Berry from his frosty condition and arrested Bridges. Bridges demanded a trial and told Judge French that Berry was “noisy and riotous” and got a little too demanding with her ladies. He could not take “NO” for an answer. She threatened harsh measures with him and asserted to take him out with her sword. Bridges testified that she booted him out the door with help from her sister and insisted that Berry must have received the wound trying to get back in through the window. She claimed she had placed a sword in the window for safety precautions. The judge was not buying Madam Bridges story and slapped her with a hefty fine and ordered her to pay Berry for his medical cost.