ɹˈeɪz pətˈɪʃən vˈɪvɪdli ɪvˈoʊks ðə vˈaɪələns ʌvðə mˈæɹɪdʒ, dᵻskɹˈaɪbɪŋ ɐn ˈɪnsɪdənt ɪnwˌɪtʃ ðə hˈʌsbənd fˈɜːst bɹˈoʊk ðə bˈɛdstɛd, sˌoʊ ðætðə wˈaɪf lˈeɪ dˌaʊn ɔnðə flˈoːɹ, ænd ðˈɛn "wɛnt dˌaʊn stˈɛɹz, ɡɑːt ɐn ˈæks ænd ɹᵻtˈɜːnɪŋ, ɹˈɪpt ˌʌp ðə plˈæŋks ɪnðə flˈoːɹ", wɪððɪ ɪntˈɛnʃən ʌv kˈɔːzɪŋ hɪz wˈaɪf tə fˈɔːl θɹuː ænd bɹˈeɪk hɜː nˈɛk.
Ray's petition vividly evokes the violence of the marriage, describing an incident in which the husband first broke the bedstead, so that the wife lay down on the floor, and then "went down stairs, got an ax and returning, ripped up the planks in the floor", with the intention of causing his wife to fall through and break her neck.