Axe-wielding Woman

Was William Howard's life threatened by an axe-wielding woman, or was there another explanation?

The details
In January 1902, William Howard claimed his wife had attempted to murder him with an an axe. The policemen from Redan went off the investigate: "A man named Wm. Howard called at the Redan police station at a late hour on Wednesday night and reported that his wife had endeavored to slaughter him by chopping him down with an axe. As Howard was covered with blood, the police hurried off to the scene of the alleged attempted tragedy. On interviewing Mrs. Howard they found that matters were quite the reverse of what they had been represented by Howard. The woman explained that her husband had ill-treated her. On returning home that evening he had knocked out two of her teeth. The blood that flowed from her mouth was bespattered over her assailant when she was defending herself from his attack. The police advised the woman to take legal proceedings."