Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 January 1912 — DISUNION IN UNION AT BOTOM OF MELEE FRIDAY. [ARTICLE]

DISUNION IN UNION AT BOTOM OF MELEE FRIDAY.

Mob and Women Engaged In Combat on Coart House Square—Parted With Difficulty By Officers. “In union there te' strength” is an old saying that has never been successfully contradicted, but some Union township people Friday undertook to disprove that altruism. They chose a fine setting for a fistic encounter, the north front of the Rensselaer court house, and, although the battle lasted only a moment or two, a crowd of about fifty people witnessed it from short range, while business offices across the street afforded a fine view for their occupants. It was some classy battle while it lasted, and the hard knocks of the male participants mingled with the hair pullings and the scratchings by the woman, while one of the feminine combatants is said to have taken a right arm swing at one of the assailants of her husband, which indicated that she was about the ablest pugilist in the bunch. The Republican reporter saw only the finish of the scrap and the following aCcount is given ■as gathered from a number Of eye witnesses; Testimony was conflicting and the ac count as here printed may not be entirely accurate. *

John Wells had sued Joseph A Lucas, charging that the latter’s stallion had almost ruined a horse for him by biting it The suit brought quite a number of witnesses to Rensselaer, the case having been sent to Squire Irwin’s court on change of venue from Justice Fay, of Parr. Lucas was represented by A. Halleck, while Logan Wood, of Parr, represented the plainti'ff. The court decided in favor of Lucas. That was not all the glory, however, that he was looking for, and he decided to take a little out of Well's hide. Accordingly be waited just outside the courthouse for his man. When Wells came out, l<ucas started in to beat him up. He took a crack- or two before Wells got into action and Mrs. Wells started in at the same time. She used her. finger nalts with effect, leaving a few marks on Lucas’s face. Then Mrs. Oscar Atwood, a sister of Mrs. Wells, but whose husband had, however, been on tiie Lucas side of the lawsuit, walked in to try to separate Lucas and Wells. She is a large yoUng woman but-it was a poor place for her, as she soon found out One of the "fflfen caught her by the hand and tore her golf mittens into shreds as he jerked her afay. At about this stage of the contest, Ed Myers, a brother of ifttfi MTS. Wells; and Mfs. AlWbod. entered the arena from the rear and Is said to 'have welted LueSs across the head with his fists a few tidies:-Then Mrs. Lucas, who is a tail ahd rather athletic looking woman, todk h hand in thb affray and Is saW to have struck Myers a stlfagfng blow In ‘the mouth with her fisi Myers was not seriously injured, however, and again w»ded in on Lucas: Al Rbbinsbh, whd had been an interested spectator up to this time, decided that LuCaS was th*> tar get for too many ahd to even up matters a trifle he set into Myers, who started to run. Years ago, when “Buck” was in trim, a little footrace would have suited Mm better than anything else, but he haa gqhe back some and was handicapped by iiavipg an overcoat on, Myers took toward the trees in the northeast corner of the court house yard and played tag With A! until Myers dodged n-s pursuer and got away. » . In the meantime Deputy Sheriff Gus Grant and Jury Bailiff sll Irwin and former' nighfwatchman. Lyman Zea all took a hand in the fracas, trying to separate the belligerents. The who’e mass, including the near at hand spectators, surged from * the courthouse steps to the sidewalk in front. The men and yomen were all talking ‘at the same time and ail were making threats, but no serious damage was render and several times jerked away from the officers. His wife clupg to his neck and thus added to , the dramatic effect of the scene. J. L Myers, father of the Wells and Atwood women and of Ed Myers, was a central figure on the stage just before the curtain ran down. It seems that h? ia to have his daughter and son-in-law ejected from the house they occupy and- Atwood was making a declaration of his determination to look after his wife with true husbandly devotion. Myers expressed some doubt about the outcome and Atwood’s wife clung to her husband. Lucas was finally taken into the sheriff's office and after quieting down found that he had broken a bone in bis right hand and Went to Dr .Washburn’s office to have it dressed. Ed • A- ,• * wmmW ....d#':

Myers took advantage of the temporary quiet and got his horse and rig from the hitchbarn and took it straight for Union. Marshal Mustard procured an automobile and tbofodt in pursuit, but he did not get the right road and finally gave up and returned to town. Lucas war arrested on two changes. He plead guilty to assaulting Wells and was fined $5 and costs by Justice) Bruner. In all it amounted to $1348. which he paid. He was also fined |5 and costa for having pushed Mrs, #lelli aside in hid atixtety to get at her husband. He plead *‘qot guilty*” In this case and the evidence was exhaustive. He took an appeal to the circuit court ’ A warrant was sworn out for Myers and Constable “Billy” Parks went after him this morning and brought hito in on the 11:20 train, which was abount an hour late. He was fined $5 and costs in Justice Bruner’s court, amounting to $13.50. Another case has been filed against Lucas by Carey Williams, who alleges that Lucas's stock destroyed ten tons of hay worth S7O for him, and he Wants a settlement Lucas came to Jasper from Redkey, Ind., about two years ago. He has been very much in the limelight. It was Mrs. Lucas No. 2, who was upset by being forced off the road by a Chicago automobilist last spring. Lucas and she were apparently as thick as honey during the time they were prosecuting the Chicago man, but the same day she filed a suit for divorce, making some seusatioßal charges. She went to Indianapolis and . soon after her departure, Mrs.'Lucas “No. V, from whom he .had been, divorced to marry No, 2, came to the Lucas home and took up her residence and has since lived there. This is said to have occasioned some little talk and to be the actual cause of the difficulty between Lucas and Wells. Mrs. Lucas No. 2 procured a divorce In the Jasper circuit --court recently, and it is said that Lucas paid her $3,000 yi ordM- to avoid a lawsuit He Is said td haVe. made a fortunate sale of his Union township farm, clearing about SIO,OOO on it. He to pfenning to move at once to Plainfield and Oscar Atwood and wife wflP go with him. . To find I buyer for your property, try a .classified adv. in to* B