Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 285, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1912 — COST NOAH $325 TO STRIKE WOMAN [ARTICLE]

COST NOAH $325 TO STRIKE WOMAN

At That He Got Off Cheap Considering That Woman's Shall Was Slightly Fractured. Noah Yoder 'has been iqore or less in the courts in recent years. His life seems to be crammed full of events that *make business for lawyers and judges. A case was tried in the court here Tuesday and Wednesday, venued here from Newton county, where the Yodqr family resides. Mrs. Clara Tolbert had sued him for 155,000, alleging serious injuries she had suffered at the hands of Yoder on August 21st. The jury debated the matter for about, five house Wednesday evening from 4 to 9 o’clock, and brought in a verdict of $325 and Noah may thus figure himself lucky that it was no worse, as it easily might have been. He was represented by J. A. Dunlap, of Rensselaer, and M. E. Graves, of Morocco. The plaintiff was represented by Rogers Brothers, also of Morocco. IBriefly told, the fracas on August 21st was about as follow®. The reporter was not an eye witness, but would have been ihad an invitatioi been issued, as it is only once in a lifetime that one has a chance to witness a real life drama that has combined comedy and tragedy in big bunches. Life is indeed a stage and Noah and ,his wife and sons and Mrs. Tolbert and her father, Charles Dawson, and a few other relatives played •their parts in the event of Aug. 21st so well that a moving picture of the performance would have proved the sensation of the motion picture stage. Noah owned 'a farm p which Charles Dawson lived. Noah’s sons were doing some plowing on land he owned near where Dawson’s lived. They wanted to put their horses in •the barn that day, but found it occupied by horses of some relatives of the Dawsons, who were there on a visit. Dawson told them they could not put the horses in the barn. One of the boys went back home and told his parents. Noah hitchqd up the spring wagon and went over to see about it. Isis wife rode over with the son. In the meantime Dawson, who was anticipating trouble, had asked two neighbors, John Murfttt and Ren Woolley, to come over and see what happened. All were in the house when the Yoders approached. Mrs. Yoder went to the barn and tnr-ed the visitors’ horses out. Mrs. Tolbert, who is a daughter of Dawson, entered •the barnyard, which was the place where the drama was staged. PV’e came from the upper right, entrance. Mrs. Yoder had the center of the stage. Picture, if you can, the realistic scene. The barn to the left, th<) low-thached house to the up'er right, the ripening fields of maize in the rear, the released stock nibbling the succulent legumes in the fence corners Mrs. Yoder in the center of the stage defying the entire tenant body and all their relatives thrown in, Noah saying ‘‘Me, too; me, too,” and the little Yoders preparing to tie their own horses in the stable. Enter, Mrs. Tolbert. Exchange of uncomplimentary terms and loud shouts of “You're another.” And then a clash of female gladiators. It was some hair-pulling and Mrs. Tolbert seemed to have the best pull. Noah grabbed a fence board. Stealthily he approached the combatants and then “biff,” the board was brought across the head ®f Mrs. Tolbert. Enter, Charles Dawson and sou, Cecil, also John Murfltt and Ben Woolley. Dawson and his son set upon Noah, who beat it to the spring wagon and there standing in thewagon with a single-tree in his hands he held the Dawsorts -at bay. One of the Yoder boys charged frantically from the barn to help his father. O'. Dawson felled him with well-di-rected blow to the head. He arose groggy and met a blow from Cecil Dawson that sent him down for the count. Mrs. Tolbert was bleeding from a big cut in her head, but the blood only served to infuriate her. She and Mrs. Yoder were still in the center of the stage and the Yoders seemed temporarily getting the worst of it. Then another Yoder appeared from the barn. He had a. pitchfork, which is regarded as a very effective weapon in bringing a neighborhood fracas to a finish. During a lull in the fight between the women he slipped the handle of the pitchfork into his mother’s palm. She lost no time in putting this offensive weapon into the conflict and its effect was startling. She cleared the stage of all belligerants in a jiffy. The Yoders seemed to think their mission accomplished and left for home. Noah served notice on the Dawsons to vacate the farm and they vacated. Then Mrs. Tolbert brought the damage suit , She was able to show by the testimony of her physician that her scalp had been laid open for a'space of four or five inches by the blow Noah had struck with the fence board. Also that the skull had been slightly fractured and that particles of the bone I .worked out through the gash in the •ecalp and caused trouble for some time. The recital' of the incident by the witnesses kept the jury in a jovial frame of mind during the progress of the trial When they met in the-jory room to find a verdict there were «' dozen different kindsv.df ideas by as many Jurymen. Some thought IS would be enough, others would have given a thousand. It took five hours to decide on $325. It was expensive amusement, but Noah got off cheap enough, considering that the Yoders went to the Dawson home to force the argument.—‘ ■/ —7 7