Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 238, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1914 — EAR WINS DECISION [ARTICLE]

EAR WINS DECISION

Missing Member Brought Into Court by Owner. Woman Refuses to Undo Bandaged Head, But Convinces Judge She Was One Ear Less by Displaying Relic in Glass Jar. - New. York. —Mrs. Edith Matthews* ear won the decißion. When Magistrate Levy, in the Harlem court, looked at the exhibit in the glass jar he didn’t need any further testimony, but was able to dispose of the case at once, and all because Mrs. Matthews had the foresight to bring her ear with her in a jar of alcohol. There was no doubt that Mrs. Matthews had reason to be in court. She and Mrs. Bell McKay had an argument. It was so strenuous that when the police separated the contestants Mrs. Matthews had one ear less than when the fight started. "The missing member, it is alleged, was tightly clenched between the teeth of_her opponent. As Mrs. Matthews said, “You have to expect to hava your hair pulled in an argument, but when they bite your ear off 4t is too much.” After she had been to the hospital and had the wound dressed, she went to the police, station, and detectives found Bell McKay, who lives at 18 West One Hundred and Thirty-third street. She was taken to court, and Mrs. Matthews followed, she had her head swathed in bandages, and in her hand she carried a satchel. Bell denied that she had bitten off Mrs. Matthews’ ear, and Magistrate Levy demanded that he be shown. “Do you mean I’ll have to take off these bandages?" asked Mrs. Matthews. “That would hurt too much. I couldn’t do that." "My orders must be obeyed,” said the magistrate, and court attendants went to the woman’s side to help her undo the bandaging. Befofe they could reach her Mrs. Matthews reached down to the satchel by her side and took from it a jar. Then she turned to the magistrate and said, “Are you sure you want to see my ear?” “My order is final," said Magistrate Levy. “Well, then, here it is,” she said, holding up a glass jar. “This is it in alcohol. The doctors up at Harlem hospital did this for me, so I could

bring it to court and not have to take the bandages off. They said that might prevent the wound from healing so quickly." Even Magistrate Levy was forced to smile, but he said that that was evidence enough for him that her ear was not where it belonged. He then said that he would hold the prisoner for a further hearing. - Placing the bottle back in the satchel, Mrs. Matthews walked from the court as if nothing out of the ordinary bad happened. “We get some funny cases in this court,” said an attendant, "but when they start bringing evidence in bottles it is pretty nearly the limit, f don’t know what kind of evidence we will have brought to us next."