The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-24
BRETHREN USE THEIR FISTS.
A Battle that was Fought in Front of the
Grocery in Hampstead Village.

HEMPsTEAD, July 23.-Stephen Powell and
Oliver Hewlett are respected fellow townsmen of
Hampstead. Both are pillars in the same Meth
odist church Brother Powell is merchant,
was a trustee of the village for many years, and
is stiff in his boots pecuniarily. Brother Hew-
lett is farmer, and is also we'll to do. Brother
Powell has an interest in plank road on the
line of which, some distance from the village,
Brother Hewlett lives. Brother Hewlett's house
is just the other side of the nearest toll gate to
Hampstead, and it has been joke in the neigh
borhood to say that when he goes to town he
avoids bothering the gatekeeper by making a
detour around the gate and getting into Hemp
stead by way of the Garden City road.
Brother Powell took the matter seriously, and
looked upon it with the eye OF disfayor. Brother
Powell was strongly Of the opinion that Brother
Hewlett should, if he did not, travel the straight
and narrow plank road and pay his tolls. Early
last Tuesday evening the two brethren met in
front Of the grocery in Hampstead, and the sub
ject of Brother Hewett's alleged circuitous
method OF travelling was introduced as a topic
OF conversation by the somewhat abrupt remark
on the part of Brother Powell:
You sneak around the toll. gate to Get ont of
paving"
Brother Hewletts reply was terse:
You're liar"
No sooner was this opinion Of Brother Powell
utUeEeu tldu lHo NllIaSerS StanQlng ABOUT were
astonished to behold the respectable Brother
Powell suddenly assume a paralytic attitude
evidently intended as a posture of prize ring
self defense, and began cantering around Brother
Hewlett who also was holding out his arms in
painfully cramped way and kicking up the dirt
III mad gambols about Brother Powell. Before
the amazed spectators could decide whether the
two brethren were really thirstng for gore or
were simultaneously suffering from sudden and
violent attack of st. VituSS dance, the two
church pillars bumped together with a mighty
crash, and, after swaying a moment as though
blind Samson had an arm around each pillar of
the church. Hewlett fell to the earth with
dull thud. For one instant there was an awful
silence. Then came a great clawing and
scrambling, and through the dense cloud of dust
that arose there could be heard fierce snorts and
ont of the obscurity suddenly shot Brother Hew-
lett his arms still maintaining their rigid cramp
and his eyes flashing fury. Again did the two
respectable fathers of families begin that mad
rotary motion, and again did they crash together,
this time Brother Powell going to the earth and
disappearing from view in the impalpable pow
Island SOIL
BY this time a quick-wtted bystandor had
mastered the awfu; truth. Brothers Powell and
Hewlett were fighting. The Mortified spectators
swept down upon them and tore them asunder
An attempt of Brother Hewlett to rotate around
his two horse wagon and dash himself against it
was suppressed. The arms of both brethren
were bent back into natural shape and they
were got away TO the bosoms Of their families.
The excitement is intense.