Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-05-15
KIPLING- BALESTIER.
A Family Row That Was Heard
Around the World.
BaIestIer Held I'm the sum of s1OO to
Keep the Peace, and S1OO Additional
to Appear at the County Court.

BrattlebOrO, all because OF family row
that was aired in court, and one of the per
sons involved happened to be Rudyard
kiplng, the eminent novelist. Thither
have come newspaper writers who concoct-
ed descriptions that did not describe, and
who drew illustrations that did not illus.
trate. The writers and the "artists" were
here to get sensation, and the material
was worked for all it was worth.
The first that the public knew that there
was a family jar was late Saturday after
noon, when Beatty Balestier was arraigned
before Justice VIM. S. Newton. He had
been arrested by Deputy Sheriff Starkey
on a complaint sworn out by States Attor-
ney G.. c. Fits. The complaint charged
Balestier with breaking the peace on May
in Brattleboro by making an assault up
on Rudyard Kipling with force and arms"
1t was alleged that he called Kipling OPP
probrious and indecent names, and that
with force and arms he did threaten Kip
| ling that he would kill him.
States Attorney G. C. Fits appeared for
the prosecution, assisted by Haskins &
Stoddard, and G. b. Hit was counsel for
Balestier. Mr.. Kipling's counsel moved
that the hearing be continued until Tues
day. This request was granted. There
was considerable discussion as to Bales
tiers bail, the question of bonds for keep
ing peace until Tuesday and for appear
| ance at that time arising. He was finally
| released on his own recogniZance, after
Mr.. Kipling had offered to go bail rather
than have Balestier sent to the lookup, and
Balestier had spurned this aid.
The story of the hearing and of the as
sault appeared in the city newspapers of
Sunday. There were still longer accounts
in Mondays papers, showing the relations
of Kipling with Beatty Baestier's brother,
the late Walcott Balestier, the two having
written 1.-The Naulahka" together; of
Kipling's wooing and wedding Caroline
Balestier, the sister of his collaboration,
etc.
The distinguished Balestier ancestry was
| touched upon, even to mentioning Beatty
Balestier's maternal grandfather, E. Pc
shine Smith, the New York jurist who was
| adviser of the Mikado of Japan on interna-
tiOnal law and who did as much or more
than any other man to bring the hOwery
kingdom under the light of modern prog
ress. And So ad libitum.
The case was dished up for clientele all
over the country Tuesday morning, and
here the correspondents who had come
from out of town stopped over completely
by interviewing Beatty Balestier and Civ
ing view of the case which not one per
son in 100 in Brattleboro would counte-
nance. Here are a few choice samples:
almost to man, the sympathy of the
townsfolk is with Beatty as everybody
calls him. Kipling by his eccentric de-
meaner and his arrogant manner toward
the residents of the town, has aienated
many friends"
"His conversation (Balestier's,) indi-
Gates that he has a sense of honor. He
deplores the trouble, but holds that now
that kipling has seen fit to charge him
with attempting to take his life, that the
trouble shall be sifted to the bottom"
The hearing came Tuesday forenoon,
and the large crowd of spectators who
crowded into Judge Newton's office made
adjournment to the town hall necessary,
kipling was sworn as a witness. Mr..
Fits first asked him about his residence
here, ETC., and then began on the proceed
ings OF last week Wednesday, which took
place in the strip of woodland south of the
Bliss farm.
Kipling had just fallen from his bicycle
and cut his wrist, when Beatty Balestier
drove around the curve.
Beatty pulled up his horse close to the
wounded cyclist and sang out: "See here,
l want to talk with you"
The men had spoken only once or twice
for year, and Kipling replied: ''If you
have anything to say, say it to my lawyer"
by -, this is no case for lawyers"
was Beatty's lurid response, which was
followed by other vocal explosions, like
"If you don't retract those lies. l
Will punch the - -- soul out of you.
l will give you a week in which to retract,
and if you don't, l will blow out your
- brains"
Through these blue streaks Kipling's
voice at length penetrated, thusly: "You
will only have yourself to blame for the
consequences.
Beatty hurled back this: "Do you mean
TO threaten me, you - --?"
Kipling could not remember much else
that followed except that Balester ap-
piled to him such names as ''liar. thief.
cheat and coward
Then Beatty drove down to the cross
roads, so yards away, turned around and
started back home, while Kipling began
to push, not ride, his bicycle toward Brat
tleboro. Beatty did not dismount from the
carriage, but waved his hands and shout
ed loudly, and Kipling testified that he
seemed not in his right senses.
Are you afraid of him?n asked the
states attorney.
~ honestly think he would kill me If
he lost his head some time" said Kipling.
Mr.. Hit conducted the cross-examina-
ton. Kipling said there was no open fric
ton between himself and Balestier until
about year ago. Balestier's conduct be-
fore then had not been satisfactory, how
ever. After visit to Balestiers house. in
May of last year, the elimination came.
Since then, there were no dealings between
the two men, and they had spoken only
once or twice.
Kipling explained that he went to Bales
tiers house twice with the intention of
having their relations friendly, but Bales
tier dropped him altogether 1t appeared
that Balestier had acted as business agent
for Kipling, and that he was accustomed
to send in kind of bill, which was al
ways paid by Mrs. Kipling. The last bill
was rendered this spring, and Kipling him
self drew check for $40 in payment.
The author was Intercepted as to al
legged statements to the effect that he and
Mrs. Kipling had assisted Balestier to
large sums which he was owing. Being
pressed as TO his conversations as to his
financial relations with Beatty, he said
that Col. Goodhue had asked: "Have YOU
not been holding Beatty up by the skirt of
his trousers?' Kipling said he told Col.
Goodhue that he had been doing all he
could for him.
Kipling denied that he had talked freely
about his accounts with Beatty.
81 suppose you did not talk with the re-
pOrteIspn said Mr. Hit