The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-09-03
THEY WERE PEACEFUL.
The GrO0yes-Stapleton Feud in
Pierce's Addition.
How Jim StapletOn Whaled the
Whole Grooves Family
Proudly Related by the Elder Staple
ton in Court-Fight Grew So Flu
rious It Scared Small Mil
lie Baker.

| ]. T. Grooves and Joseph Stapleton of
Pierce's addition have been at swords
! points for some time and today their diff
! ficulties are being settled by a jury in
Justice Guys court.
Stapleton's boy, Jim, got into a fight
with Grooves boy, Walter, and as Jim
was the largest of the two. he was giving
! Walter some rough knocks when the
! elder Grooves appeared and the prose-
i cution says, knocked Jim down and
| bruised him. so the elder Stapleton swore
! out a warrant charging Grooves with as
sault and battery.
Joseph Stapleton was the first witness
| called. He is quite deaf and answers the
/ questions put to him in a very loud
! voice. He was first asked by Lawyer
Isenhart if he and his family
were peaceful and law abid-
| ing class of people. He said Yes. We
| never had any trouble until the Grooves
| family started to fuss with us and then
my boy got mixed up with Walter
| Grooves and when Walter Grooves found
he could not whip my boy he called on
! his father and he knocked my boy down,
raised a bump on his head as big as half
| hens egg and skinned his knee
WAS he hurt in any other way?" ask
! ed Isenhart
''Well, rather said Stapleton, his
! nose mashed fiat on his face from
| being struck
| Was your boy able to whip the Grooves
\ boy?" asked the defense.
Yes" said Stapleton.
| Glow do you know?'' was the next
| question.
| Because do know and I'll prove it to
| you" said Stapleton, who was getting
| rather excited and was speaking at the
! top of his voice. about year ago my
! boy got in a fight with Walter Grooves
/ and he whipped Walter; after he whipped
/ Walter the other Grooves boy came out
! and he whipped him, then the mother
came out to where they were fighting and
he slapped her, then the father came and
/ he did him up. Then they all rallied and
| came at him at once and he whipped the
| who4e outfit at once BY this time
/ Stapleton was shouting
You say you are a peaceful family?'
| said Isenhart.
Yes but when we are riled we don't
! take any body's sass
How large is your boy?" asked the
| lawyer.
| LAS big as I am was the answer.
! Stapleton, by the way, is about feet and
| a fraction and weighs close to 100 pounds.
The prosecution then asked if he had
| legged his boy on and the defense OBJ
| jected and the court instructed them to
4
! day was rather warm, and the question
! was allowed to drop.
Willie Baker was called as a witness
| and asked to tell what he knew of the
| fight. Il was out there the prairie
| playing Jacks" and saw Walter Grooves
| coming. Dick Stapleton got some rocks
/ and hid behind the pig pen and laid for
| him. When he got there he threw rock
at him and Walter picked up and
threw back at him and then the rocks
| began to go pretty fast and they were
just a fighting like everything and Dick
picked up a rock and started to strike
| Walter over the head with it and but
! at this exciting point the witness stop
ped.
We'll, what then?' asked Lawyer Isen-
| hart.
well, ran and got behind big tree
| and 1 didn't look any more said Willie
Luther Harris, young colored boy
| aged IA. was called and came up smiling
| showing his white teeth. Luther's vo-
| cabulary is rather limited and he an
| swered ''yas" and ''nuh'' to all the qiles-
| lions and gave but little information.
This is the second trial of this case The
| first jury was equally divided as to the
| guilt of the parties and a trial was
! called for.
! maintained for. 1t will cost hundred or
| two dollars for these two fool families to
! air their silly scraps.