The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-11-02
MRS. WOODS ARREST
Charged With Beating and
Wounding Charles Coburn
BROKE UP FISHING PARTY
That Gathered in Her Door
yard on the Sabbath.

Three lonely fishermen sat on the chilly
banks of the Little river on a Sabbath
afternoon. The little fishes darted about
their baited hooks but wouldn't bite. The
fishermen got mad. 1t is alleged they
swore and blackguarded, and became Of
fensive to Mrs. c. L. Woods and her
husband, who live next to the bridge on
Central avenue. and they were ordered
away. they refused to go. Mrs. Woods
went into the house and got the teakettle
full of boilingi water. She strobe out upon
the rivers uneven edge and cast fiery
glances at the head - Of the gang.
The fishermen moved no., neither did they
fish. She advanced further with her tea
kettle, and the leader. a tall, stalwart
fellow laughed at her as much as to say
rats"
Then the trouble began. Mrs. Woods
advanced double quick and before the
head guy could rise from his seat on the
bank, she had covered him with the con-
tents Of the teakettle. Then there was
blue vitriol and combustibles in the air
for several moments. The banks of the
Wabash far away never witnessed such
a scene.
Yesterday Charles Coburn, the stslwart
actor in the above story, appeared at the
office of the city court and had warrant
issued for the arrest of Mrs. Woods,
charging her with assault and battery
The warrant was served by Mr.. Schad
last night and today she will appear be-
fore Mr.. Ebey, the solemn and dignifed
clerk Of the city court. to tell her side of
the fishing story and describe her manipu-
lation Of the teakettle. Mr.. Coburn claims
to have been beat and wounded, but he
doesn't allege anything about being
scalded, though that part of the story
will come in by way of testimony.
Mrs. Woods told a reporter for the
Eagle last night that she did not touch
the fisherman until he had struck her
with his fishing pole. She then picked
up a club and lambasted the fisherman
in good fashion. Then, she said. after
emptying one teakettleful OF water on
him she ran back and got another tea
kettleful and emptied that on him She
said she and her husband had ordered
the fishermen away from the place be-
cause they used indecent language, and
besides, she said, they had no right to
fish in her dooryard on Sunday. 1t was
both against the law and the Bible, es-
pecially at this time of year. She said
the men talked very ungentlemanly to her,
and she thought she had a right TO make
them get off the premises.
Mrs Woods was greatly frightened
when the marshal of the city court read
the warrant to her She cried pitifully
and implOred Mr. Schad to tell her what
they would do with her. She had never
been in a court room before and had no
idea what the course OF the law might
mean in her case.
Her husband was very mad at the
thought of such procedure as Coburn
had taken against a woman. He said he
would go forthwith and swear out a war
rant against Mr.. Coburn for trespassing
and striking his wife with a fishing pole.
If he carries out his threat there will be
q pretty mess in the city court before this
Sabbath fishing episode is through with.
Mr.. Coburn viii push the case against
the woman, because he says he was
beaten and wounded. He has several wit
Eesses summoned on his side of the case.
Among them are Thomas Pike r. E.
Pike, John Willis, J. c. Young and F. NJ.
McCollister.