The Topeka state journal., 1900-04-07
THE CAUSE OF TROUBLE
The Suit Which Precipitated
JetmOre- Balm Encounter
Is Filed.

The suit which was the cause of the
encounter between A. B. Jetmore and
r. H. Balm, in the formers Office, has
been filed in the city court.
Mr.. Balm, as attorney for Isabella A.
F[uester, brings suit against the law
firm of Jetmore & Jetmore to recover
S16O. The petition sets forth that in
June, 1899, Mrs. Kuester employed the
firm of Jetmore & Jetmore to bring
divorce proceedings for her against ner
husband Frank Kuester, and paid $40
as a retaining fee. The divorce was
granted, and the court allowed $3.50 ali
mony. Judge Hazen is quoted as say
ing that he thought the defendant
ought to have $500. The petition fur
ther states that the sum of 5000 in ali
mony was paid into court and that the
firm of Jetmore & Jetmore refused to
turn any of it over to Mrs. KueSter,
and claimed that their fee should be
S275. The suit brought in the city court
is to recover all but $50, which was
thought by the defendant to be a sufll-
cient fee
The law firm claims that the fee
charged is reasonable.
In reference to the alteration with
Mr Balm, Mr.. A. B. Jetmore said:
Mr. Balm came into my Office and
made a demand for a part Of the
Kuester fee, a demand he had made
once before. His manner was insult
Ing IN the extreme. L SAID MI BAN,
his is the second time you have made
this demand So far, it's all right, but
q don't want you to come around here
talking about it again. If you do III
slap your face for you He was just
going out the door, and as L said this
ne turned on me, and saidIm ready to
meet you right now. sir Are you,
said, and with that I let him have it
with my fist. L expected of course that
he turned on me for the purpose of an
encounter, and that is why 1 struck
him. ! saw him down the hall after
] put him out of the office. 1t was the
first trouble of the kind I ever had,
and am sorry it occurred However
Mr.. Balm provoked it."
Mr. Balm said concerning the trouble:
I prepared the Kuester suit for filing
and on my way to the court house
dropped in to JetmOre'S Office to make
a formal demand for the money. l had
talked to him about it once before, but
had really made no demand at that
time / was in the best of humor when
n went in, and after l made a formal
demand for the money joked with
Aaron JetmOre for several minutes
about the matter. All this time Mr.
Jetmore was getting angry, and finally
be called me a scamp. What do yOL
mean. Jetmore2' said I I mean you're
dishOnorable and a rascal said he
I'm no more dishonorable or mOreTof 6
rascal than you are, old man, and don
YOU forget it, said /. If you eVel
come into this office again IN fix you,
said he I'm ready to meet you at any
time, said l. and just then he lungeC
at me and struck me in the breast. 1
has been % years since I engaged il
a hstfc encounter, and had no though
OF mixing up with him. You're making
a fool of yourself, Jetmore' I said
and he then struck me a hard blow il
the face Even then I didn't get angry
and had no thought of Offering resist
ance. However after I walked to tn
court house and filed the suit l com
1nenced to get mad, and came up tn
street looking for either the old maj
or Aaron 1 found Aaron on the street
and / told him 1 was ready to settl
difficulties with him. but I was unabl
TO bring him out. In the office Aaro
followed up his father apparently wit
the idea of helping in the event
offered resistance"
Mr. Balm was not seriously hurt. II
has not so many teeth as he possesse
earlier in the week.