The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-28
ESCAPED ALIVE
Ex- officers Bernard and Hutton
Have Lively Experience.
Become Involved i'm a Family
Row at Perry.
Case Against Them For Dis.
turbing Peace Dismissed.

The case in the Justice court at
Perry against Win Hutton, Henry Ber-
nard, ex-Topeka police officers and
Edith Willetts for disturbing the peace,
was today dismissed, and the costs as
sessed to the prosecuting witness, Link
Willetts, a brother-in-law of Mrs. Ed :
it'll Willetts.
This case, in which two of Topeka's
ex-policemen were unwillingly mixed,
has a streak of comedy. 1t is a badly
mixed affair, but as near as can be
CLEANED from the participants, Mrs.
Willetts did not suit the family of her
husband, and they made strenuous eff
forts to part them. The husband is an
invalid, and liable to die at any time
and Mrs. WillettS declares that it is the
purpose of the family to keep them
apart until he dies. with view of Sc
curing his property, and leaving her out
in the cold. A little over a week ago,
the wife received brief note from her
sick husband, in which he said: For
God sake, Edith, come and get me, /
want to die at home.''
Mrs. Willets was in quandary. She
had been repeatedly denied sight of
her husband, who was lying sick at the
home of his parents. or miles below
Granville, and about week before
this was arrested on a complaint made
by his family. charging her with dis
peka and asked the advice of Judge
George W. Clark. He went to Carl
Golf, police sergeant, and asked him
for two good men to go with Mrs. Will
let's. and keep her from being harmed
by the family. while she talked with
her husband. Golf recommended Hut
ton and Bernard, who were out of a
job. Mrs. Willetts hired a buggy, and
the three went to the house where her
husband was confined. Here the little
woman showed her pluck by taking the
lead. They knocked on the door but
who was anxious to see her husband.
opened the door and stepped inside.
Three sisters-in-law and an irate
mother-in-law were waiting for her.
They struck her several times before
the ex-policemen could interfere but
she broke away and rushed into the
next room where her husband lay sick.
The scene that followed was touching
to the men, as it looked sad to them,
but had no effect on the women of the
house.
Mrs Willetts knelt sobbing by the
bedside, and her husband put his arms
around her neck. "Edie," he said, II
guess I must die here, but want you
to take the baby with you"
mo you won't" yelled Mrs. Mother
Willets, who proceeded to strike the
wife of her son with a club. Bring me
the AK she yelled to a daughter, land
/ will split her - head" A pitched
battle ensued. The women used clubs
and other weapons, and they were re-
inforced by three men and another
woman, who suddenly appeared on the
scene. Bernard and Hutton had re-
ceiVed several blows in the melee, but
refrained from striking back. They
braced up wonderfully when the men
appeared, and were at home" to all
callers. After the belligerents had been
subdued Bernard and Hutton loaded
Mrs. Willets and her child into the
buggy, despite the objections of the
others, and departed. They first went
to Mrs. WilletS' home, three miles from
the scene of warfare, but the poor
woman was afraid to stay alone and
came on to town with the officers. HeI
brother-in-law, Link" Willets, gave
chase with a band of trusty retainers,
and when he reached her home fired
several shots into the house, which
shows that she did well to move on.
Willets then swore out a warrant for
all three of Them and they were ar
rested by a constable and taken to
Perry, where they gave $500 bond to
appear today. The prosecuting witness
evidently weakened, and the case was
dismissed. He was probably afraid of
the result of an investigation Hutton
wore sore head for several days as
the result of a connection with a club.
when it comes to a free-for-a with
women, count me out" say both the