Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-05-18
HIT HIM IN THE FACE
And She Did It Eight Times, Mrs.
Van Metre Tells Jury.
DAVID RUSSLER SUES HER
Mrs. WANDERERS Evidence is Unique
and Abuses Spectators, lawyers
and Jurors.

Z
and Jurors.
That she hit him In the mouth and
that she did IL seven or eight times
and that she bruised her hand In do
ing II, was what Mrs. VanMetre took
particular pains to Impress upon the
the minds OF the jury and lawyers
when she was brought before Justice
Felker on Monday for assaulting Da-
vid Russler when he came to get his
stova recently. After hearing the ev-
idence the jury returned verdict In
her favor.
\ A short time back David Russler
went to get stove from the place
run by Mrs vanMetre, which he claim
ed he had only loaned to her. She
resented his taking hts property away
and did so in such vigorous fashion
that she practically put him out OF
business Mr. Russler felt that he
could not hit woman, but he knew
that the law gave redress so he securs
ed the services OF w B Lindsay and
had him bring an action against Mrs.
Van METRE The case was heard on
Monday.
4 Mrs. vanMetre Describes Scene.
4 The Testimony OF Mrs vanMetre
was what might be called choice. In
4 fact. listener described 1t as the
i best ever" One had to be there to
appreciate 1t. The infections OF the
voice and the gestures made II truly
!. unique. She said: Il tried to live
Il right am all right. It's all him. |
have lived right until | saw his face
He came In and said, Good morning
Sally, came after my stove. Dave
. Russler. you had better not do that
He told the boy to go and get some
one to come and get the stove. My
hot dinner was on ana the stove had
! 40 gallons of water in 1t. I said, Dave
/ Russler, go out of here. told him
, three times before hit him. did hit
| him. hit him In the face eight times.
beat him with this right fist (show-
ed her fist) as hard as [ could He
woldn't go out.
so | took him with this hand
, Showed the other handl and put him
In the corner and beat him In the
] mouth uy,fh fhfa fat (chous the nthar
fist.) DO You want me 10 show you how
, hard | beat him." she asked OF the
lawyers. They excused themselves
hastily and politely amid laughter.
do you jurymen want me to show
your" The jurymen also respected
her prowess and declined with thanks.
He was determined to stay in. He
wasn't the first man have thrown
out, The stove belonged TO me for a
year"
Il RussIer Denies and Lawyers Fuss
. David Kussier, OF course, denied that
he had offered to sell the goods to
!, Mrs. VanMetre and said that he told
her she could have them for little
while.
J. M. Woods made the principal
speech to the jury for David Russler
. and the state. He opened by saying
that 1t was an unpleasant duty he had
!, to perform--to prosecute a woman.
|. But he said that she had admitted the
, ofrense apd she thought she was
dlvnely appointed agent Of Providence
TO clean out the Russler family and
that while the only proper thing for
man to do. when attacked by
woman, was to get away, that the law
meted out the same justice to a man
as to woman and that the duty Of the
jury was clear. d. w. Snyder replied
TO Mr.. Woods, saying that one has
right to defend the property he pos
Fsesses. Mr. Snyder was decidedly elo.
! quent; so much so In fact. that Mr..
Lindsay after he had finished, took
turn at the Jury and tried to ease away
the impression that Mr.. Snyder had
made, fNl
The case went to the jury about
430 and verdict discharging the
woman was returned
THE MARTINsBuaG BUSINESS