Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-21
QUARREL OVER
DUCKS EMBROILS
TWO FAMILIES
SOCIETY WOMAN IN CUSTODY
CHARGES ASSAULT
MRS. RURRRlDeE SAYS MEsERvE
STRUCK HER
Wife of Broker and cIubman Accuses
Clerk of Superior Court <of
Doing Her Bodily
Injury
TTyHE Burbridge- -Meserve duck "ar
hos broken out anew.

4 has broken out ANEW .4.,
l. Mrs. Maybelle Burbridge, socie.S s
woman. editor of the Pacihc fanciels ia
and wife of Oscar II. Burbridge, prohei rs
and elubman. appeared in Justlce SUM ~
rnerheld,s court yesterday afternoolI IA
response to a telephone messase Co..
ing that a warrant had been 1ssueo io'
her arrest. , mos
Mrs. Burbridge's right arm was
tightly bandaged and carried III shns' ,,s
the result she claims, of injuries In
f1icted upon her by Harry w. MeserVe,
clerk of the superior court, VINO sWore
tn the complaint against her, charging
a disturbance of the peace. Sne was
released on her own recognizance' 10
appear for trial next TUESDAY.
An hour after Mrs. Burprloses ar
rival at the court house second COM
nlain+ was sworn to and warrant Is
sued for the arrest of MeserVe.
Meserve is charged with assault ana
threats.
Mr.. Burbridge was at the court house
with his wife. His own arrest was
caused some six weeks ago by MeserVe'
who charged him with threats to XII.
This case is still pending and the
broker is out on bail.
Started Duck Ranch
The Burbridges and Meserves live on
a large ranch near Inglewood, the 1or-
mer on the east, the latter on the west
side of the property, which is All
claimed by Mrs. Burbridge. About
wear ago the two men entered into the
business of raising ducks for market,
and since that time troubles between
the two families have been frequent
and severe.
When Burbridge was arrested, after
he reached homo early one morning
and discharged ririe several times
mained in that state up to a few days
ago, when MI. Burbridge ordered Me-
serve from the place. Later she gave
a bill of sale for the ducks to Z. M.
Calvert and when she went to the
duck farm yesterday with Albert
Compton, representative of Calvert,
whom he wished placed in charge, the
trouble which resulted in the two ar
rests Yesterday occurred.
''It is a case of blackmail," said Mrs.
Burbridge yesterday. Il sent Mr.
Compton to the duck farm early this
morning to take charge of the place
for Mr.. Calvert. Meserve kicked MIN
told me about it. Then I went back
with him. l told him that Meserve
didn't own a teaspoonful of earth on
that ranch and not to mind what he
said.
when we reached the duck farm
Meserve ordered us off. T asked what
right had he to this, and he said he
owned share of the stock. lie
shfieked and swore and carried on like
a crazy man. Then he struck me on
the shoulder. He tried to turn me
around, saying he was going to kick
me off the place. Finally, when told
him Mr.. Compton was sent by Mr..
Calvert, he left, shrieking threats all
the way up the hill. Two of my ribs
were thrown out of place by his blows
and the doctor says 1t will be four
months before I have fully recovered
from my injuries.
81 was not at home yesterday and
Mrs. Meserve, to whom / have not
spoken for months, went to my nome
and threatened my daughter and two
servants IL they dared to go near her
place. She thought she would play
high jinks while / was absent.
at is piece of blackmail. Mrs.
Meserve said she was going to charge
my husband $4,000 for a dismissal of
the charge against him. I .1ave also
heard that the charge of threats was
brought against Oscar in order to force
him to buy Meserve's interest in the
duck business, which has not been
success"
Meserve in Court
Meserve appeared in Justice Summer
Ieln s court voluntarily anu WitAout
the guiding hand of a constable on
his shoulder. AS in the case of Mrs.
Burbridge, he was also released on his
own recognizanee and was told to come
back this morning for hearing
II had a perfect right" he said. Ito
tell Mrs. Burbridge or anyone else &c
get off that property 1t is mine. tent
porarily at least. for I entered into a
verbal lease with Burbridge for 1t. AS
for that assault-Bah! If Mrs. Bur
bridge had two ribs injured, as she
says, she must have fallen down after
she left my place this morning. /
simply placed my hand gently on her
shoulder and told her she was tres
passing. Then she turned around and
told me if I not take my hand away
she. would have me arrested. Then
knew 7 was up against 1t. She be-
came very abusive and I had her ar
rested. The whole trouble began be-
fore had her husband arrested some
weeks ago. Prior to that she went
through Burbridge's safe and found a
deed to some property from him to
her. I also had a deed to the property
and filed it in the recorders office an
hour before she reached there That
made her angry"
a verbal lease to part of the ranch
property near Inglewood. "He asked
me for one" said the broker "but
told him he should be ashamed to ASK
me TO enter a conspiracy against
woman, and that woman my wife. I'm
$ooUo TO the bad on that duck PROPOSE