The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-10-22
WOMEN QUARREL,
HUSBANDS JOIN
IN A KNIFE DUEL
Jess Statler and Earl Marlin
Dangerously WOnded In
Battle on Staircase
ONE WOMAN AIDS HER
HER HUSBAND IN FIGHT
Holds Opponent as Husband
Slashes-Affray Occurs at
Main Street House

In knife and fist fight in which
one mans wife helped hold his oppon
ent while her husband stabbed anC
slashed, two men last night were
wounded dangerously at 31A North
Main street. The fight grew out of al
alteration between the wives of the
men.
The fighting began at the head OF
the staircase and continued till one OF
the men had been knocked down and
kicked almost senseless as he lay in thc
street after he had run from the house
The injured men are:
Jes F. Statler, % years old, of 92S
Giboney avenue, Milltown, scalp
wounds over the left ear about five
inches long, three long flesh wounds
across the back and two stabs pene-
trating between the ribs in the middle
of his back.
Earl Marlin, % years old, 31A North
Main street, shoe worker, flesh
wounds on the back and stab pene-
trating the right lung under the arm.
Condition serious at St. Francis Hos
pital.
Marlin and his wife, Emma Marlin,
reside in an apartment in front of the
Main street address, while Mrs R. j.
Wills, with two children, Cleo Wills, "A
years old, and Leola Wills, 10. occupy
a two-room apartment in the rear on
the second floor.
Statler's kife is a daughter of Mrs.
Wills. Last evening Statler and his
wife walked from their home in Mill
town to the Wills home, where they
visited for several minutes in the Wills
apartment. They had gone to the Ii
brary on their way to obtain some
books.
About o'clock, they all prepared to
go to a moving picture show in Haarig.
Statler said that he had only 60 cents
left from his former weeks wages, but
that he was determined to take his
mother-in-law and her children all to
the show, because he had promised to
do so.
Statler is employed part time at the
Cape Cooperage plant, and two years
ago had been employed as a wagon
driver for the U. S. Express Company.
He is well-known about the Cape
The five persons came out of the
Wills apartment and started for the
front staircase leading to the street.
StatIer and his wife were walking in
front with Cleo holding one of Stat
ler's hands, and Mrs. Statler holding
his other arm.
As they reached the head of the
stairs, Mrs. Statler related last night,
after the cutting, the door Of the Mar
lin apartment opened and Mrs. Mar
lin stepped out, followed by her hus-
band.
Mrs. Wills, who is 5S years old, and
her 10-year-old daughter stopped as
the Martins came out in the hall, they
related.
An alteration between Mrs. Statlar
and Mrs. Marlin followed. According
to the story that Mrs. Statler told the
police and The Tribune, Mrs. Marlin
asked Statler if she had been telling
him any stories about his wife.
Statler remarked that she had not,
and started to pass on down the stairs.
The alteration between the women
continued and Stalter stopped. Mar
lin interrupted the women, whereupon
Statler said that he did not want to
have any trouble.
Statler declares that Marlin there
upon threatened to kill him "before he
could get out of the place"
Mrs. Marlin grabbed Mrs. Statler by
the hair, the latter charges, and struck
her on the head. Statler attempted to
get his wife away from Mrs. Marlin.
Mrs. Marlin then grabbed Statler by
the hair and arm, Mrs. Statler says,
and Marlin then commenced cutting
with his knife.
Statler said that Marlin slashed him
on the side of the head first. He then
said he believed he was cut on the back
and stabbed there. The two men
fought down the steps, Marlin and
Statler by that time both cutting each
other and attempting to grab each 9TH
er's knife.