The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-22

employed at the Adams Brothers
printing house. Irving Cratic is en-
ployed at the Crescent grocery.
Physicians en- Stand.
LAS a provider for his family said
DR.. Sloo in giving his testimony, 20.
P. Cratic was worthless. He was bru-
tai to his family. When his wife was
provide for her. She told he
choked her, knocked her down and
used vulgar language before the boys.
Mrs. Crates health is poor, and has
been for the last two years He was
able bodied. She was unable to cope
with him in a physical struggle" DR..
Sloo stated that the blow that caused
the mans death did not necessarily
need to be heavy.
DR.. j. c. McGiIl, on the stand also
gave testimony favorable to the boy.
THE first time 1 ever knew of the
dead man was when 1 got into trouble
with him myself He lived about a
block south of me. I was out in the
yard and heard women and children
screaming down the street. 1 walked
down there and asked what the trouble
was.
-'Bystanders said a man in. the house
had shotgun L stepped to the door
and he pointed toward me with a
double-barreled shotgun and told me
to get back or he would blow my head
off. I stepped back. He followed a
few steps, then turned and went into
the house and got a couple of rocks
and threw them at me. He was fran
tic and wild, like a crazy man.
DIR. McGiH stated that he knocked
Cratic down in the encounter that fol-
lowed and suffered a broken hand.
Il got young fellow who was there
to hold him down while L called the
police. When 1 returned three or four
men were busy holding Cratic down."
Cratic a Frequent Disturber.
DR.. McGin stated this encounter
happened a year or two ago. The city
physician testified as to the good char
acter of the wife and boys and said
that Crates treatment toward his
family was the talk of the neighbor-
hood.
Douglas Mote, assistant city attor-
ney, told of an incident which oc-
CURED some time ago when the po-
lice were called to the Cratic residence
to quiet a disturbance. Il was out
there about 20 minutes said Mote,
land while 1 was there Cratic shook
his fist in his wife's face and said:
I'll get you when the officers leave ="
Following Mote, Frank Mitchell,
1907 Western avenue, testified.
did you regard Cratic as a vicious
or dangerous man"
Yes
What was the reputation of the
boys?''
GOOD.
did Mrs Cratic make frequent
complaints as to abuse from him?''
ITO my wife, yes"
E. D. May, another man who knew
Cratic, stated that he considered the
dead man a menace to the community
when he was under the influence of
alcohol. May stated that he had lived
for 3 years in the neighborhood of
the tragedy.
Mrs Cratic, who is a frail little wo-
man, appears heartbroken over the
affair. Irving Cratic sat in the court
room where the inquest was held this
morning surrounded by his friends,
among whom were included some of
the most prominent men of the city.
Judge t. f. Carver acted as the
boys counsel Judge W. E. Atchison
handled the inquest for the state. Fol-
lowing the jury's verdict young Cratic
was Immediately released. He had
been held by county officials pending
the outcome of the inquest
The jurors who returned the YER
dict were ]. d. Billings, E. NJ. Cap
eron, j. J. Westroop. B. M. Pine, A. f. |
Arthur and E. NJ. Pyne.