The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-12-03
WOMAN ROUTS
LAND AGENTS
Who SLUG man
Rescues Phillip Barker From
Dalton and Hopper After He
Is Badly Beaten.
SHAKES FISTS AT
MR.. HOUCK'S AGENTS
Assailants of Aged Man to be
Arrested Monday, Says
Chief.

While L. l.. Dalton and Presley Hop
per, land agents for Louis Houck, were
taking turns in smuggling Phillip Bar
ker, more than 20 years old, an uni
Identified woman of slender build, step
ped between the men, seized Dalton by
the arm and tongue-lashed the two
sluggers until peace Was restored.
"Hit me, you big boobs! Hit me-"
cried the woman who was almost hys-
terical. "Tm q woman, but | am able
to defend myself better than that fee
BILE old man"
She glared at Hopper and then at
Dalton, and her clutched fists We're as
surances that she meant all she said.
Just let me sec either one Of yOu
hit this old grandpa again, and III
smash you right on the noscw she
Kissed at the two land agents.
Hopper and Dalton were whipped.
While they had not been touched by a
fist, they had simply been Knocked out,
figuratively speaking, by a woman
who could talk and who was willing
to do the fighting for man too old
to defend himself.
The incident occurred at Spanish and
Independence streets, yesterday after
noon. While more than fifty men wit
messed the beating administered to
Barker, no one protested. When the
mysterious woman had had her say,
the male spectators vanished as quick
ly as did Hopper and Dalton.
Barker, who was accompanied by his
5-year old grandson, came to the city
to ask favor of the land agents of Mr.
HOuck. Barker is q tenant on one of
the many Houck farms south of the
Cape, and the favor he sought had to
be granted by Dalton or Hopper, he
told the police.
The men met in front of the City
Drug store, independence and Spanish
streets. They had not been cOnversing
long until they began an argument,
but it did not attract attention until
Dalton, who is six feet tall, struck
Barker in the face, knocking him
down. He then kicked the aged man
off the sidewalk, according to wit
neSSeS.
Barker struggled to his feet and de-
clared he would have Dalton arrested.
And during his remarks he applied
epithets to Dalton. Hopper. who was
standing by, struck the aged man, and
he fell to the pavement for the second
time. The blows discolored the aged
mans eyes and a long cut was in
flicted Just under the left optic.
Barker again arose and requested
that the police be summoned. At this
moment, a woman of slender stature,
wedged her way through the crowd of
men, stepped toward the little grand
son of the aged farmer The child was
weeping. Pushing the boy aside, she
rushed up to Dalton and extended her
clinched fist to his face and then is
sued her ultimatum. The fight was
over. Neither Dalton nor Hopper
had a word to say in reply to the
woman's threat.
The woman, who declined to reveal
her name, remained with Barker and
his grandson while the two land agents
disappeared up the stairway, leading
to their offices over the City Drug
store.
Barker told his story to the police,
but as no officer had witnessed the
encounter, neither Dalton nor Hopper
was arrested. Barker was asked to
see the Prosecuting Attorney and have
a warrant issued for his two assail-
ants.
Chief Hutson stated last night that
Mr.. Barker had not yet procured the
warrant. of he does not apply for a
warrant by Monday" said the Chief, |
dalton and Hopper will be arrested
on warrant issued at the request of |
n witness tO tho enpouptorv