The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-11-04
She Was Out Riding With An
other i'm Automobile.
He Catches Up With Her and
Drags Her Across Street.
IDEA SHE BELONGED TO HIM
Excuse to Judge Was That of
Prior Company Rights.
Now Walter Petit Must Serve
Six Months in Jail.

4 -
/ Walter Petit doesn't know anything
about prehistoric cave men and that
/ sort of thing but it may only have
been a reversion to the primitive that
caused him to haul his Iady-love out
of another mans automobile, drag
her across the street into his own, then
! rap her over the nose and between
the eyes to keep her quiet
That sort of thing, minus the auto
| mobiles, would have been looked upon
with great favor in the most select
society a good many centuries ago.
Descriptions of it make "best sellers
of some very ordinary books Writers
say the women fall for it in books and
when they know none of their relatives
is getting hurt.
But Viola Doyle didn't fall for it.
4 She visited the county attorney and
told her story. Twenty minutes later
Walter Petit, modern cave man, had
| been arrested, had pleaded guilty, had
been given two verbal trimmings, had
| been sentenced to six months in the
county Jail and had begun his sem
tence.
After all that he wanted to see a
lawyer.
Viola Doyle is a girl perhans %
years of age. When she reached the
county attorneys office she could
barely see. One eye was covered with
a big bandage and the other was swol-
len almost shut. Both eyes were great
black splotches and she said the bridge
of her nose was broken.
w. E. Atchison, county attorney,
| who has listened to hundreds of un-
usual stories, was more indignant than
is his custom. He remained indignant
until Petit had been taken to the
county Jail.
walter and I have been keeping
company for year." said the girl.
'and he has always been more or less
jealous. He never wanted me to go
with anyone else and L haven't very
often.
Went on Joy Ride.
Last Thursday night 1 had
chance to take automobile ride
with another girl and two boys, and
went. We were driving along when
we met another automobile with two
men in it. They flashed a light on us
and 1 saw it was Walter and Roy
| Roberts.
I'VE drove on tc get away from
them. They followed us all over town.
We drove down East Third street and
turned south on Monroe. Too late we
discovered that the crossing on Fourth
| street was barred. We couldn't get
across and the other car drove up be-
side us.
walter dragged me out of the car
and forced me into the car he was US
ing. / screamed and told him would
have him arrested. He hit me here
over the nose with his fist. He told
me if he ever caught me with anyone
again he would kill me- He had q
monkey wrench in his hand then and
threatened me with it,
what was the boy with whom you
had taken the ride doing all that
timer" asked the county attorney.
Nothing"
Her Company Looked On.
''You mean your company sat there
and watched Petit beat you up?' ds
manded Mr. Atchison.
We'll he didn'et help me any,"
Mr.. Atchison tried to learn the name
of the cavalier but the girl did not
tell
Petit was arrested soon after the
girl told her story and was taken to
the court house. He was there in the
girls presence when she repeated
parts of the story.
What excuse have you to offer for
this cowardly ?" asked Mr.. Atch-
tison.
''well,' hesitated Petit. a big husky
young man, "she was running around
with another fellow"
What business was that of yours?s'
We've been going together for a
year"
she's no relative of yours, is she?
What right has a great big hulking
even if she is with another man? It's
the most cowardly trick that has come
to my notice. Why didn't you tackle
the fellow who was with her-afraid
of him. were you?'' concluded M.
Atchison-
/ Wanted No Fine.
Petit was taken to the court of To-
peka where he entered plea of guilty.
Mr.. Atchison asked Judge Hugh Fish
er to give him the limit and not to
consider a fine.
THE law fixes a maximum penalty
of year In the county Jail for an
offense of this kind" said Atchison.
Il hope you will give him all the law
allows"
Then Judge Fisher took Petit in
hand and lectured him for ten min
utes. Petit hung his head and re-
fused to look at the girl who was
standing a few feet away
I'm going to give you six months
in the county Jail and the next fellow
who comes in here charged with strfk
ing girl is going to get the limit"
said the Judge
Petit was led away to jail. Then
the officers began discussing the case
OF Roy Roberts, who drove the car in
which Petit was riding The longer
they discussed it the more incensed
they became at his part in the affair.
! Eventually a warrant was issued
charging Roberts with the same Of
fense to which Petit pleaded guilty.
assault and battery
Petit and Roberts were both drfv-
| a IN n