The Topeka state journal., 1916-12-01
CAVE HIM 80 DAYS
Man Accused of Beating Wife
Sentenced by Court.
Crying of Baby Angered Him to
Madness, Is Claim.

After the court had sentenced him
to ninety days in Jail for wife-beating
and had placed him under $1,000
peace bond today, Charles Benford
walked to the wife who had testified
against him, gave her SIS, the last
cent he had, and attempted to kiss
her. Then he accompanied an officer
back to the county jail.
Benford is the man who was ar
rested Sunday night by Charles Lytle
upon complaint of his wife. She was
in court today with black eye to add
to the story she told the officers at
the time of the arrest. She told her
story and he told his story. She had
a black eye and he had a sore thumb,
where. he said, she bit him. The court
looked and listened and believed the
woman.
81 got up in the night to warm some
milk for the baby said the wife,
holding one hand over her black eye.
''The baby cried and my husband
reused up. 1 walked back and forth
a few times and it seemed to annoy
him. He cursed me. kept on warm
ing the milk. 1 had a bottle of milk
in one hand and a tin cup in the other.
When my husband started towards me
cursing, l threw the tin cup at him.
He grabbed me by the arms and
shoulders and dragged me thru a door
into the next room and pushed me
down on the bed. He stuck his thumb
in my mouth and said he would break
my jaw. He put his fist in my eye and
ground it around and around.
clesed down on his thumb and he quit.
But he told me then that if 1 ever got
him started again he would finish me.
He had one knee pressed into my
side and the doctor says l am seriously
injured The noise we made awoke
the children and they cried and cried
Robbed ChiId's Bank
double handful of pennies in his
pocket and he. stated that he had TAX
en- them from his child's bank In
court today he said he had the pennies
in his pocket to bring up town and
place in some bank TO the childs
credit
Benford admitted the facts about as
Mrs. Benford stated them but he
placed different Interpretation upon
them.
7 didn't strike her and was only de-
Tending myself ne said. when she
threw the lineup I jumped out of bed
and grabbed her to keep her from
throwing the milk bottle also. Then
she got my thumb in her mouth and
bit it 1 ground my fist in her eye to
make her let loose-'
Husband and wife agreed that Ben
ford works when he can get work and
that he provides for the family.
Never Has a Cent.
But 1 never have cent of my
own, said the woman. IF he ever
gives me any money 1 must buy ex-
actly what he wants. If l buy any
thing for the table that he doesn't
want he curses around and some times
throws it out of doors. I bought a
bottle of catsup. He didn't like it and
he took It outdoors and broke the bot
tie on rock"
On another occasion, according, to
Mrs Benford, her husband became
angered over something and threw
his baby's clothes out in the mud. He
denied it
of course you threw them out. -
said Robert Carver. assistant county
attorney, land your wife lied to a
neighbor woman about it to protect
you"
''She may have lied to the neighbors.
don't know about that" said Ben
ford, but 1 didn't throw those clothes
OUT
Benford is a carpenter and said he
was preparing to go to Herington to
do carpenter work the morning after
he was arrested. Carver stated in
court today that Mrs. Benford wouI6
never again live with her husband