Arizona republican., 1918-08-02
INJUSTICE |S DONE
 MRS. STEPHENS IN
 POLICE COURT STORY

A late newspaper account of police court proceeding printed in both the papers of Phoenix has done great in justice to a woman of prominence who however, had not been identified in Phoenix. She is Mrs. H. E. Stephens, wife of the chief engineer of the Northern Pacific Railway company. who with her mother Mrs. A. Gore, and her two children is living at 1918 West Monroe street. Mrs. Stephens is better known in the newspaper world as Req Houston. feature writer on several eastern newspapers, and for The Saturday Evening Post. in which series of articles. Society in Our Town" will be recalled.
 The newspaper account to which reference is made concerns the arrest of one Req Stephens on the complaint of Thomas Smith. d neighbor. who in his complaint to the police one night represented that as she was likely to leave before morning she had better be taken into custody at once. She was arrested about l o'clock in the morning and gave bail in the sum of s25. Later. Mr. Smith failed to ap- pear and the case was dismissed. In the meantime. Smith swore out an
 
 court which also has been withdrawn. After the filing of that complaint. Mrs. Gore procured the arrest of Smith on the charge of an assault upon the son of Mrs. Stephens.
 Mrs. Stephens. speaking of the af fair. said she came here for the sake of the health of her small son, sufferer of Brights disease. few days ago she left to join her husband who was to meet her in his private car at Port land. When she arrived at San Fran cisco she received a telegram from her mother urging her immediate return. She started at once for Phoenix and said that on her arrival she found her son in bad condition from a beating he had received. She said that he had been kicked in the back over the kid neys and that after her arrival there was still great area of discoloration where he had been kicked.
 "One evening" said Mrs. Stephens. T was passing the Smith house and I said to him. A thought is still a thought until it is executed. I am thinking that if you again assault my son or any member of my family and l can have no protection against you. will shoot you as sure as pop. l said this quietly. There was no loud talk. This was in the evening before sundoWn. About l o'clock the next morning the police came to my house | and took me into custody. Smith had represented me to be an undesirabl character and had said that had threatened his life Yet, it had taken him half the night to get scared He wanted me arrested before morning i for fear. as he said was going to leave town. and yet. he pretendea :. fear that I was going to remain in | town long enough to hurt him.
 Mrs. Stephens said that she hap pened to have s25 with her when she was taken to the station and she de- posted that for her appearance. She | appeared at the appointed time and the case was dismissed. Then the case had been filed in Justice Wheeler's court where she was represented by l Attorney Ryan. She had thought or her return to Phoenix she said, ol asking for felony warrant against smith for the assault upon her son but had been detered from doing so by a dislike of the publicity that would ensue. But after her arrest and tho publication in the newspapers. he' mother had sworn out warrant fol the arrest Of Smith.
 Smith appeared in Justice Wheeler! court yesterday and admitted that h' had kicked the boy. but he said that i
 was not violent kick and had beer administered under great provocation 1 Mrs. stephens said that there was n,
 provocation at all; that the boy at thu time he was struck and kicked b,
 Smith was trying to prevent a rabbi owned by him from escaping under
 house and that the boy and Smitl Iwere not on the premises of the latter