Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-10-20
Countercharges Fellow
Family Squahh.e

A peculiar family quarrel was aired
| in tho municipal court Wednesday
morning when Mr.. and Mrs. William
*. Ward and Mr.. and Mrs. Leroy Il.
Kitchen. both of Nassalboro. appeared
| in counter suit of assault and bat
! terry. the two men being complainanta
| against each other Added interest
| in the case was caused by the fact
! that Mrs. Ward is the daughter of
Mrs. Kitchen and tie two families
| live together. Mrs. Kitchen has been
married several times and the two
| women have always lived together.
! Mr.. and Mrs. Ward were married
nine years ago and Mr.. and Mrs.
Kitchen We're married eight years ago
and for little over two years they
have lived on farm in Nassalboro.
which is owned equally by the two
women, and the stock Of which is
owned equally by the two men. Mr.
Ward is 81 years of age and Mr.,
Kitchen is II.
The trouble over which the two
suits were brought occurred last Sun
day in the apple orchard. where both
parties went to gather fruit. The
plan seemed to be in the minds of
Mr.. and Mrs. Ward that each family
should place the apples they picked
on a certain side of the cart. there
being four barrels on each side. To
this arrangement Mr.. Kitchen. accord
ing to testimony, did not fully agree
in that arrangement and trouble was
precipitated by Mr.. Kitchens defermi
nation to empty his basket. of apples
into the barrels which the Wards had
set aside for their own use.
The testimony in the one case was
to answer in both suits. Carl A.
Blackington was counsel Tor Mr.
Ward and Mark Bartlett for Mr.
Kitchen.
The first witness was William X.
Ward who testified that the four peo-
pie went to the orchard last Sunday
morning in the dumpcart with span
of horses and that there were eight
barrels in the cart. After arriving
at the orchard, Mr.. Kitchen took out
two of the barrels and went to a larg-
er part of the orchard to pick apples
tie later came down to put some APP
pies in the barrels which were in the
cart and had cmptied one basket in
the barrels on the Ward side of the
cart but when he came with the Sec
ond basket, Mrs. Ward who was
standing by the cart objected. The
witness said that Kitchen caught hold
of Mrs. Ward and gave her a slat
and push which landed her on the
ground. Mr.. Ward said that he then
got down off the ladder from which
he was picking apples and went to
Kitchen and put his hands on the
latters shoulders and said Kitchen
don't You lay your hands on my wife
again unless YOU want trouble I
can't stand for that" He said that
Mrs. Kitchen came up behind him
and put her arms around him pinion-
ing his arms to his body and that
Kitchen picked up rock and threw
1t at Ward. cutting his face both
above and below his right eye and
also cutting his forehead
Mr.. Ward said that hisr face was
bleeding badly SO he got into the
cart to drive to the house when
Kitchen caught the horses by the bits
and said he was not going to the
house with the team. Mrs. Ward
then got hold of Kitchen and tried to
make him let so of the horses when
Kitchen. said Ward. struck her with
limb OF tree across her left arm.
Mr.. Ward then told his wife TO
knock him on the head" so he could
get to the house with the team and
Mrs, Kitchen came over and told her
husband to let go of the bits which
he did. Mr.. Ward then got out Of the
cart and lifted his wife in and they