The Mankato free press., 1923-10-12
HOW DID LITTLE
BOBBIE GET WET
That Was For the Staid
Jury To Decide
STORIES ARE TOLD
Most of Testimony Related To
Moisture and the Shak-\
y ing Fists

Whether little Bobbie McGuire's
clothes on July 81. 1928, became wet
through some mishap of the lad, who
is only twenty three month old, or
whether the wetting came from a
garden hose in the hands Of Mrs.
Ernest Mahlke. was left with a jury
in the municipal court yesterday
afternoon to decide in the case Of
Mrs. Frank MCGUIRE against Mrs.
Ernest Mahlke.
A. r. Pfau and John s. Regan ap-
peared as attorneys for the defen
dant, and City Attorney c. E. GIL
more prosecuted the case for the
state. Mrs. Frank Mcclure had
sworn to warrant some time ag9
charging Mrs. Mahlke with assault
in the third degree upon her son
Bobbie MCGUIRE. alleging that Mrs.
Mahike had turned garden hose
on the child.
The mother of Bobbie, when called
to the, stand, testified that on the
date mentioned, Ruth Steiner, .
daughter OF Mr.. and Mrs. John
Steiner. had called to Bobbie to
come over and play with her. The
lad started TO cross the Mahlke lawn,
which Mrs. Mahlke had been water
ing with a garden hose, and Mrs.
MCGUIRE said that Mrs. Mahlke de-
liberately turned the hose on Bobbie.
This naturally angered the mother,
and words passed and were utterly
tripingly on the tongue
Boy Was Sopping Wet
Mrs. Ellen Williams. who owned
the house on North Fifth where the
McGuires lived, when called to the
stand said that she was in the house
at the time of the alleged wetting,
but that a little later Mrs. MCGUIRE
brought Bobbie to her room and he
was sopping wet from head to foot.
Mrs. Williams verified the statement
OF Mrs. Mcguire. that she had re-
quested her tenants not to have
anything to do with Mrs. Mahlke
for the sake of peace" a..
Not that they were too proud to
fight, but were wanted peace at
most any price.
Walter and Ruth Steiner two chill
dren of Mr.. and Mrs. John Steiner
beth testified to seeing Mrs. MahlSe
turning the hose on little Bobbie.
Mrs. Earnest Mahlke, aged fifty
nine years, and the defendant in the
case, when called to the stand, said
that she had always liked Bobbie and
denied turning the garden hose on
the lad. The lad had found a pie
on Mrs. Mahlke's back porch. and
like Little Jack Horner who sat in
d corner" Bobbie stuck in his thumb
ard said: "YoIm 'em good pie"
and licked his little fat. fist. But
Mrs. ,Mahlke said that she did not
get angry, even at the gastronomic
act which meant the spoilation Of
her pie.
Merely Put Out Hand, Claim
Mrs. Mahlke says that she merely
put out one hand toward the child
and told him to get back off the
lawn so that he would not get wet.
but did not turn on the water. She
says that Mrs. MCGUIRE ran toward
her and said: 'If you had watered
my boy you would be in jail tomor-
row."
WAS the child wet?" asked At
torney Gilmore, and at that number
Of women in the court room and all
of the jurymen smiled. 1t is pre-
sumed that all of the jurymen, es-
pecially had read Gene Fields story
OF Little Willie.
, Miss Lizzie Mahlke was also called
IS a witness for the defense. She
testified that she was up stairs MAX
ing beds and was attracted by loud
talking between her mother and Mrs.
MCGUIRE, who, when she looked out
OF the window. was shaking both
fists in Mrs. Mahlke's, face. Bobbie
was as dry as the eighteenth amend
ment.
The jury after being out a very
short time came in with a verdict
OF guilty, so it looked to the jury
like the moisture came from the
garden hose and no fault of Bobbie's
A stay Of ten days was granted the
defendant before sentence will be
passed.
The jurymen in the case were: L.
l.. Champlin, John r. Snow. Maurice
Madsen, John Farmer, Peter Esser,
n p. Paulsor, w. j. Walton. T. X.
Jones, Andrew Johnson. William