The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1952-07-24
Family Feud CIimaxes


had not yet been received on
Monday, funeral services for the
victim were held Sunday after
noon at l o'clock from the home
east of Summerfield. Rev. Nc
Kinley Bates of the GAINESVILLE
Church of Christ officiated and
interment was made in Friends
cemetery, Quaker City, by the
Eberle funeral home, Quaker
City.
Autopsy Ordered
The autopsy was ordered and
paid by Mrs. Carpenter, with
the University Hospital, Colum-
bus. in charge. The report was
to be returned to Coroner Jack
Berry.
The story first broke in Cald-
we'll and this area shortly be-
fore II a. m. Thursday when Jail
Matron Mrs. Edna Mckee re-
ceived telephone call from Roy
Cline that an emergency existed
at Batesville and Sheriff Clayton
Mckee should investigate.
Sheriff Mckee was working on
a lease at that time and his wife
was unable to locate him.
At 11:30 a. M. another call
came to the sheriff's office from
DR.. J. L. Roman, who said that
a man had been brought to his
office dead and he suspected foul
play. He said that it was Cleve
Carpenter.
In the meantime, Sheriff Nc
Kee had returned to the office,
contacted Prosecuting Attorney
U. H. Buckley and they left for
Batesville at l o'clock, Thursday
afternoon.
| When Sheriff Mckee returned,
he brought with him Roy Cline
and his son, Francis and they
were held in the local jail Thurs
day evening, without a charge
against them.
On Friday, Mrs. Carpenter
filed charges and they appeared
before JP Stellfox on a second
degree murder count. Mrs. Car
penter also ordered the autopsy
at this time and not the county,
which explains why the widow
must pay the costs.
Hit With Fist
Mckee said Cline was accused
by the family. of striking Carpen-
ter with a stick. However, the
elder Cline stoutly denied that he
had struck the dead man with
anything but his fist.
'I hit him with my fist, that's
ALL" he told reporters.
His denial came after Mckee
confirmed reports that there had
been a long-standing feud be-
tween the families.
Tells Story
Cline, putting slowly on g
bentstem pipe, told this detailed
!story while seated in the sheriff's
office in Caldwell Thursday eve.
ming:
'My boy, Francis, stopped al
Carpenters this morning anc
asked them if their bull was out
) Shortly before noon they
came over to get the bull. Car
? penter jumped on me about the
| line fence and began to rouse
, me. I started for the barnlot IL
{ front of my house and Carpenter
: started at me with a hammer.
"He said, I've been fixing youl
) fence all summer And I replied
! That's lie. You say that agar
} and I'll put you on the road"
The farmer then claimed Car
penter cursed him and threaten
! ed to kill him.
/ "Then I hit him with my fist.
Mckee said that Carpente
) had a bruise about an inch lonl
| below his left eye.)
World War Veteran
Young Cline, a naval veteran
of World War II and former EN-
, ploye of the Chicago Transform
: er plant in GAINESVILLE then tool
= up the threads of the story.
II grabbed an iron pipe from
| the hands of one of the girls whC
: was coming to hit Dad. The Car
) penters then started back to thei
: car. Carpenter turned arount
. and cursed me and threatened t,
kill me too. He started at my Dat
with the hammer. I stepped be
tween them and Carpenter hi
me on the head" Francis Clin,
related.
He showed the sheriff a cut OF
, his upper forehead before con
1 tinuing. "The blood started run
ming down my face so l got in tn
car and went to Batesville to cal
the sheriff"
The elder Cline then resume,
his account of the incident
Carpenter stepped behind tn