There had been disagreements between them about work that Beatty Balestier had done for the Kiplings resulting in an argument in which it appears that Balestier threatened violence to Kipling RK had Balestier arrested for assault Balestier being made to give bail of  to keep the peace and  to ensure his appearence at a later hearing however the Kiplings left America before it came to substantive judgement See Lord Birkenheads biography of Kipling  Rudyard Kipling  Weidenfeld and Nicolson