March 2, 1907
BUT HE LOVES HER STILL.
Grocer Arrested on Charge of Wife Beating
Says He Was Beaten.
Patrolmen Wiseman and Hull of No. 9 station were called to 3493 East Thirty-first street at 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon to arrest Elmer Ogle, a grocer there who, it was reported, was beating his wife. When first arrested his bond was fixed at $5 for disturbing the peace. When taken to headquarters it was made $101 and later it was raised to $501. The police said a large bond had been requested. They also said Ogle had accused his wife of flirting and had beaten her severely.
Ogle is 30 years old and his wife 46. He said last night, in his own defense, "Strike my wife? I should say not. I love her too much for that. She nearly beat the life out of me today with a nail puller and I never even cussed her."
She had been over to the home of her son, Elija Williams, 3300 West Prospect, where a new baby had just arrived. That must have exited her, for she came home on the war path. She smelled whiskey on my breath and that started her. She started in by throwing down all the can goods she could reach and dragging the meat off onto the floor. She must have pulled down $20 worth when she caught sight of me again. I was starting to take the harness out, hitch up and drive away until she cooled down.
"Well, sir, she grabbed that iron nail puller and every time I would make a move to pick up a piece of harness she would wollop me one with that nail puller. Look at my face here! Look at my arms and hands! I'm peeled off like that from head to foot. I don't know who sent for the police, but I was dern glad when they got there, for I was about all in.
"I did catch her flirting today, but I never even mentioned it to her. I was talking with two men about trading my store for a farm in Oklahoma. One of them got a half pint of whisky and we drank it. All that was left of it when she got there, however, was the smell of the booze, and that made her wild. Those two fellows sat there and saw my wife lick me -- that's what they did. No, sir. I love my wife, if she did lick me. She'll be cooled down by morning and I don't believe she'll appear against me. If she does I might get mad myself and turn the tables on her, for I never struck her a lick."
Ogle said they had been married three years and that yesterday he took the first drink of whisky he had taken in four years. The case against him is set for this morning in police court.
