Street Fight Ends in Court
A long-standing quarrel over an assault leads to a court appearance for a father and his two sons.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Wade Watts and Floyd Watts, father and son, were found guilty of assault and battery on one Fred Shefferley by Judge Griffin at the afternoon session of court yesterday, and fined $10 and $25, respectively. Lawrence Watts, another son, charged with the same offense, was found not guilty. The evidence in the case showed that Shefferley had administered a severe drubbing to Lawrence Watts, the fight growing out of a long-standing quarrel. A few hours later, Wade and Floyd Watts went to Shefferley's home and another fight ensued, in which the latter was worsted. Shefferley alleged that the Wattses pelted him with cobblestones and appeared in court yesterday with his head bandaged.
“Shefferley alleged that the Wattses pelted him with cobblestones, and appeared in court yesterday with his head bandaged.”
This violent family feud serves as a reminder of how interpersonal disputes, often fueled by neighborhood tensions, frequently ended up as criminal matters in municipal courts. The casual mention of 'cobblestones' as a weapon highlights the tactile, gritty nature of urban conflict in early 20th-century Tacoma.
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