Bloomington (IN) Courier
March 31, 1899
page 1

NEGRO BRUTE

Beats His Wife and Receives His Deserts from an Athlete

James Mayberry, a young colored crap shooter, met exact justice yesterday afternoon at the hands of Prof. Stoneking of the physical laboratory.

Mayberry hails from Bedford and is a mulatto coon of vicious habits. He married a white woman over in Illinois and has made her life miserable ever since. His wife is employed as a domestic at the home of Prof. Stoneking on Fess Avenue. Yesterday morning Mayberry, under the influence of intoxicants, called on his wife and beat her almost into insensibility. When Prof. Stoneking returned from the college at noon, he was informed of the brute's cowardly conduct.

Shortly after dinner, Mayberry again returned to the house and, as his evil intentions were known, admittance was denied him by Prof. Stoneking. This enraged the negro, and he rushed into the house, picked up a chair and began to play a tattoo on Prof. Stoneking.

Now the professor is an athlete and immediately put his muscular training at very practical use. He wrested the chair from the negro's hands, threw him down and with the butt end of a convenient buggy whip lashed his assailant over the head and face until he cried for quarter.

Upon promise to peaceably leave the house, the brute was released, but no sooner had he reached the sidewalk than he began to hurl stones through the doors and windows. Prof. Stoneking, accompanied by three of his neighbors, chased the negro until he took refuge in the barn of Dr. Harris. A great crowd collected and witnessed the capture of the fugitive by Chief Johns who placed him in jail.

Mayberry will have a hearing before Mayor Hadley this morning at nine o'clock on the charge of assault and battery with intent to kill.

Prof. Stoneking was congratulated by all who witnessed the chase and capture. He sustained a few scratches on his neck and ears while the negro's face resembled blackberry jelly.

Typed and donated by Randi Richardson.