Stapleton Story
Submitted by Kay Mason <KLMPIANO@aol.com on Apr 22, 2000


Grandfather was born in 1872 and I think he was 4 or 5 when this incident 
took place somewhere around Hilton Branch (White's Creek), KY.

Pages 14 & 15:

    "Up the stream a short distance HARVEY STAPLETON, his wife ROSE ANN
[STAPLETON] and a son and daughter, almost grown, lived in a tenant house on
this same farm.  Mother owned a small and a large spinning wheel and a large
wooden loom on which she spun and wove cloth for the family clothing and
other purposes.  She was expert at both spining and weaving.

    In some way, probably by borrowing, Mrs. STAPLETON got possession of
either Mother's loom or of a sleigh belonging to the loom - sister MELISSA
[BRICKEY] says it was a sleigh.  Any way, Mother wanted whatever it was and
Mrs. STAPLETON had put off returning it under one excuse or another and had
become insolent to Mother about it.

    One morning Mother asked Father and JACK [MASON] and MORGAN [BRICKEY] to
go with her to get the loom, or sleigh, and said she was going to have it if
she had to take it by force.  MELISSA [BRICKEY] says that Mother said she was
'going to have it or have blood.'  I saw them go and remember I asked to go
but Mother said no.

    Whether they knew that Mr. STAPLETON was away from home that morning I do
not know, but he was.  When they knocked at the door, they were admitted.
Mother told Mrs. STAPLETON she had come for her loom, or sleigh, and Mrs.
STAPLETON said she couldn't have it as she had a piece in the loom and
couldn't give it up till it was finished.

    Mother asked that the piece be taken out and Mrs. STAPLETON said no, so
Mother called on the boys to help and began to clear the loom of warp and
cloth.  Mrs.  STAPLETON resisted and struck Mother, so she then seized Mrs.
STAPLETON's head against something which cut a place in her forehead.
Getting loose, Mrs. STAPLETON picked up the family axe and with her hair down
and blood running down into her eyes till she could scarcely see, she charged
forward and ran against Father who had taken no part in the affair.

    In a loud voice he called out, 'Whur air you a-gwin' with that axe?'
Mrs. STAPLETON whirled away from him and put down the axe and the matter soon
subsided.  The boys helped Mother cut the thread and so freed the loom, or
sleigh - or both - and they brought it home.  There was considerable
discussion in our house over this affair - both then and until long afterward.

    The STAPLETON's had Father and Mother in the local Magistrate's Court but
the case was soon settled and our families became friends again, after a
fashion.  There was an old lady (a Mrs. MARY HALL), some relation to the
STAPLETON's - who visited them and at time came to our house with Mrs.
STAPLETON.
    This lady would tell many stories about people and things - some of them
Mother considered as untruthful - but when she so indicated, the lady backed
up her tall stories by turning to Mrs. STAPLETON and saying, 'Ain't it so,
Rose Ann?' and Mrs. STAPLETON would answer, 'Yes,' in a very weak squeaky
voice.  This became a saying over the years in our famiy when someone told a
doubtul story, someone would say, 'Ain't it so, Rose Ann?'"


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