PAGE, Mabel GAULTER & VAUGHN, Blanche, attempted murder 1912

PAGE, GAULTER, VAUGHN, SPRAGUE, UNDERWOOD, LAMBRT, RAMSEY, BROWN, LEWIS, CASHEN, BEAVER, SPARGUR

Posted By: Sharon R. Becker (email)
Date: 3/18/2015 at 12:44:10

The Leon Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, August 22, 1912, Page 1

TWO WOMEN IN JAIL
Mrs. Mabel Page and Daughter, Mrs. Blanche Vaughn, Held In Jail.

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Mrs. Mabel Gaulter Page and her daughter, Mrs. Blanche Vaughn, are in jail on the serious charge of assault with intent to commit murder, the trouble arising over an attempt by Mrs. page to secure possession of her child which is in the Children's Home at Lamoni. Mrs. Page resided in Kansas City, and several weeks ago raised a disturbance at the Lamoni over the children [child?], a which time an information charging her with being insane and was filed before the insane commission, and after a hearing lasting several days she was found to be insane, and ordered to be restrained from her liberty by the commission on July 10th, but she appealed to the district court from the finding of the commission, and some time after by order of the board of supervisors she was released upon her promise to go to her home in Kansas city and not come back to Lamoni.

She went to Kansas City but returned last Sunday, going through Lamoni on the train to Kellerton, where she hired an auto to drive her to Lamoni. Near Lamoni she stopped and picked up her daughter, Mrs. Blanche Vaughn, who also lives in Kansas City, and was visiting with an uncle, and they were driven to the Children's Home, where they learned that the child was visiting at the home of Alex Gaulter. They went to the Gaulter residence and Mr. Gaulter ordered them away from his premises, but they refused to go, and when he refused to give up the child to Mrs. page she ran out to the auto and secured her suit case, which was locked, and as she could not open it she kicked a hole in it with her heel and secured a big Colt .38 calibre revolver, starting back to the house, accompanied by her daughter.

Mr. Gaulter went in the house and tried to close the door, but did not succeed and Mrs. Page thrust the revolver through the door and attempted to shoot him. He grasped the revolver and the hammer caught his hand, and he finally succeeded in getting the revolver away from the woman. Help was summoned and the women were taken into custody.

Their preliminary hearing was held at Lamoni Tuesday, before Justice Robert Turner, the state being represented by County Attorney E. H. Sharp, and Marion Woodard appearing as attorney for the defendants. After hearing the evidence in the case both defendants were bond over to the grand jury on the charge of assault with intent to commit murder. Mrs. Page's bond being fixed at $1,000 and that of Mrs. Vaughn at $400. In default of bail both women are now confined in the Leon jail, but an effort is being made to secure bonds for them which their attorney says he will have no trouble securing.

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The Leon Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, September 05, 1912, Page 1

COURT HAS ADJOURNED

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District court convened Monday evening with Judge Evans presiding, but not much time was consumed in holding court, as the business of the term was all completed and court adjourned for the term yesterday afternoon, after the grand jury made its report.

The grand jurors drawn for service at this term of court were R. J. Lambert, J. R. Brown, Frank Lewis, J. G. Cashen, T. B. Ramsey, J. S. Beavers and Jasper Spargur. In the case of Mrs. Mabel Gaulter Page and Mrs. Blanche Sprague [?], who were held to the grand jury on the charge of assault with intent to commit murder, at Lamoni, the attorneys objected to R. L. Lambert serving as grand juror, and E. N. Underwood was drawn to serve when their case was considered.

Transcriber's Note: I did not find this case listed on the court docket for the next four terms of district court so I'm not sure how it was resolved. I did find, however this article from the June 2, 1898 issue of "The Kansas City Journal" on page 10:

"MRS. GAULTER'S NEW TROUBLE Her Husband Institutes Proceedings to Get Possession of Their Children. Mrs. Mable Gaulter, who went from Lamoni, Ia., to Independence to teach the doctrine that all property belongs to God and that there is no such thing as individual rights, is in trouble again - this time with her husband. Mrs. Gaulter was to imbued with the spirit of her faith that she spurned her landlord's request for rent money when he called to collect it. He got the law after her, and she was set out into the street, her husband and children accompanying her. She found another shelter, but decided to abide by the rather ancient custom of man, and paid her rent money just like any ordinary heretic who did not believe in her views. Now comes her husband with a suit in Judge Scarritt's division of the circuit court for the possession of their children. He alleged that she is not the proper person to have control of them, and will try to bring the court around to his way of thinking at the session next Friday."

Previously, according to the June 29, 1897 issue of "The Kansas City Journal", page 3, Mabel appeared before the court for disturbing the peace when she refused to leave her brother-in-law's residence, insisting that she remain so she could "properly indoctrinate him into the true faith in God." Again, according to the April 28 1909 issue of "The Kansas City Journal," Mabel was once again before the police court, during which time she began an argument with a police officer and struck him over the head. For that offense alone, Judge Peacock gave her a $50 and said he would grant "a stay of execution if her relatives would come forward and properly care for her."

Obviously, Mrs. Page was a greatly disturbed woman. I hope she received the care she so desperately needed. ~ SRB

Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, March of 2015