Leon Reporter, Leon, Iowa Thursday, February l4, l90l The preliminary examination of W.T. ALLEN, of Long Creek Township, who was arrested on Wednesday of last week on the charge of striking MRS. ISAAC WEST on the head with an ax, was held Tuesday before Justice C.W. Beck, to whom a change of venue was taken from Justice Harvey. County Attorney Olsen and C.W. Hoffman appeared for the State and Geo. W. Baker for the defendant. From the testimony there seems to be two sides to the story. MRS. WEST and her little son testified that ALLEN and his wife assaulted them and tried to kill them because they would not allow his wife to drive a load of fodder through their yard. ALLEN is a tenant of MR. WEST and had been sick in bed for several weeks. Recently WEST and he had some trouble over a fence and WEST gave him notice to vacate March 1st. MRS. ALLEN had gone to the field to get a load of fodder and when she came to the gate it was locked and a wagon was pulled up to the gate. She sent her little boy home for MR. ALLEN and he came armed with an ax to cut the fence and a revolver to protect himself. There was a general row. MRS. ALLEN was knocked down, ALLEN was pounded with clubs by MRS. WEST and her boy and MRS. ALLEN struck the WEST boy with a fence board, while to cap the climax, ALLEN struck MRS. WEST on the head with the ax, inflicting a scalp wound about an inch and a half long. It was a general family row. The defendant introduced evidence to show that MRS. WEST was quarrelsome and did not get along with her neighbors. After hearing the evidence and arguments of the Attorneys, Justice Beck bound ALLEN over to the Grand Jury under $500 bonds. Being unable to give bonds, ALLEN is in jail, but it is thought a bond will be secured for him this week. The county is in for a big bill of costs and the neighbors have something to talk about! Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert

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