The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-08-11
SHOT HIS SWEETHEART
Jealous Charlton Youth Shoots His
Sweetheart and Tries to Commit
SuiCide--Girl Still Alive.

A distressing shooting involving the
son and daughter of two prominent
Charlton families, took place in that
city on Tuesday night of last week,
when Walter Rslston, son of Conductor
Sam Ralston, who runs freight
through Leon on the Charlton & st. Joe
run, attempted to kill his fourteen year
old sweetheart, Ruth Campbell, daugh-
ter of Attorney j. A. Campbell. The
following account of the affair is taken
from the Charlton Patriot:
"Miss Ruth Campbell, the fourteen
year old daughter of Attorney and Mrs.
j. A. Campbell, lies in critical condi-
tion at the parental home in this city,,
with bullet hole through her left lung
and the bullet lodged under the skin in
her back. Walter Ralston aged twenty
years, son of Conductor and Mrs. S. B.
Ralston, is in jail charged with the fir
ing Of the shot.
The remarkable feature of the affair is
that Miss Campbell walked distance
Of eight blocks to her home, in company
with young Ralston, before she sue
cumbed to the pain from the wound.
The shooting is somewhat shrouded in
mystery. The incidents leading up to
the awful tragedy, as near as we could
learn them are as follows: Young Rails
ton has been paying his respects to
Miss Campbell for some time. On Tues
day evening Miss Campbell, in company
with another young woman and two
young men, drove to Lucas. Ralston
had been drinking, and when he learned
that Ruthshad gone to Lucas it:-sis
thought he became jealous. In the
evening he went to Cackler's second
hand store on north Main street and
wanted to rent a revolver, saying he
wanted to shoot a dog. They refused.
He then waited until the young people
returned from Lucas. When within q
block of the Campbell residence Miss
Ruth got out of the buggy and Ralston
appeared on the scene, telling her he
would accompany her home. She walk
ed away with him and he told her he
wanted her to go around by his home,
which was eight blocks distant. She;
did as he requested. From his mother
a Patriot reporter cleaned the follow
ing story:
eve had all gone to bed. A little be-
fore midnight Walter came and raped
on the front door. l called come in,
Walter We had been expecting our
daughter, Lulu Downs, from Abba
Walter opened the door and came in
and said, Here's a telegram from Lulu;
she can't come up before tomorrow
afternoon, and guess I'll go down, and
it's now almost train time He went
out and closed the door and almost i'm
mediately heard shot fired. Isprang
out Of bed, rushed to the door and saw
two people apparently wrestling out on
the terrace. Ruth was calling, sOh,-
Walter is going to kill himself and she
appeared to be trying to get the revol-
yer away from him. called Mr.. Raj.
ston and he rushed out, wrenched the
revolver from Walters hands and gave
it to me. hid it. Walter begged for
the revolver and said, .Tll kill myself,
Pa; Ruth has turned me down and
don't want to live.' After a severe
struggle Mr.. Ralston got him into the
house and talked to him. Ruth also
came in and conversed with her. l
asked her if she was hurt and she said
NO asked Ruth how she happened
to be there and she replied, Il have just
come in on the train Mr.. Ralston then
told Walter to accompany her home,
this he did, returning shortly, and went
to bed. did not see the shooting, 80
do not know how it occurred
Whether Walter fired the shot with
intent to kill Miss Ruth and then put
an end to his own life, or whether she
was accidently shot in trying to wrest
the revolver from his hands, remains to
be determined.
Miss Campbell's injury was not ap-
parent at first for the wound did not
bleed, but when she arrived at her home
she was suffering excruciating pain, and
physicians we're at once summoned. Her
recovery is doubtful.
Ralston was arrested two hours later
by night watchman Hans Beck, and
taken to Jail. Yesterday he was arraign-
ed before Mayor Bowen and his prelim-
mary hearing set for Saturday. Where
Ralston procured the revolver has not
been learned definitely.
Mr.. Campbell, father of the injured
girl was in Kansas City at the time Of
the tragedy"
Advertised Letters.