The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-06-23
MURDER OR ACCIDENT
Harry Allen, q Thirteen Year Old Boy
Shot and KiIled--fd Young who
is in Jail has Confessed.


Shot and KiIled--Ed Young who
isin Jail has Confessed.
Another murder was added to the long
list of crimes for which Decatur county
must answer last Thursday about noon,
when Harry Allen, lad about thirteen
years of age, was found dead in corn
field Just south of the residence of
Harrison Yonng in Long Creek township
about three-quarters of a mile north
west of DeKalb station. and as the re-
suit of the investigation Ed Young, a
young man about twenty-one years of
age, is in the Leon Jail and after being
arrested, confessed that. he fired the
shot which resulted in the Allen boys
death, but claims the revolver was
accidently discharged.
1t appears that no one saw the shoot
ing. The murdered boy is the son of w.
T. Allen, who lives on S. A. Gates farm
in Decatur township, about four and
half miles south of the scene of the
shooting, and on Wednesday afternoon
had been sent by his mother to the
Harrison Young farm to get some cab
bage plants. She told the little fellow
that If it was late he could stay all night
which he did and the next morning in
company with Harvey Young, a son OF
Harrison Young about fifteen years of
age, went to the corn field just south of
the house where the Young boy was
plowing corn. The Allen boy played
around in the field and had been riding
on the cultivator most of the forenoon,
but about eleven o'clock told the Young
boy that he would have to go home as
he was afraid his father would whip him
for staying so long. The Young boy
left him in the southwest part of the
field at the head of little draw and
plowed across to the east end OF the
field. He said that when he was over
the hill at the east side of the field he
heard shot but thought it was down in
the timber which is just south OF the
corn field, and plowed across the field
twice, passing within a few feet OF
where the Allen boy was lying, but did
not notice him until on the second trip
one of the horses SHE'D at the boys
body and he saw it. He Immediately
went to the house and gave the
alarm. Word was at once sent to the
neighbors and several were soon at the
scene. The boy was still breathing, but
was unconscious, his face covered with
UlOOtOOZLuS IOll EusISoAy "ouAA1s IL AAAs,
forehead, Just between the eyes and
nearly to the hair line. He was carried
by gentle hands to tho Young home and
DR.. Robinson, Of Grand River, tele-
phoned for from DeKalb. The boy was
still alive when the physician arrived,
but was still unconscious and died about
three o'clock without regaining con-
sciousness.
The field being newly plowed, when
neighbors arrived at the scene there
was no difficulty in tracking the persons
in the field. The tracks of Allen and
Harvey Young we're plainly discernible
where they had -plowed in the field,
and there was also we'll defined track
of man wearing a peculiar runover
shoe, which entered the field at the
southwest corner and led over to where
the body was found and also the track
showing where the man had left the
field going back to the same corner
where he had entered. Tom Munyon
and VIM. Palmer with other neighbors
followed up the tracks, taking careful
measurements, which showed thatin en-
tering the fed the man had walked
with ordinary steps about three feet
apart, while in leaving his tracks showed
that he was running, being about four
feet apart. The tracks were followed
west over the hill and down a road to
tho home of VIM. Palmer, where it was
learned that about half past eleven a
tall stranger had appeared at the house
and asked Mrs. Palmer for drink OF
water. He seemed excited and in a
hurry and Mrs. Palmer noticed when he
went to the we'll that he could hardly
hold the cup under the pump spout
while pumping. After getting the drink
he crossed the road to the northwest
jumping over the gate and went up
Short creek, his tracks being plainly
followed. About forty rods up the
creek, he had gone down to the edge OF
the creek where there was drift with
the evident intention of crossing, but
had changed his mind and came back
up the bank, and there was an impress
sion in the mud where he had sat down
Then the tracks led east again and up
the hill where they were lost as the
ground was covered with grass and nc
tracks were left.
Coroner Fred A. Bowman was notified
of the murder and in company witt
shorthand reporter John S. Parrish
drove at once to the scene, but the boy
was dead when they arrived. 1t was
decided to hold an inquest and coron
er's jury composed Of Thomas Munyon
r. r. Craft and G.. W: Rush was sum
moned and all the parties who wer,
supposed to know anything about th'
case were closely questioned. Harye.
Young the boy who was in the field witt
( him told his story as related above, ant
the Young family who were at home ant
the neighbors who were present wer
examined, including Ed Young who i
5 now accused of the murder. The testi
mony aside from that of Ed Young deyel
oped only the facts outlined above. e.
Young being sworn said he had bee
staying for some time at the home Q
w. II. Allen helping him put in his croI
but had left there Monday going to Va
Vert. He returned to the home G
George Young who lives about a mil
south of the shooting Monday evenin
and remained there until Thursda
morning, having commenced work fo
him on the farm, but quit that mornin
...1 .,,o,,t o,,an 70 tho hnmo Of nay