Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-01-28
MEN
WOUNDED
JOHN 8. FARMER AND GEORGE w.
HALsTED EXCHANGE SHOTS
AT FIFTEEN PAGES.
MA%RRIAGECAUSE
Husband and Father Of AiIora A. Hal.
sted-Farmer In Desperate En-
counter at 10 O'Clock This Morning
-HaIsted in jail. Farmer at Hos
pitai.

-'diSeeo IN jail rdFmeF at Fos'
pitaI.
From Thursdays Daily.
With his face. chest and hands full
OF shot as the result Of a vicious shot
gun duel Johns s. Farmer is being op-
Grated upon this afternoon at the OF
tumwa hospital and George w. Halls
sted. also suffering from a charge Of
shot, Is confined at the county Jail in
the custody of Sheriff J.. H. Cremer.
The duel took place this morning about
10 o'clock at the residence of Mrs. E.
Pomeroy about two miles south of the
city.
The secret marriage Of Farmer and
Miss Allora A. Halsted, daughter of
Halsted on Thursday December 20,
1904, formed the beginning Of the trou-
BILE which lead mp to the affair
of this morning. Farmer is Al years of
age and is during the fair and race
season, a race horse attendant. Allora
Halsted is II years of age. The par
ents objected to the marriage Of the
pair on the ground of the, difference in
age and that Farmer was not a suit
able husband for the girl.
Girl Was Willing.
The girl, however, was willing and It
was arranged that the pair should meet
on q certain afternoon. Farmer ac-
companied by Ben Patsey went to the
clerks offisce and secured the mar
riage license. The three then went
to the office of Justice E. M. Campbell
and Farmer and the girl were married.
Following the marriage the girl re-
turned to her home an dit was ar
ranged that she should meet her hus-
band again on Saturday evening fol
lowing and leave town.
Through the announcement Of the
marriage in the Courier the parents Of
the girl learned of the marriage and
prevented the girl leaving the house.
On Tuesday following, Farmer being
unable to secure possession Of his
bride instituted habeas corpus pro-
ceedtngs against the father. The case
was bitterly fought for two days in
court. Judge M. A. Roberts refused
the petition.
Has Lived at Home.
Since that date the girl has lived at
home. Farmer has for the past three
months lived at the residence of Mrs.
3. Pomeroy, where the shooting oc-
Cured this morning. He has been at
tending to the stock. chopping wood
and doing the winter farm work.
Farmer kept in communication with
his bride and Of last Saturday through
the assistance of friends the girl was
enabled to leave her home and reach
the farm residence unknown to her
father.
Discovered Hiding Place.
Halstead discovered where she was
and this morning about 9 o'clock,
s~hoi1ldering an old muzzle loading
| shotgun. of about Ia guage. walked to
the Pomerov residence. Friends who
saw him on the way te%lephoned to the
farm house and Farmer and his bride
were appraised of his coming.
About 9:45 o'clock he was seen com,
ing down the road. Farmer and the cir
went upstairs and shutting down the
trap door which shuts off the stairway
to the upper unfinished portion, re
NAMED there. Mrs. Bella j. Richard,
son, mother of Mrs. Pomeroy, was in.
structed to tell Halsted that Farmer
and the girl were not there.
Standing on Trap Door.
Halsted arrived and was refused ad,
mission. He broke open the door
which was shut in his face, according
to the statement of Mrs. Richardson
and entered. He searched the house
over and tried to get into the upstairs
I-4 1~otI LNor~,Nr arI Ftha ~{r1 -1r<
standing on the trap door and he could
! not raise it.
Halsted then went outside and
walked around the house. While or
the east side he caught sight of Far
mer and the girl peering out of a win
dow. He instantly took a shot at the
window ,but did no damage further
than to break the glass. He then
went to the barn where he reloaded
| his gun and remained for some min
utes.
Prepared to Meet Him.
Farmer and the girl returned dowr
stairs and upon the approach of Hal
sted from the barn Farmer picked uI
a single barrel shot gun and prepared
to meet him.
When Halsted had approached tc
about fifteen PAGES of the house Far
mer stepped out on the back porch
crying out to Halsted,% according to the
statement of Halsted himself:
PUT up your gun If you're game"
Shots Rang Out Together.
Both guns went UP on the instant
and two shots rang out almost to
gether with a third following quickly
Farmer fell and was assisted into the
house by Levi Pomeroy and Henry
Simmons who had arrived from the
next farm on a hasty telephone cal
after the first shot had been fired al
tho window