The Sentinel=record., 1912-12-08
RAGWEED VALLEY FURNISHES SENSATION WHEN STEPFATH-
 FER SHOOTS HIS sTEPsoN.
TO AVOID BULLETS
Says They Were Aimed at His Stomach, and He Leaped and Got the Load in Front of
 His Left Leg.

T. D. (Dode) Vanderslice. young man of Lincoln township, was shot yesterday morning by Rube E. Bryant his stepfather, and a tragedy was only ayerted when the young man | jumped high in the air as Bryant aimed the gun at his stomach. The shot peppered his left leg. and had the load reached the stomach 1t would probably have killed him, Vanderslice is a member of one of the pioneer families of the county and his mother is the wife of his as sailant. He bears a good reputation n the county. Bryant is one of ihe most wealthy farmers of the county, we'll known. and bears good reputa- tion.
 Vanderslice and his mother, who ac. companied him to the city yesterday to have the wounds dressed. fear further vengeance from the stepfathel and husband and after Deputy Prose. cutting Attorney George P Whiting ton swore out an information charg- ing Bryant with assault with intent to kill asked also that he be put un der peace bond, which the deputy prosecutor will do.
 The case of Bryant will also be re ferred to the grand jury, which IS now in session, and Deputy Whiting ten yesterday .;tlte1 that the mother and son would De summoned to appear before that body Monday 10 tell their story there
 Lying on couch in the office of pr. 4. D. Shaw, the young man told his story yesterday to Deputy Whit. tngton and a newspaper man. Vanderslice said that he had not resided with his mother, sisters. anu steaiaiher He lives over in Lincoln township. Mrs. Bryant. who is his mother, had some trouble with her husband a few days ago, and Friday became alarmed for fear she would ba hurt and left the place. She went back yesterday to see about getting her things. she said, and later her son came up.
 The son. according to the stase- ments or both, was unarmed, and merely came there to see about his mother The young man states he never spoke a. cross word to the father, and that he never meddled in the differences between the mother and stepfather.
 Vanderslice's story, as confirmed by the mother, is told in substance in the following.
 This morning about 10 o'clock I went up to the house, and as 1 start. ed to go in Bryant asked me what wanted there. 1 told him that 1 had merely called, and he told me not to go into the house. l asked why. and ne said that l could go in if I wanted to, but that he did not want me to start any trouble. 1 told him I would not. Bryant came on in the house With me, and we were there a little while, and then Bryant and one of my sisters got into an argument, and bryant told me to get out of the house.
 T started to leave the house. and ne said to me to get out of the yard. anu then l went out of the yard, and then he told me to get clear away from the place. l had started away. when he, went into his store and got his single Earrelled shot gun and came out and told me he would Xii me. My mother screamed as he level ed the shot gun at me, and I saw that he had the gun brought down about my stomach, so I jumped high in the air as he shot, and got che load on the front part of my leg, just about the thigh.
 When Bryant fired the shot he quickly unbreeched the shot gun to load 1t with another shell, and | knew had no other chance than to try to get hold of him, so 1 started to run 70 nm. l was getting close and he saw ne did not have time to put the shell in and shoot me, so he threw the gun back breeched quickly, and llftlng 1t high, struck me with it. caught the blow on the left arm"
 Vanderslice here exhibited ais left arm showing where he had received a severe blow there.
 Then 1 got hold of aim and my mother and two sisters came running up to help me hold him until we could get tne gun away from him. Mother got the gun and ran and threw IL over the fence. l got in wagon and we came on into the city to see pr. Shaw and have him attend the wounds"
 Mrs Bryant attested the truth of the statement of her son, adding taat she believed Bryant would kill either herseh or her son if they returned there. Vanderslice stated he did not want to go back so long as Bryant was there, as he was afraid he would be killed.