The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-07-31
MURDERED ON TRAIN
T. j. Allen Shot to Death by Div0rC-
ed Husband of Woman lie was
Recently Married To.

A terrible tragedy took place on
the Des Moines-C GAINESVILLE passenger
train Just this side of New Virginia
last Friday morning, when w. l.
Shetterley, of Olathe, Kansas, shot
and instantly killed T. J. Allen, of
New Virginia, who had married
Shetterley's divorced wife but a few
days before.
Mr.. and Mrs. C. E. Henderson, of
Leon, were passengers in the coach
in which the shooting occurred. The
train was in charge of conductor U.
G. Wright, and Shetterley boarded
the train at st. Charles having a
ticket for New Virginia. When the
train stopped at New Virginia Shet-
terley went into the depot and in
,quired of the agent whether Allen
was in town, and was told that Mr.
Allen and his wife had just boarded
the train and were going to Osceola.
Sheterley rushed out of the depot
and climbed on the train which was
just pulling out. He was very clumsy
in boarding the train and the conduc-
tor demonstrated with him for get
ting on a moving train and told him
he would get killed. Shetterley
walked through the smoking car and
into the rear coach and passed clear
through the car. Mr.. Allen and his
wife were seated a few seats from
the rear of the coach and on reach
ing the rear of the car Shetterley
turned around and pulled a revolver
from his hip pocket and stepped d.
rectly up to Allen and placing the
revolver close to the back OF his
head fired. Allen dropped down in
the seat and Shetterley fired the re-
naming four bullets into his body,
all of them taking effect. One bullet
passed through him and struck
lady passenger in the seat in front
of him, but did not injure her. Allen
died instantly. The car was in an
uproar, the women passengers
screaming and some of the men rush
ed up to Allen and took the revolver
away from him. The train was back
ed up to New Virginia, and Aliens
body removed, while Shetterley was
guarded and brought to Osceola,
where he was turned over to the
sheriff, and later taken to 1ndianola,
as the shooting occurred in Warren
county.
Shetterley did not even know Al
len. He formerly ran store at Lori
NOR, Iowa, where he and his wife
had trouble, at one time Shetterley
breaking up most of their furniture
with lawnmower, including a fine
new piano. His wife finally left him
and secured divorce three years
ago, and Shetterley went to Olathe,
Kansas, where he lived with his
mother on farm.
Mr.. Allen was a former resident of
1r%H CT a
fine farm just east of Van Vert. His |
he was married to Mrs. Shetterley |
at Des Moines just two weeks ago.
He moved from Van Vert to New
Virginia about three months ago and
engaged in the butcher business. He
was SIS years of age. His remains
were taken to his old home at Elm
Grove, in Madison county for burial.
Shetterley is evidently of unsound
mind. He now claims that he does |
not remember of having shot Allen.
He says he read in a Des Moines
paper of the marriage of his former
wife to Allen, and that it excited him
greatly and he could not sleep. He
left Olathe last Thursday morning |
and got off the Great Western at
East Peru and walked across to St.
Charles and took the Burlington |
train for New Virginia. He says he
was not acquainted with Allen at
all, and does not know where he Sc
cured the revolver with which he did
the shooting. Since being confined
in the Indianola Jail he spends his
time in walking around the cell, |
pausing now and then to sing hymn
at the top of his voice.