Murder Trials of Loren R. BONE

BONE, ALLISON

Posted By: Jennifer Gunderson (email)
Date: 2/12/2021 at 12:47:22

The Muscatine Journal. Muscatine, Iowa. 21 Feb 1899, Tue. Page 1.

ANOTHER IOWA MURDER.

I. F. [sic] Bone and A. J. Tolbard Under Arrest at Mason City for Killing; James Allison

Mason City, Iowa! Feb. 20. -- L. R. Bone, the murderer of James Allison, was arrested Saturday night at the home of his father-in-law, A. J. Talberg. He was driven there by a liveryman. When Deputy Barker went to the house he was told that none of the men were at home, but on further demand that the man come but he presented himself. He had the bloody knife in his hand and gave it to the officer. Soon after his arrest he was interviewed. When told that Allison was dead he said:

"Where did I plug him? Well, I expect I am doomed to go the same way."

Bone is twenty-seven years of age and came here from Lexington, Neb. James Allison was married about two months ago. The inquest is being held to-day.

Charles Talbard was placed under arrest to-day as being an accessory to the murder of James Allison. L. R. Bone, who did the fatal shooting, was arraigned for preliminary shearing, but the case was continued until Wednesday. Bone is a son-in-law of Rev. Mr. Talbard, while Chas. Talbard is his son. A feud, said to have existed between the families back in Logan county, Illinois, is alleged to have caused the trouble, which was renewed here over a horse. Bone's plea will be self-defense.

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The Daily Times (Davenport, Iowa). 23 Feb 1899, Thu. Page 2

Mason City Murder Case
Mason City, Feb. 23. -- L. R. Bone and Charles Talberd, principal and accessory in the murder case of James Allison were arraigned before Judge Cummings for a preliminary hearing. Six witnesses were examined. Thus far there has been nothing of the reported Logan county, Ill., feud brought out.

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SECOND DEGREE MURDER
Error in Indictment Saves Bone From More Serious Conviction.

Mason City, Ia., June 13 -- After being out forty-eight hours the jury in the L. R. Bone murder case brought in a verdict of murder in the second degree. Owing to the omission of the word "deliberate" in the indictment Judge Sherwin instructed the jury that he could not be convicted of a crime more serious than second degree murder. The extreme penalty is fifty years' imprisonment. Sentence will be pronounced later in the week. Nothing short of the extreme limit will satisfy public opinion.

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The Courier (Waterloo, Iowa). 05 Jul 1899, Wed. Page 7.

Mason City Murderer Gets 60 Years in Penitentiary.

Mason City, July 5. -- L. R. Bone, who murdered James Allison, but owing to a technicality in the indictment could only be found guilty of murder in the second degree, was sentenced by Judge John C. Sherwin to sixty years' imprisonment at hard labor at Anamosa. The sentence meets with popular favor.

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Evening Times-Republican (Marshalltown, Iowa). 09 Oct 1901, Wed.Page 1.

NEW TRIAL FOR BONE
Supreme Court Grants Mason City Murderer Another Chance

Special to Times-Republican

Mason City, Oct. 9. -- The supreme court today decided the celebrated L. R. Bone murder case from Mason City, in which Bone was sentenced to sixty years' imprisonment for killing James Allison in a quarrel. The case is sent back for trial again on the grounds that he had a right to show self defense, and Sherwin's instructions were wrong on that point.

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The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, Iowa. 19 Jan 1907, Sat . Page 12.

The supreme court yesterday decided that "good time" earned by convicts cannot be taken from them by the courts. In the case of L. R. Bone against Warden Marquis Barr of the Anamosa penitentiary. Judge Miller of Jones county gave him his liberty after he had been sentenced to an additional term on second trial. He was given sixty years for murder In the first instance, but on retrial was convicted of manslaughter. The judge gave him a sentence of such length that added to the time he had served of his first sentence would give him the maximum sentence for manslaughter. But in the computation the court did not take into consideration the good time that Bone had earned while in prison. Counting this good time and the time he had spent in prison on the first sentence he was not compelled to serve any of the time fixed in the last sentence in order to have served the eight years limit for manslaughter, minus the good time. Judge Miller released him from the Anamosa prison, therefore, and the supreme court sustained the judgment In the lower court.

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Transcriber's notes:

In articles, defendant was referenced as L. R. Bone. Full name Loren R. Bone is revealed in the Iowa Supreme Court case.

Many different spellings were used in various articles for Bone's father-in-law and alleged accomplice: Talberg / Talbard / Talberd / Tolbard. Correct spelling is unknown.

Transcribed by Jennifer Gunderson. 12 Feb 2021.

More details of this case can be found in Reports of Cases in Law and Equity Determined in the Supreme Court of the State of Iowa, Volume 114, 1902, linked below:

State of Iowa v. BONE
 

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