A Bad Fight at Leslie-1909

JOHNSON, EARLY, FLEMING, POUND, ARMSTRONG, DEAN, KEERAN, TREAT

Posted By: cheryl Locher moonen (email)
Date: 9/5/2019 at 19:07:26

Leon reporter, Thursday, Apr 15, 1909, Leon, IA, Page: 1

A Bad Fight at Leslie

Last Wednesday night, Sheriff Keeran and Deputy Armstrong and Dr. Dean received telephone summons to come to Leslie without asking questions. They went and found Clyde Johnson badly used up with 13 gashes in his scalp and face and a few scattered wounds on other portions of his antimony. The doctor patched up the wounds while the officers sought the alleged assaulters Ralph and Harry Early. They were arrested on warrants charging them with intent to commit murder but later this was changed to a misdemeanor, assault and battery to allow the Justice to have jurisdiction.

The trial was pulled off Monday before Justice Treat in a crowded courtroom and after hearing the evidence, Ralph Early declaring his brother had nothing to do with it, the jury found Ralph Early guilty of assault and battery and he was fined $25 and costs. He paid the fine. The encounter was the result of bad blood resulting through the association of the Pounds and Flemings. The Early boys are brothers of Mrs. Fleming, while the Johnson boy is a member of the Pound household. The community is considerably stirred over the matter and the Sentinel would suggest that they drop it now and restore the old relations. Nothing makes life so unpleasant or depreciates property so much as a division and quarrel among the residents of a community and the loss by it. We say this without prejudice in the case and with good will toward everyone. - Osceola Sentinel